Dr. Michael R.Fischer

Partner

Frankfurt + 49.69.9726.3943

Dr. Michael Fischer is an experienced financial services lawyer supporting clients' contentious and noncontentious regulatory needs. Skilled in financial regulation, compliance, and internal investigations, Michael's practice covers complex regulatory issues, including M&A transactions involving financial services companies and financial products and in the areas of anti-money laundering/countering the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT), corporate governance, and manager liability. He is actively involved in Jones Day's global, cross-disciplinary Fintech team, advising on legal and regulatory issues arising from both, the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in financial transactions and products, and the forthcoming market transition to alternative reference rates.

Michael has been practicing in the financial services industry for more than 20 years and draws on his extensive in-house banking and investment funds experience. He served as the general counsel for the German operations of an international Swiss bank for seven years, where he was also responsible for the EMEA region within the wealth management division of the global banking group, advising on strategic regulation initiatives.

Michael also served as head of strategy and policy for the Financial Market Stabilization Agency/SoFFin, the manager of the German government's rescue fund for the financial sector. Earlier in his career, Michael was general counsel and chief compliance officer for two alternative asset management firms in New York City. He started his career as an M&A lawyer in the Cologne and New York offices of international UK and U.S. law firms.

Michael is a board member of the German-American Lawyers Association (DAJV) and co-head of the association's M&A practice group.

Experience

  • Investment Global divests shares in Daimler TruckJones Day represented Investment Global Co., Limited, a portfolio company of Beijing Auto Group, a backbone enterprise in China's automobile industry, in connection with the sale of approximately 29 million shares in Daimler Truck Holding AG, one of the world’s leading truck manufacturers (FRA:DTG) in a combination of brokerage and derivative transactions.
  • Bessemer Venture Partners leads $42 million Series B investment in UpvestJones Day represented Bessemer Venture Partners as lead investor in the $42 million Series B financing round of Upvest, a company that provides cloud-based banking-as-a-service (BaaS) by offering their ready-to-go APIs to fintechs to offer their end customers investment products including everything from ETFs and stocks to crypto assets.
  • ebase GmbH acquires securities business of Augsburger AktienbankJones Day advised European Bank of Financial Services GmbH (ebase) in the acquisition of the securities business of Augsburger Aktienbank AG.
  • EPH completes US$163 million public offering of shares, private placement of shares, and listing of new equity shares on SIX Swiss ExchangeJones Day advised EPH European Property Holdings Ltd., as German counsel, in connection with a US$163 million public offering of shares in Switzerland, private placement of shares to international investors, and the subsequent listing of the new shares on SIX Swiss Exchange, the Swiss regulated market.
  • Exporo makes market entry into NetherlandsJones Day advised Exporo AG, a German FinTech company specializing in crowd-investments and blockchain-based real estate (re)financings, as regards Dutch and German law in connection with Exporo's initial offering of a token-based bond issue in the Netherlands and establishing its real estate investment business in the Netherlands.
  • Speaking Engagements

    • October 18, 2019
      Vorhang auf für €STR und andere Referenzzinssätze, Presentation
    • September 23, 2019
      Supervisory Convergence, Panel Discussion
    • September 20, 2019
      Legal Committee of German Association of private banks (Bundesverband deutscher Banken) DLT – Blockchain use cases in the securities and payments sectors, Presentation
    • September 10, 2019
      AML and DLT / Blockchain technology, Presentation
    • August 18, 2019
      Frankfurt School of Management and Finance Banking Supervisory Laws, Lectures
    • June 13, 2019
      JONES DAY German Client Conference IBOR Transition - Panel discussion
    • May 9, 2019
      A new paradigm – Financial Services Regulation Foreign Banking Association, Workshop
    • April 5, 2019
      German American Lawyers Association – M&A Committee The MAC is back – Panel discussion on FMC vs Akorn
    • February 8, 2019
      ICO's and Compliance, Securities law aspects of ICO's
    • January 16, 2019
      Blockchain: A U.S. Perspective and Implications for the Banking Business