We provide consultancy services to lawyers, law firms, entrepreneurs, and governing bodies that need to understand computer technology and software development at a much deeper level of sophistication regarding matters of complex litigation, legislative policy, eDiscovery, data privacy and information security policy and strategy, as well as artificial intelligence. At pythiaZK we are incredibly passionate about helping software developers navigate governance concerns and regulatory requirements for those who develop software and computer technologies professionally in Silicon Valley and throughout the world. We uniquely provide services to blockchain developers & entrepreneurs regarding navigating international laws and regulations as well as Smart Contract implementation.

 

As consultants, we each have experience as developers in the fields of blockchain, artificial intelligence, and data science and each hold advanced degrees in computer science related fields and, collectively, our consultancy provides experience from our individual credentials as Memberships with the California Bar, Texas Bar and Federal Patent Bar (USPTO); Certified California Private Investigator License; ongoing experience personally developing software; CIPP, CFE & EnCE certified professional; as well as Finance, Tax Laws, and Engineering formal education. With dual US & EU citizenship, our consultancy is further equipped to act as an ideally knowledgeable US-based Data Protection Officer under the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). pythiaZK is not a Law Firm.

Who We Are

We each currently sit as leaders for the American Bar Association’s Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Committees. Our work often involves providing our clients with relevant guidance regarding applicable regulations and policies to issues involving computer-driven and software technologies subject to incident or crises management responsive timeframes – that are often within large-scale, front-page newsworthy, and complex international litigation. We are known Silicon Valley-based thought leaders and frequent speakers in corporate governance, public policy and professional or industry standardization for the protection of IT and other critical infrastructure.

 

Paul Starrett

 

Paul Starrett is a licensed attorney and private investigator specializing in high-profile investigations, compliance consulting and legal counseling especially where electronic data is central. He is founder and CEO of Starrett Consulting, Inc., a full-service investigations and consulting firm where they leverage open-source and commercial data-science applications to analyze structured and unstructured data. His 25-year career includes roles as general counsel and chief risk officer, information-security software engineer, information-management consultant and corporate-security executive. Paul holds a Master of Science degree in Predictive Analytics from Northwestern University and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Taxation from Golden Gate University. He is also a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) and EnCase Certified Computer Forensics Examiner (EnCE). Paul’s background in cryptography and similar technologies includes four years as a ‘C’ and ‘Java’ programmer for RSA Security, specifically in the areas of encryption, access and authentication. Prior to this, Paul worked at Network Associates, specifically for one of its subsidiaries, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy, an open-source cryptography library). Primarily, Paul worked on projects involving integration of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) systems with other access and authentication tools as well as advice on the adherence of software tools to digital-signature laws. Paul was also an original contributor to the PKI Assessment Guide, Information Security Committee of the American Bar Association (2002) and was lead author of “Digital Signatures” with McGraw-Hill (RSA Press) (2002). Paul (and his team) are also avid Python programmers where they design applications to track blockchain addresses and transactions along with other unsupervised and supervised machine-learning tools to mine these records for additional facts.

Rafa Baca

 

Rafa Baca first became interested in mining Bitcoin at Stanford University’s Bitcoin Edge Initiative and has never looked back.  Rafa is passionately interested in applying the blockchain and smart contracts to novel applications. His experience uniquely bridges the divide between the digital and real world applications with a focus on regulation and policy, business and software development.  Rafa is an experienced San Francisco FinTech entrepreneur and Angel Investor. Rafa has a JD (law degree), MS in Computer Science (Data Science) and BS in Mechanical Engineering. Rafa is a passionate software developer, digital forensics investigator, as well as a member of the Stanford Blockchain group and San Francisco Legal Hackers.

Rafa has 20 years of experience as a Federal Regulatory and Tech lawyer, a Registered US Patent and IP lawyer that includes a depth of experience in complex commercial litigation, legal transactions, business intelligence, tradesecrets, patent prosecution, and global asset portfolio strategy and regulatory work in tech and engineering. He is an active speaker in GDPR Data Privacy regulations and a national expert in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data and international law. As a developer, Rafa has successfully lead a team of software engineers and lawyers to create a software system for worldwide multilingual business contracts by using artificial intelligence to automate risk aversions while in-house legal and sales teams draft sales contracts. Rafa is a dual citizen of the USA and Spain (EU) and well versed with the General Data Protection Regulation, GDPR.

Our Services

Our consultants have successfully built and led outside and in-house legal as well as software developer teams at large Silicon Valley companies. pythiaZK is a consultancy and NOT a law firm. pythiaZK does not provide legal advice. Each pythiaZK Consultant’s private law practice is maintained separate from the pythiaZK consultancy.

As an added benefit, however, pythaiZK clients may often require that extra sensitive matters cannot be further disclosed are best served under Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine through each consultant’s separate law firm. Under the collaborative guidance of a separate law firm, a separate wrapper of confidentiality can be applied to consultancy work product. Accordingly, through a separate law firm, legal advice relating to electronic evidence issues can be addressed and confidentially sealed under Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Doctrine.

Law & Business

 

EVIDENCE & eDISCOVERY

We provide expert advice to lawyers on how to explain blockchain, cryptocurrency, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data and IT technologies to Judges, Juries, and Clients.  We assist lawyers navigation both on- & off-chain blockchain discovery requests for evidence and what specific information will be critical to winning a case or pleading.  Moreover, we have years of experience conducting eDiscovery and digital forensics evidence investigations in Silicon Valley, California that are soundly admissible in court – let us help you artfully navigate complex computer and software technology business litigation.

 

LEGISLATIVE & CORPORATE POLICY REGARDING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY & SOFTWARE

At pythiaZK we further provide bipartisan public policy consultation in the field of IT and Data Governance and internationally provide expert reports related to retention of sensitive information relating to spoliation motions, especially in Crypto and ICO related litigation.

 

PRIVACY & SECURITY AUDITS

We apply an autonomous approach toward each clients’ blockchain platform to arrive at meaningful solutions regarding data privacy (including GDPR landscapes), de-identification techniques, identity and key management for developer integration all within a mindful, real-world global regulatory framework.  We are formally trained with advanced degrees in Data Science.

 

FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS

Navigating global regulations of tangible assets such as bankruptcy, probate, mergers and acquisitions transition to new blockchain paradigms.  Digital forensic auditing of criminal activity and regulatory frameworks for international ICOs and blockchain development.

 

AUTHENTICATION & CHAIN OF OWNERSHIP

Advice on streamlining “trust” to blockchain ledgers.  Subscription Crypto Information Technology Support services.

For Developers

 

BLOCKCHAIN DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING

Smart contract & oracle development, contract regulatory auditing of smart contracts and other on- and off- chain software architectures, data privacy audits, UI and marketplace regulatory compliance, software security audits.

 

SMART CONTRACTING

Escrow and release based Oracle strategies that reduce present transaction costs and frictions that occur with present, non-digital systems.

 

PRIVACY & IDENTITY

Advice on key-based validation and identity management.  Let us help you derive a responsive plan implementing Zero Knowledge through the use of Public/Private Keypairs, Hash functions, Merkle Trees and other cryptographic methodologies.

 

Lawyer and CEO Services

 

pythiaZK ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY OFFERINGS

Discovery is the most powerful fact-gathering authority there is. Through discovery, a party has full access to their opponent’s relevant information as well as information in the possession of third parties. Do not venture into the discovery process without experts at your side lest let vital facts, critical to your success, slip through the cracks. This is especially true in the context of the incredibly complex and ever-changing realm of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.

 

PythiaZK’s attorneys and experts maintain up-to-the-minute knowledge of blockchain and cryptocurrency technology and law to help marshal your matter in the best way possible. Whether you are a plaintiff or defendant, we can assist in meet-and-confers, draft motions and requests, respond to motions-to-compel or protective orders as well as the review of produced information. In fact, PythiaZK also leverages artificial-intelligence tools to help find hidden information, to develop critical patterns and to find complex connections in blockchain and cryptocurrency environments.

Contact Us

Phone
(831) 854-7338