Gareth Rhodes

Founder and Managing Partner

Advises startups, financial institutions, investors, and executives on corporate transactions, financial services regulation, and complex legal matters, drawing on experience in private practice, senior government leadership, and in-house counsel roles.

Biography

Gareth Rhodes is the Founder and Managing Attorney of Pacific Street Law, where he advises startups, financial institutions, investors, and executives on corporate transactions, financial services regulation, complex business disputes, and other strategic legal matters. Previously, Gareth served as Deputy Superintendent and Special Counsel at the New York State Department of Financial Services, where he was a member of the agency's executive leadership team and oversaw initiatives involving banking, capital markets, insurance, consumer protection, and cybersecurity. He has also served as an in-house counsel managing regulatory matters for a Series D consumer lending company and for a startup enabling financial services providers to integrate cash flow underwriting and advanced data analytics into their lending models. Gareth previously held senior positions in New York State government, including as a member of the Governor's COVID-19 Task Force and Deputy Inspector General and Counsel at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. He serves on the boards of Bastion, a national trust bank supervised by the OCC, and Civic Hall & NY Tech Alliance, and is an adjunct professor at The City College of New York.

Representative Matters

Represented a major international broker-dealer in a high-priority state licensing matter, securing a favorable regulatory outcome in less than one year.
Represented an online platform as seller's counsel in a multimillion-dollar acquisition publicly described as one of the year's largest B2C Web3 security transactions.
Represented managing director of a global consulting firm in litigation involving the firm's disclosures as an advisor to a Chapter 11 debtor, securing dismissal of a civil RICO action.
Represented a senior executive of a global healthcare company facing federal criminal antitrust charges under the Sherman Act, securing a plea agreement that avoided incarceration.
Advised an early-stage digital asset and trading business on cross-border corporate and regulatory structures spanning the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Panama, and United States.
Represented an individual subject to a civil contempt judgment, negotiating with DOJ and other parties to achieve a favorable resolution.
Advised a consumer finance company on federal and state regulatory compliance, including a 50-state legal survey and analysis of the TILA, Regulation Z, EFTA, and Regulation E.
Represented numerous emerging-growth companies in equity and convertible debt financings, including SAFE financings, priced equity rounds, and convertible note offerings.