Our authors are experts in their field and include barristers, solicitors, judges, mediators, academics experts from a range of related disciplines.

Ciarán McGonagle

Ciarán McGonagle is Tokenovate’s Chief Legal & Product Officer, developing blockchain and smart contract-based solutions for financial markets. Previously, he was Assistant General Counsel, Smart Contracts and Digital Assets at ISDA, Vice President at Deutsche Bank, Associate at Morgan Stanley, and trained at Allen & Overy after earning a Law degree at Queen’s University Belfast.

ciaran.mcgonagle@tokenovate.com

Articles by author

Schrödinger’s property? D’Aloia and the legal superposition of digital assets

In this article, the authors argue that courts must deepen their understanding of digital asset technologies to avoid perpetuating ambiguities evident in the D’Aloia judgment.

6 FEB 2025

Translations: creating legally effective smart derivatives contracts

Smart derivatives contracts have the potential to deliver significant efficiency benefits to derivatives market participants. However, automating legal documentation is a specialised task and lawyers have a crucial role to play in ensuring automation is legally and operationally effective. Developing smart derivatives contracts will require lawyers to enhance the levels of standardisation within industry standard contracts and contribute towards the development of legal agreement data models that will serve as the foundation for smart derivatives contracts.

1 SEP 2021

For whom the code tolls: an integrated, modular architecture for smart derivatives contracts

In this article, we dissect the complex interplay between law and technology in the derivatives market and describe an approach for developing modular, smart contracts. We draw parallels between legal prose and programming, advocating for a formalised approach to contract drafting that accommodates smart contract technology. The Common Domain Model is identified as a pivotal tool, providing a standardised representation of contractual terms that ensures clarity and consistency across the industry. Using this standard framework, we demonstrate how to embed traditional contracts within a modular, composable smart contract architecture.

1 JAN 2024