U.S. DOJ’s National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team One Year In

Paul Hemesath is Senior Counsel at Coinbase, the largest cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. Previously, Paul Hemesath was counsel to the Digital Currency Initiative at the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section in the United States Department of Justice.  Before that, Paul served as an Assistant United States Attorney at the Eastern District of California for 12 years.  Paul investigated and prosecuted cases involving ransomware, hacking and intrusion, dark web marketplaces, money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act violations, cryptocurrency, and other technology-related federal crimes.  For his work on cryptocurrency-related crimes, Paul received Attorney General’s Distinguished Service and the FBI Director’s awards.  Paul graduated from UCLA with a political science degree, and he received law and foreign service degrees from Georgetown University.

Sujit Raman is Chief Legal Officer at TRM and leads the company's global legal operations. Prior to joining TRM in 2022, Sujit was a partner at the international law firm Sidley Austin LLP, where he advised clients on a myriad of high-stakes issues including government investigations, cyber/data protection, and multibillion-dollar transactional matters. Sujit previously spent nearly twelve years as a U.S. federal prosecutor, culminating in his service as U.S. Associate Deputy Attorney General. In this role, Sujit personally advised the U.S. Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General in their oversight of the nation’s cyber-related criminal and national security investigations and prosecutions. He also chaired the task force that formulated the U.S. Department of Justice's Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework, which remains federal law enforcement's strategy blueprint for enforcement in the digital assets space. Sujit also led DOJ’s policy formulation in several critical areas, including cybersecurity, cross-border data transfers and protection, and emerging technologies such as facial recognition and encryption. Sujit brings a wealth of expertise in data privacy, national security, cybercrime prevention and cryptocurrency.

Sanjeev Bhasker is a partner in the Public Policy and Law practice group. An accomplished former White House cyber attorney, federal prosecutor, and emerging technology expert, he brings over two decades of public-sector experience to counseling clients on artificial intelligence (AI), digital assets and payment processing, cybersecurity, government investigations, and quantum computing. Fluent in Spanish and proficient in Hindi, he advises multinational clients on cross-border regulatory, compliance, sanctions, export-control, and government enforcement matters.

Prior to joining the firm, Sanjeev served as Acting General Counsel for the White House's Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), where he advised senior officials on cybersecurity and emerging technology issues during both the Trump and Biden administrations. In this senior leadership role, he served as the chief legal advisor to the President’s National Cyber Director on cyber and emerging technology policy, including AI, blockchain and digital assets, and post-quantum cryptography. He also served on the President's Council of Advisors for Digital Assets and the Chief AI Officer Council, advising on policy, security, and industry engagement, including the GENIUS Act.

Sanjeev's White House tenure included drafting and implementing Presidential Executive Orders, advising on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) Bulk Data Security Program rule, and leading executive engagement with Congress, Fortune 100 companies, and trade associations. He also responded to congressional oversight investigations and counseled White House appointees through the US Senate confirmation process.

An experienced litigator and former Assistant US Attorney, Sanjeev has tried nearly 100 jury and bench trials in federal and state courts and briefed more than 40 appeals across multiple jurisdictions. He has led high-profile cyber and national security investigations including the enforcement of OFAC sanctions and International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) violations. Sanjeev brings an extensive AML/CFT compliance background to the firm, having co-chaired the US Attorney’s Office’s Bank Secrecy Act team with FinCEN and served in the DOJ’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section on complex financial crime and compliance investigations. He has also trained government and law enforcement officials in over 40 countries, delivering hundreds of presentations on emerging technology and AML/CFT compliance.

Sanjeev has served in leadership roles with numerous professional organizations, including the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association and the South Asian Bar Association of North America. He also serves on the American Bar Association's Cybersecurity Legal Task Force.