Ryan David Williams is the Founding Partner of Ashbury Legal, a boutique law firm based in San Francisco that specializes in advising startups and emerging technology companies, with a particular focus on blockchain, Web3, and digital assets. Since founding the firm in 2016, Ryan has served as lead counsel on more than 250 blockchain projects, advising clients on token design, securities compliance, protocol governance, and regulatory investigations. His representative matters include advising Ripple on the commercialization of the Interledger Protocol, conducting securities law analysis for Binance’s BNB token, and supporting the development of staking protocols and decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs).
Ryan began his legal career in the Capital Markets & Securities group at Morrison & Foerster in New York and later joined Orrick’s Emerging Companies practice in Silicon Valley. He is also the co-founder of Ashbury Ventures, which invests in early-stage blockchain and decentralized infrastructure projects.
Ryan holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law, where he was a Leadership in Law & Business Scholar, and a B.A. in History and Public Policy from UCLA, where he graduated cum laude with College Honors. He is admitted to practice in California and New York. In addition to his legal practice, Ryan serves as pro bono counsel to La Cocina, a nonprofit supporting women- and minority-owned food businesses in underserved communities.
BHBA has been a leader in the legal profession, advocating for justice, and serving the community since 1931, including founding groundbreaking public interest programs and becoming a nationally recognized provider of quality CLE programs and innovative member benefits. Lead. Advocate. Serve.
