McCarter & English, a 400-attorney firm with a national client base and a thriving supply chain and logistics practice, has joined Blockchain in Transport Alliance (BiTA), the largest commercial blockchain consortium in the world with nearly 500 members from the freight, transportation, logistics and affiliated industries.
BiTA, whose members generate more than $1 trillion in annual revenues and include FedEx, Daimler, IBM and J. J. Keller, seeks to determine best practices and standards for transport-related blockchain.
Leading McCarter’s relationship with BiTA will be New York- and East Brunswick, NJ-based partner Ronald Leibman, who, before practicing logistics and supply chain law, was a senior logistics executive at a major supermarket chain and, prior to that, at a home furnishings retailer.
Leibman represents manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, distributors, carriers and third-party logistics providers in issues related to technology, data-driven solutions including blockchain and smart contracts, big data and artificial intelligence. He also guides them on modal selection and contracting, regulatory compliance, dispute resolution, equipment leasing, outsourcing and strategic planning, in addition to counseling app-based, demand-driven and crowd-sourced transportation clients on both the shipper and supplier sides.
“McCarter & English and BiTA are such a logical fit,” Leibman said. “We believe that we’re the firm to see for companies in this space that are looking to solve problems and maximize opportunities. And BiTA, which has been in existence only two years, went from zero to 60 in no time flat, to borrow a transportation phrase. BiTA is now the largest, pre-eminent organization in this space.”
In joining BiTA, McCarter & English will collaborate with other members that share a common goal of developing a standards framework, educating the marketplace on blockchain applications and encouraging the use of those applications.
“Blockchain has already begun to transform the supply chain via greater transparency, innovation and efficiency, and being that we’re still in early days for this technology, its effect will only grow,” said Patrick Duffy, president of BiTA. “McCarter & English as a firm, and Ron individually, are the experienced, high-caliber players we try to attract to BiTA. This is an excellent fit.”
About the Blockchain in Transport Alliance
Founded in August 2017, BiTA has quickly grown into the largest commercial blockchain alliance in the world, with nearly 500 members that collectively generate over $1 trillion in revenue annually. BiTA members are primarily from the freight, transportation, logistics and affiliated industries. Alliance members share a common mission to develop a standards framework, educate the market on blockchain applications and encourage the use of those applications. For more information, visit www.bita.studio.