D. Scott Bennett

SCOTT BENNETT advises companies, issuers, investors, and financial institutions on a broad range of corporate and transactional matters, with a focus on capital raising activities, including initial public offerings, venture capital and growth equity investments, and other securities offerings, as well as ongoing public company representation. He is head of Sidley’s Technology Capital Markets group.

Scott is a leading lawyer for innovative and high-growth businesses, particularly in the technology, fintech, digital assets, artificial intelligence, and energy transition sectors. He regularly counsels clients on complex transactions and strategic matters at the intersection of capital markets and emerging technologies, and brings significant experience advising across the full corporate lifecycle, from early stage financings through initial public offerings and beyond.

His practice encompasses a wide spectrum of capital markets transactions, including initial public offerings, direct listings, spinoffs, private financings for both companies and investors, and a variety of other equity and debt capital markets offerings. He also represents clients in mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance matters and provides counsel on matters involving blockchain and digital assets. His experience spans a diverse set of industries, including technology and financial services, digital assets, artificial intelligence, energy and energy transition, consumer products, life sciences, and transportation and shipping.

Scott’s work has been widely recognized by leading industry publications and organizations. He was named “Dealmaker of the Year” by The American Lawyer (2020) and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law (2022–2026), including being named “Lawyer of the Year – New York City” (2025). He has also been ranked by IFLR1000 for Banking – U.S. and Capital Markets – U.S. (2016–2025), and named a “Rising Star” in Capital Markets by Law360 (2018). In addition, he has been included among Lawdragon’s “500 Leading Dealmakers in America” (2021–2025). His capital markets and related work has been recognized by Legal 500 United States across multiple categories, including Debt, Equity, Global and High-Yield Offerings, Fintech, and Technology Transactions (2014–2025), as well as by Legal 500 Latin America for Capital Markets and Corporate/M&A (2015–2017).

• Digital Asset Holdings, Inc. in its US$355 million Series F Financing led by Andreessen Horowitz’s crypto fund, a16z crypto, with participation from leading institutions across traditional and decentralized finance.
• Jefferies, BNY Mellon Capital Markets, and UBS Securities, as sales agents in connection with the establishment of Galaxy Digital Inc.’s US$500 million “at-the-market” equity program.
• Issuers and underwriters in IPOs, direct listings, spin-offs, and de-SPAC transactions for numerous companies, including Alcon, Bitdeer, BitGo, Costamare Bulkers, Galaxy Digital, GasLog Partners, GrafTech International, and Robinhood.
• Venture investors in connection with their investments, including Brevan Howard Digital, Bristol Myers Squibb, D.E. Shaw, Paradigm, and Thrive Capital.
• Clients in the blockchain and digital assets space, including Bitdeer on SEC issues related to its de-SPAC transaction, Brevan Howard in its investment in Ripple, Circle on regulatory matters related to its IPO, Silvergate Bank in its wind-down of operations and chapter 11 bankruptcy, the underwriters in BitGo's IPO, and the underwriters in the first U.S. public offering by Galaxy Digital.
• Issuers and underwriters in equity and debt offerings involving companies such as Alcon, Costamare, GasLog, Hess Midstream, Leidos, Qualcomm, Star Bulk, and Weyerhaeuser.

Some of the above matters were handled prior to joining Sidley.