Former Facebook Counsel Joins Coinbase as Chief Legal Officer

Paul Grewal, a former US magistrate judge in California and Deputy General Counsel for Facebook, is joining crypto exchange Coinbase’s legal team.

In a July 8 announcement on the Coinbase blog, the crypto exchange said the addition of Grewal will help “pave the way for the next phase of crypto awareness and adoption.” The new Chief Legal Officer will also lead the legal team as Coinbase partners with financial services regulators, and develops and releases new products and services.

According to Coinbase, Grewal oversaw more than a thousand cases during his five years as a judge, and “played significant roles” in Apple v. Samsung and Oracle v. Google, two pivotal legal cases on technology.

Stepping into different roles

Coinbase’s announcement comes two months after its former chief legal counsel, Brian P. Brooks, left the exchange after two years. He is now the head of the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, a bureau within the Treasury Department.

It’s unclear whether Grewal’s appointment was influenced by a recent class action lawsuit against Coinbase’s “data plumber” Plaid, filed following Brooks’ departure. The plaintiffs allege that Plaid violated privacy and data protections by accumulating and monetizing financial transactions of millions of users.