Marjorie J. Peerce

Partner
New York

Marjorie J. Peerce is a litigator with a practice focus on white collar criminal defense, virtual currency, regulatory matters, and complex civil litigation. In her more than 30 years of practice, she has handled matters across the criminal and regulatory spectrum.

She is Managing Partner of the firm's New York office, a member of its Elected Board, and is a founding leader of the Blockchain Technology and Cryptocurrency team. That team is composed of lawyers from virtually every practice area in the firm, and aids clients in myriad matters related to virtual currency and the blockchain, including matters related to cryptocurrency scams or thefts involving crypto wallets, initial coin offerings, developing and implementing new products, navigating the complicated maze of government regulation and enforcement, advising on issues related to blockchain technology, and protecting both the data and the consumers who use it. Margie also co-leads the firm's Distressed Digital Assets team.

Margie appears in New York state and federal courts, as well as in federal districts around the country. She has handled criminal and regulatory investigations concerning, for example, violations of the Internal Revenue Code, securities fraud (including Bitcoins), initial coin offerings, cryptocurrency trading, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Bank Secrecy Act, government contract procurement and subsidy fraud, mail fraud, bribery, accounting fraud, immigration fraud, health care fraud, environmental matters, commodities fraud, computer fraud and hacking, and criminal customs investigations. Margie has handled a significant number of matters with the SEC, as well as with FINRA and the CFTC. She has handled numerous matters with the New York Attorney General in a variety of areas. She also regularly represents individuals in myriad matters in the Criminal and Supreme Courts in New York City.

Experience 

Representative Matters

Virtual Currency

  • Represents several clients under criminal and SEC investigation related to initial coin offerings
  • Handling an investigation into alleged manipulative conduct in cryptocurrency trading

Securities Fraud

  • Represented an individual in a New York Stock Exchange Investigation into the trading of pre release ADR's
  • Represented several employees of a hedge fund in an internal investigation, SEC investigation, and civil litigation involving alleged misuse of investor funds

Professional Highlights

Judicial Clerkships

Hon. Vincent L. Broderick, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Professional Activities

New York City Bar Association, former Chair, Board of Directors, Member, Executive Committee; former Member, White Collar Crime Committee; former Chair, Criminal Law Committee; Member, Mass Incarceration Task Force

New York Council of Defense Lawyers, former President; former Chair, Sentencing Guidelines Committee

Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Eastern District of New York, Member, Oversight Committee

Women's White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA) Speakers Committee, Co-Chair

Recognition & Accomplishments

The Best Lawyers in America, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Criminal Defense: White Collar (New York), 2008-2024

Chambers FinTech Guide, Leading Individual, Crypto-Asset Disputes, 2024 

Legal 500, Fintech, 2023

Chambers USA, litigation: white-collar crime & government investigations (New York), 2017-2023

Named as one of the world's leading female practitioners in the 12th edition of the Women in Business Law Guide, 2022

Speaking Engagements

Frequent contributor to Money Laundering Watch, Ballard Spahr's blog focused exclusively on money laundering issues.

Co-author, "NY Court of Appeals Grapples With Classifying Gig Workers and the Modern Economy," Ballard Spahr alert, May 18, 2020

Co-author, "Federal Crackdown on Hoarding and Gouging During COVID-19 Crisis," Law Journal Newsletters, May 2020

Co-author, "How to Avoid Post-Discovery Pitfalls During Trial Preparation," American Bar Association, April 20, 2020 

Board Memberships & Community Service

Digital Currency & Ledger Defense Coalition

Federal Bar Foundation

Publications

Frequent contributor to Money Laundering Watch, Ballard Spahr's blog focused exclusively on money laundering issues. 

Co-author, "Federal Crackdown on Hoarding and Gouging During COVID-19 Crisis," Law Journal Newsletters, May 2020

Co-author, "How to Avoid Post-Discovery Pitfalls During Trial Preparation," American Bar Association, April 20, 2020

Credentials 

Education

Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude, 1983)
Managing Editor, Tax Lawyer

Tufts University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1980)

Admissions

District of Columbia

New York

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Districts of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit