Advisory Council

Lee A. Schneider is a financial services and technology lawyer with extensive experience in blockchain, FinTech and global regulation. Lee serves as General Counsel for Ava Labs. He has been general counsel of several companies, led practice groups at major law firms, held many board of directors positions with trade associations and other groups, served as the inaugural contributing editor for the Chambers and Partners Fintech Practice Guide, co-hosted the original FinTech podcast "Appetite for Disruption", and co-founded the Avalanche Policy Coalition. Lee is the father of two wonderful Oxford graduates who recently joined the workforce. He learns about Japanese art history from his wife. He speaks and writes only in his personal capacity, so accept the views as his and not those of Chambers, Ava Labs or anyone else. His views do not constitute legal, investment, tax or any other type of advice.

His core policy focus is on digital technology for the public good, with a particular interest in technologies such as AI and Blockchain, and areas of application such as: FinTech, GovTech, RegTech, Assistive Tech and EdTech. He writes regularly on these and related topics for Computer Weekly and Finextra. Other key policy areas are social mobility, employment, education, skills and culture, media and sports. Lord Holmes is a firm believer in the benefits of diversity and inclusion and have campaigned for more accessible environments for disabled people. He have also advised the government on diversity and inclusion including conducting an independent review on improving access to public appointments for the Cabinet Office, and under his own auspices a two year on Progress Report to assess how far the department had got with implementation. Technology and inclusion are the ‘golden threads’ that run through everything he does. The opportunity provided by emerging technologies and the value of genuine inclusion provide both the practical and philosophical underpins to his work across the public and private sectors. Lord Holmes also used to swim and have been described as ‘Britain’s most successful Paralympic swimmer’ winning a total of 9 gold, 5 silvers and 1 bronze. Furthermore, he was honoured to continue his involvement with the Games as Director of Paralympic Integration, responsible for the organisation of the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.

Jolie Kahn has an extensive background in cryptocurrency, corporate finance, and corporate and securities law. She has been the proprietor of Jolie Kahn, Esq. since 2002 and has a deep depth of involvement in various aspects of cryptocurrency, including serving as general counsel to one of the largest bitcoin mining companies from 2018 to 2023 and as outside counsel to various other cryptocurrency-based public entities. She has participated in various large industry conferences both as a speaker and panelist, supporting the cryptocurrency and the blockchain ecosystem. Ms. Kahn has also held various corporate finance roles, including extensive involvement in preparing period filings and financial statements, as well as playing an integral part in public company audits. She has also worked with companies and hedge funds on complex transactions involving the structuring and negotiation of large-scale debt and equity financings, as well as mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Kahn has practiced law in the areas of corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, reverse mergers, and general corporate, banking, and real estate matters. She represents both public and private companies, hedge funds, and other institutional investors in their role as investors in public companies. She served as Interim CFO of GlucoTrack, Inc. from 2019 – 2023. Ms. Kahn holds a BA from Cornell University and a J.D. magna cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.

Bart Smith is the Chief Executive Officer of Avalanche Treasury Co., where he oversees the firm’s global strategy, investment portfolio, and capital deployment, guiding its mission to bridge traditional finance and blockchain through institutional-grade treasury management and regulated market participation. Before joining Avalanche Treasury Co., Smith served as Chief Executive Officer of Susquehanna Crypto, one of the world’s largest crypto market makers, DeFi liquidity providers, and early-stage digital asset investors. Under his leadership, the firm expanded global trading operations, scaled its infrastructure across major digital-asset venues, and became a trusted institutional counterparty across both centralized and decentralized markets. Earlier in his career, Smith was Global Head of Digital Asset Strategy at Susquehanna International Group (SIG), where he directed all digital-asset initiatives including proprietary trading, venture investments, market making, and institutional relationship development. He previously led SIG’s FICC, ETF, and Portfolio Trading Groups, overseeing ETF lead market making and exchange relationships, issuer partnerships, and institutional trading in ETFs and fixed income through Susquehanna Financial Group (SFG). Prior to his tenure at SIG, Smith helped Emerging Global Advisors launch its pioneering EGShares family of emerging-market ETFs. He began his career in institutional sales and consulting with AllianceBernstein and UBS, gaining early experience in global markets and portfolio management. Smith holds a degree from Vanderbilt University and is a graduate of The Haverford School. He is widely recognized as a pioneer in institutional digital asset adoption, known for his ability to translate market structure expertise from Wall Street to the blockchain economy.

Laine M. Litman is a senior operating and product executive with over 15 years of experience building, scaling, and leading multi-asset trading, clearing, and financial services businesses. She has expertise across Treasuries, corporates, FX, ETFs, derivatives, and digital assets, with a track record of launching new products, establishing regulated institutional-grade controls, and building and leading various functions. Laine currently serves as Chief Operating Officer of Avalanche Treasury Company, where she led firm set-up, governance, audits, and operational infrastructure. Prior to that, she was President and Chief Administrative Officer of Hidden Road Partners, where she helped scale the firm from early-stage through exit, built core operating, HR, BD, compliance, and product functions, and led global regulatory approvals across the U.S., UK, EU, and Middle East. Earlier in her career, Laine held senior leadership roles at Virtu Financial (formerly KCG), where she led fixed income, FX, metals, ETF operations, and co-led the firm’s crypto initiatives. She began her career in global futures sales and execution at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, and UBS. She is known as a hands-on leader passionate about building high-performing teams and cultures grounded in excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning. Laine holds a B.S. in Economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania