FinTech
Career
Vaïk Müller's main areas of focus are banking, regulatory, financial services and products, including funds and derivatives, as well as compliance and regulatory matters, including in the field of FinTech and blockchain. He heads the Banking and Finance Practice Groups of CMS Geneva. Vaïk Müller has a broad experience in advising Swiss and international financial institutions, such as funds, asset managers, banks and securities dealers or brokers on complex local and cross-border issues.
Vaïk Müller is also regularly involved in corporate, commercial and financing transactions, acting for arrangers, underwriters, lenders, borrowers and sponsors in domestic and multijurisdictional financing transactions (including acquisition, leveraged and syndicated financings).
He is author of several publications on financial regulations and a regular speaker at conferences as well as co-responsible moderator of the specialised forum in banking law (regulatory) of the Geneva Bar Association since March 2019. He is also correspondent in Switzerland of the French Association of Doctors of Law (AFDD - Association Française des Docteurs en Droit).
He teaches banking and financial law as part of the tax expert training provided by Expert Suisse and at IFAGE as part of the Banking and Compliance module: an introduction to contractual, prudential, tax, and criminal risks.
Professional Memberships
Swiss Bar Association (SAV/FSA)
Geneva Bar Association (ODAGE)
French Association of Doctors of Law (AFDD)
Languages Spoken
French, English, German
Experience
Advising an Italian bank, on the transactional and regulatory aspects of its acquisition of a majority stake in a next-generation payment technology platform with presence in Switzerland.
Advising on Swiss insurance regulations applicable to Swiss and foreign tied and untied intermediaries (brokers)
Advising on consolidated supervision and ring-fencing of a financial group
Advising on cross-distribution of various financial instruments, incl. funds and structured products
Advising on Swiss sanctions for various type of businesses, including non-financial institution
Advising on non-financial reporting, Minerals and Child labour requirements
Advising on a green bond issuance for a municipality
Advising on MROS communication (assessment and recommendation)
Advising in the context of the sale of a representative of Swiss collective investments to an international group
Advising Swiss financial institutions on LIBOR transition
Obtaining a FINMA ruling (no-action letter) for the issuer of a utility token
Obtaining a FINMA (FinIA) license for an investment fund manager
Advising several Swiss portfolio managers and Swiss distributors on FinSA, FinIA and data protection requirements in connection with cross-border transactions/intra-group outsourcing agreements
Advising on and drafting STO documentation for a corporate (non-regulated) issuer
Obtaining a FINMA ruling (no-action letter) for STO advisor/structurer
Advising foreign and local institutions on OTF requirements
Practice Areas
Banking & Finance, Fintech & BLockchain, ESG, Commercial, Corporate / M&A, Private Equity, Funds
