Dr. Nick Wittek has a unique skill set of combining structured finance, derivatives, and asset management experience with technological innovation. With 20 years of experience, he is a go-to adviser for financial institutions, asset managers, institutional clients, and fintechs to advise on the structuring, regulation, and documentation of structured finance transactions and the use of distributed ledger technology (DLT) and blockchain in this field and beyond.
He has an extensive background working on securitizations (ABS/asset-backed securities and ABCP/asset-backed commercial paper), loan funds, Schuldschein loans, ISDA-based (International Swaps and Derivatives Association) swaps and derivatives, repos, covered bonds, repackagings, MTN-programs (medium-term note), asset-based lending, factoring and supply chain financings, as well as related clearing, settlement, and regulatory issues including the new German law on electronic securities (eWpG).
Nick is part of the Jones Day FinTech task force. He has advised market participants on the use, implementation, and regulatory aspects of DLT and blockchain in the financial and corporate industry sector including (utility and security) token issuances, stable coins and central bank digital currencies (CBDC), tokenization, crypto brokerage, crypto custody, digital assets, and digital identities and implications resulting from the draft Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). He has advised on a number of market first and award-winning transactions.
Nick is recommended by JUVE for structured finance transactions and by The Legal 500 and Chambers for fintech work. Nick is part of the Platform Industry 4.0 legal working group and coauthor of the Industrie 4.0 platform conditions. He has also (co)authored several articles on securitizations, debt/loan funds, and blockchain.
Experience
Additional Publications
- April 13, 2021
Platform Industrie 4.0, initiated by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, coauthor of the contract template for platform terms for Industrie 4.0 platforms. - December 2019
Blockchain-Technologie in der Unternehmensfinanzierung - Spielerei oder Gamechanger? - November 2019
BAI Newsletter V/2019 – Wertpapiere auf der Blockchain: Auswirkungen einer neuen Assetklasse im Rahmen der Fondsstrukturierung - August 2018
BAI Newsletter IV/2018 - Blockchain und Asset Management
Additional Speaking Engagements
- April 28, 2021
New Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), WM Online – Seminar: Electronic Securities (eWpG) and Markets for Crypto-Assets (MiCAR) - April 14, 2021
Industrie 4.0 IoT platforms and automated contracting and Distributed Ledger / Blockchain Solutions, panelist, HANNOVER MESSE Digital Edition - October 27, 2020
BAI (Bundesverband Alternativer Investments) Webinar - Das Gesetz zur Einführung von elektronischen Wertpapieren - das deutsche Wertpapier- und Depotrecht im Umbruch! - October 2, 2020
TSI Congress 2020 - Market talk: Crypto assets 4.0 – Consequences of asset tokenisation for the securitisation of these assets and preferred assets for tokenization - September 29, 2020
15. Fachsymposium Derivate & Recht - Digital Update - aktuelle Entwicklungen im Bereich Krypto Assets und Digitalisierung - October 9, 2019
WM-Seminar Recht der FinTechs - Blockchainbasierte Wertpapiertransaktionen - September 25-26, 2019
TSI Congress 2019 - Crypto assets: How important are cryptocurrencies, tokens, ICO and other types of digital assets for securitisation purpose? - June 13, 2019
Jones Day German Client Conference 2019 - Blockchain-The future is now - April 26,2018
ERA Seminar - Corporate Governance for Banks in the Post-Crisis Environment - January 16, 2019
Protos Blockchain Summit 2019 - International Investment Regulation and Privacy - January 16, 2019
Blockchain: A U.S. Perspective and Implications for the Banking Business - September 27-28, 2018
TSI Congress 2018—Securitisation and Asset-Based Finance in Times of Change - June 22, 2018
ERA Seminar - FinTech: regulatory and supervisory challenges from a national and supranational perspective - June 7, 2018
Jones Day German Client Conference 2018 - Blockchain-Hype or Revolution? Discovering the potential for the industry of tomorrow - April 17, 2018
Solar-Workshop: Energiewende - Blockchain - Kryptowährung - June 12, 2017
Jones Day German Client Conference 2017 - Blockchain Decoded 4.0: What It Is, How It Works and How It WillShape Financial Markets - September 28 & 29, 2017
TSI Congress 2017 - Credit funds vs. managed CLO–new market developments and key drivers - March 24, 2017
BAI (Bundesverband Alternativer Investments) Workshop Private Debt: Fond- and securitisation structures for German VAG and Solvency 2 investors to access the private debt market - September 8 - October 20, 2016
Webinar: Debt Fonds - Praxisreihe zu Aufsatz, Rendite und Strukturen & Co. - September 8 - October 20, 2016
Debt funds – a webinar series on structuring and practical issues as well as returns achievable with debt funds - June 14-16, 2016
Global ABS 2016 - January 21, 2016
Jones Day Breakfast - Credit Funds: A reality check - Taking the view of a management company (Kreditfonds: Grau ist alle Theorie – Die Praxis aus Sicht einer KVG) - January 21, 2016
Credit Funds: A Reality Check - Taking the View of a Management Company - October 9, 2014
Jones Day Banking & Finance Breakfast - Alternative Forms of Financing
- University of Augsburg (Dr. jur. 2004); Second State Examination (Bavarian State Ministry of Justice, 2000); Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich (First State Examination 1998); University of London (LL.B. with honors 1996); King's College London (Diploma in Legal Studies 1995)
- Federal Republic of Germany and England and Wales
Recommended in Chambers FinTech (2020 and 2021): extremely strong understanding of blockchain technology; clients say he is "very accessible and responsive, with great client focus"; "he goes the extra mile to understand the tech advances and the opportunities and limitations they bring — this is rare"
Recommended in JUVE Handbook 2020/2021: "advice at the highest legal level and detailed knowledge of operational procedures"
- German and English