Dr. Conrad Ruppel LL.M.

Conrad practice covers all fields of banking, investment and payment services law, including licensing, outsourcing, IT risks, governance, sustainability/ESG, as well as advising on anti-money laundering law (AML).

A focus of Conrad's work is on laws on new technologies, FinTech & digital assets. This includes the design and implementation of innovative products and regulatory change projects.

Conrad also assists clients with regulatory litigation & investigation matters, for example in the context of administrative proceedings and audits with national and European supervisory authorities, e.g. ESMA, ECB and BaFin.

Financial Services Regulatory

• Advised a global US investment bank on tokenized deposits on a DLT-based payment platform.
• Advised a global US investment bank on assuming the role as reserve bank (custodian) under MiCAR.
• Advised Goldman Sachs on the development and implementation of the Digital Assets Platform (GS DAP™).*
• Regulatory advice to a global US investment bank on innovative payment solutions with a FinTech in the area of payment initiation services, account information services, including Germany and a further EU and non-EU jurisdictions.
• Regulatory advice to a German bank on the classification of structured products as a financial instrument (derivative) or crypto asset under MiCAR.
• Advised German banks on (tokenized) covered bonds (Pfandbriefe) and covered eligibility of tokenized securities under German law.
• Advised a German bank on anti-money laundering law in connection with preventive measures and due diligence obligations.
• Advised a global US investment bank on the regulatory treatment of cross-border payment services (Germany, Luxembourg) as well as contract law advice.
• Cross-border advice to a major US investment bank on the marketing of structured products, including digital global depositary receipt (GDR).
• Regulatory advice to a multinational conglomerate headquartered in Japan on MiCAR regulation in connection with the holding and trading of cryptocurrencies and outsourcing of crypto asset services.
• Regulatory advice to a Spanish investment bank on compliance and governance issues.
• Advised a German DLT infrastructure provider against the background of a cooperation with a global US investment bank in the area of DvP (Delivery versus Payment), e.g. for securities transactions.
• Advised German premium car manufacturers on financial regulatory aspects of business models and products, including credit cards, e-money, payments services.
• Advised on regulatory issues in various M&A transactions, including Lyft on the acquisition of the mobility/e-commerce platform FREENOW from BMW and Mercedes-Benz for EUR 175 million.
• Advised Deutsche Börse AG on the acquisition of a majority stake in Institutional Shareholder Services Inc (ISS).*

Investment Funds

• Advised a North American fund manager on the distribution strategy of a North American fund provider, including BaFin authorisation.
• Advised several German fund managers on acquisition feasibility checks from the perspective of German institutional fund investors.
• Ongoing advice to a German capital management company on KAGB issues.
• Ongoing advice to a UK hedge fund on marketing authorisations.
• Advised a UK fund manager on Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) structures.
• Advised a major German asset manager in connection with the structuring of fund investments abroad.

*Advised at previous firm.