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We are a team of more than 600 professionals, with the depth of experience which makes us genuine experts in our fields. Together, gunnercooke’s people have strength across just about every corporate discipline and sector. We provide legal, commercial and strategic advice that delivers real value to the clients we work with, which span from multinational enterprises through to not-for-profit organisations. Our breadth of expertise covers some of the most interesting emerging disciplines such as charity, crypto, sports and competition law.
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The gunnercooke group has 16 main global offices across England, Scotland, the US, Germany and Austria, with further plans for growth in the coming years. These offices enhance the existing in-house capability of our dedicated international teams and dual-qualified experts that cover Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Brazil, China, India, Poland and Hungary. Our team have clients across 123 jurisdictions, speak 46 languages and are dual-qualified in 21 jurisdictions. Our expertise means we can offer large teams to carry out complex cross-border matters for major international clients.
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gunnercooke is a Top 75 law firm. We comprise a rapidly growing number of experts spanning legal and other disciplines. Clients benefit from flexible options on fees to suit their needs, access to a wider network of senior experts throughout the relationship, and legal advice which is complemented by an understanding of the commercial aspects of running a business.
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Kathryn Dodds
Expertise
Kathryn Dodds is a Corporate Partner specialising in crypto, Web3, and fintech. She advises on M&A, investments, global restructures, and innovative corporate structures for Web3 projects.
Selected highlights:
- Pioneering deal: led on the sale of Attestant, an institutional Ethereum staking provider with $4bn in staked assets, to Bitwise Asset Management, being the first transaction of its kind in the UK. The acquisition broadened Bitwise’s institutional offering, adding professional non-custodial staking alongside ETPs, hedge fund solutions, private funds, and SMAs.
- Global restructures: acted for leading crypto firms, including Layer 1s, decentralised exchanges, and shadow insurers, on complex reorganisations, including DAO “wrapping” and Labs models, enabling growth, advanced product launches, and reduced liability.
- First-ever DAO sale: structured and executed the world’s first DAO sale, setting a precedent in the market.
- Investment expertise: advises on SAFEs, token warrants, SAFTs and traditional equity investment documents (ASAs, subscription agreements, articles, and shareholders’ agreements).
Kathryn was recently promoted to Partner, reflecting her position as a leading expert in crypto and Web3 corporate law. She is ranked in Legal 500 for Fintech: Corporate & Commercial, with her practice moving up to Band 3 in the 2026 guide, and her work has been featured in publications including the Solicitor’s Journal and Lawyer Monthly.
Kathryn Advises
The following across the crypto and Web3 eco-system:
- Start-ups and SMEs looking to sell;
- DAOs on structuring, reorganisations, and constitutional documents;
- Companies and investors on SAFEs, token warrants, ASAs, and equity deals;
- VCs on investments and portfolio work; and
- Asset managers, PE, and strategic buyers on M&A.
Experience Highlights
- Leading on the disposal of Attestant Limited, an institutional Ethereum staking provider with $4 billion in staked assets to Bitwise Asset Management
- Leading on the restructure of some of the world’s largest crypto firms, including Layer 1s, decentralised exchanges, and shadow insurers
- Leading on the sale of a DAO, including advising on structuring considerations that are unique to Web3
- Advising on investment documentation, including SAFEs, ASAs, SAFTs, Token Warrants and shareholder and subscription agreements
- Advising on M&A transactions; including: (i) the disposal of Legal & General’s Mature Savings Business to ReAssure, a division of Swiss Re for £650 million; (ii) the disposal of Probiotics International Limited, a leading provider of probiotics supplements for human and animal use, to Archer Daniels Midland Company for £185 million; and (iii) Markel International Limited on its acquisition of the online freelancer and contractor business of the insurance broker, Caunce O’Hara.
Career History
Previous Law firms
- Legal & General PLC, In-house Corporate Lawyer (May 2020 – February 2022)
- Eversheds Sutherland LLP, Corporate Associate (September 2017 – February 2020)
- Eversheds Sutherland LLP, Trainee Solicitor (September 2015- September 2017)
Education
- University of Northumbria: First Class Honours
Other
- Co-author of Chambers Global Practice Guides for FinTech
- Part of the DAO Working Group with the Financial Markets Law Committee.
- Regular contributor to Crypto Cast, a podcast where James Burnie and Kathryn Dodds are joined by expert guests to discuss hot topics and share useful advice for crypto and Web3 businesses.
Expertise
Back to top
Kathryn Dodds is a Corporate Partner specialising in crypto, Web3, and fintech. She advises on M&A, investments, global restructures, and innovative corporate structures for Web3 projects.
Selected highlights:
- Pioneering deal: led on the sale of Attestant, an institutional Ethereum staking provider with $4bn in staked assets, to Bitwise Asset Management, being the first transaction of its kind in the UK. The acquisition broadened Bitwise’s institutional offering, adding professional non-custodial staking alongside ETPs, hedge fund solutions, private funds, and SMAs.
- Global restructures: acted for leading crypto firms, including Layer 1s, decentralised exchanges, and shadow insurers, on complex reorganisations, including DAO “wrapping” and Labs models, enabling growth, advanced product launches, and reduced liability.
- First-ever DAO sale: structured and executed the world’s first DAO sale, setting a precedent in the market.
- Investment expertise: advises on SAFEs, token warrants, SAFTs and traditional equity investment documents (ASAs, subscription agreements, articles, and shareholders’ agreements).
Kathryn was recently promoted to Partner, reflecting her position as a leading expert in crypto and Web3 corporate law. She is ranked in Legal 500 for Fintech: Corporate & Commercial, with her practice moving up to Band 3 in the 2026 guide, and her work has been featured in publications including the Solicitor’s Journal and Lawyer Monthly.
Kathryn Advises
Back to top
The following across the crypto and Web3 eco-system:
- Start-ups and SMEs looking to sell;
- DAOs on structuring, reorganisations, and constitutional documents;
- Companies and investors on SAFEs, token warrants, ASAs, and equity deals;
- VCs on investments and portfolio work; and
- Asset managers, PE, and strategic buyers on M&A.
Experience Highlights
Back to top
- Leading on the disposal of Attestant Limited, an institutional Ethereum staking provider with $4 billion in staked assets to Bitwise Asset Management
- Leading on the restructure of some of the world’s largest crypto firms, including Layer 1s, decentralised exchanges, and shadow insurers
- Leading on the sale of a DAO, including advising on structuring considerations that are unique to Web3
- Advising on investment documentation, including SAFEs, ASAs, SAFTs, Token Warrants and shareholder and subscription agreements
- Advising on M&A transactions; including: (i) the disposal of Legal & General’s Mature Savings Business to ReAssure, a division of Swiss Re for £650 million; (ii) the disposal of Probiotics International Limited, a leading provider of probiotics supplements for human and animal use, to Archer Daniels Midland Company for £185 million; and (iii) Markel International Limited on its acquisition of the online freelancer and contractor business of the insurance broker, Caunce O’Hara.
Career History
Back to top
Previous Law firms
- Legal & General PLC, In-house Corporate Lawyer (May 2020 – February 2022)
- Eversheds Sutherland LLP, Corporate Associate (September 2017 – February 2020)
- Eversheds Sutherland LLP, Trainee Solicitor (September 2015- September 2017)
Education
- University of Northumbria: First Class Honours
Other
- Co-author of Chambers Global Practice Guides for FinTech
- Part of the DAO Working Group with the Financial Markets Law Committee.
- Regular contributor to Crypto Cast, a podcast where James Burnie and Kathryn Dodds are joined by expert guests to discuss hot topics and share useful advice for crypto and Web3 businesses.
Testimonials
"Kathryn Dodds and James Burnie share a powerful combination of deep technical fluency and a hands-on, client-first approach."
Legal 500, 2026
"Kathryn Dodds - extremely smart and able to quickly assimilate information. At the forefront of UK legal advisers in crypto and blockchain."
Legal 500, 2026
"Kathryn Dodds and Mark Langford were invaluable in the negotiation and execution of a company sale that we completed. Their guidance throughout the whole process, start to finish, was crucial to the success of the transaction."
Legal 500, 2026
"Kathryn Dodds complements this with her expertise in Web3 and corporate structures, notably guiding us through complex transactions with clarity and strategic insight. Both stand out for their hands-on approach, humility, and ability to translate technical and regulatory complexities into clear, business-friendly solutions. Compared to competitors, their deep sector knowledge and client-centric focus make them indispensable partners."
Legal 500, 2026
“Kathryn Dodds and her team played a pivotal role in the sale of Attestant to Bitwise Asset Management. With nearly $4bn staked using our systems, I wanted to have the very best guidance and advice. The gunnercooke team were a real pleasure to work with, going above and beyond to offer strategic advice and legal solutions throughout the transaction that were intelligent and practical. The team not only has a deep expertise in the crypto and corporate sector but also genuinely cared about the transaction, having worked with us from the inception of Attestant to its eventual sale.”
Sreejith Das
CEO of Attestant Limited“We have been extremely lucky to find gunnercooke. To find a firm with cutting-edge and diverse industry expertise, but also a very warm and down-to-earth approach has been exactly what we needed!”
Alex Malone
Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Musicia“With a deep understanding of our space and outstanding know-how, gunnercooke provides thorough and rigorous legal advice that makes the critical difference to us as a decision-maker.”
David Carvalho
Founder, CEO and Chief Scientist of Naoris Protocol Cyber Security