FOUNDER & CEO

Alexander Kanen

Alexander Kanen has over eighteen years of business and legal experience in residential and commercial real estate transactions, corporate governance and crafting investment ventures and strategic partnerships with particular emphasis on real estate, private-equity and blockchain industries.

Since founding the Kanen Law Firm in 2007, Alexander has represented hundreds of private, venture capital and institutional clients in all aspects and stages of commercial and residential real estate transactions, including acquisitions of residential properties, mixed-use and commercial buildings, vacant land, development rights, air rights, easements, syndications, financing, sale and leasing of virtually all types of residential and commercial real estate assets. 

Mr. Kanen regularly counsels for-profit and non-profit business clients, including blockchain, FinTech and broker-dealer clients, in formation, syndication, acquisition, financing, development, sale and leasing of real estate, intellectual property and other traditional business assets. He also represents many domestic and international high profile clients, as well as serves as general counsel to a number of international companies doing business in the United States and in Europe. He is fluent in Russian, French and Georgian languages and is well versed in intricacies of transacting business internationally. Ever since founding Kanen Law Firm, in 2007, his mission and focus have always been on finding ways to bring most value to the firm's clients, to their families and to their business.

Alexander was first introduced to Distributed Ledger Technology in early 2013, and in 2015, had pioneered real estate transactions which later became commonly known as “Bitcoin Closings”, and has since represented many clients in a variety of transactions involving digital currencies. Alexander’s current practice is focused on advising domestic and international companies, high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, start-ups, family offices and private equity funds in all stages of capital formation, including traditional venture capital, crowdfunding, as well as tokenization of existing ownership interests in real estate assets and/or raising new capital through tokenized equity offerings and other asset-backed digital security issuances.

Alexander currently serves as the Chair of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance’s Real Estate Working Group and is on the New York Board of Directors of FIABCI (The International Real Estate Federation) with members in more than 50 countries and Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. Alexander is also the Co-founder of BASIS (Blockchain Advisors for Social Impact Solutions), a for-profit organization providing industry expertise and advisory services to foundations, philanthropists, family offices, social enterprises, charities, NGOs, impact investors, CSR decision-makers, impact assessment organizations, microfinance institutions and their associations.

Fluent in Russian, French and Georgian languages, and conversational in Spanish, Italian and Hebrew, Alexander is well travelled and well versed in intricacies of transacting business internationally, and represents many international clients from Europe, South America, Asia and Middle East.