Richard Widmann

Richard Widmann is Google Cloud’s Head of Strategy for Digital Assets where he leads the businesses expansion into the blockchain ecosystem alongside the newly formed Digital Assets team. Formerly, Richard was Product Counsel at Google where he advised Finance and Treasury on legal and regulatory matters. Richard architected Google's earliest blockchain partnerships with companies like Hedera, and Dapper Labs. In connection with his work on blockchain initiatives, he serves as one of Google's delegates on the Hedera Hashgraph Governance Council. Richard has nearly a decade of experience advising senior executives on blockchain-based regulatory and transactional matters - before joining Google, Richard was a litigator at Sidley Austin where he focused his practice on high-profile white collar criminal investigations and DOJ/SEC enforcement actions. While at Sidley, Richard also advised some of the firm’s first cryptocurrency clients. He is a frequent speaker and author on the intersection between the law and cryptocurrency and is a guest lecturer on cryptocurrency for the Federal Bar Association. Richard holds a JD from Northwestern University School of Law, a Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania and a BA from the College of New Jersey. Before he practiced law, he was a middle school English teacher.