Heuking adds crypto and compliance expert Johannes Blassl as Equity Partner

Effective January 15, 2023, Dr. Dr. Johannes Blassl will join Heuking’s Frankfurt office as Equity Partner. The crypto and compliance specialist joins the firm from Ernst & Young Law where he practiced as Senior Manager, Financial Services in banking and capital markets law.

Johannes Blassl (37) advises banks and companies on capital markets law and regulatory issues while also focusing on the use of blockchain technology in the financial markets. In addition, he advises companies on all legal issues relating to compliance, in particular on major cross-border transactions.

Blassl started his career at GSK Stockmann in Frankfurt in 2016 where he worked as a lawyer until the beginning of 2020 when he joined Ernst & Young Law. As one of the firm’s Senior Associates, he has most recently been advising on the first blockchain-based securities transaction between Continental, Siemens, and Commerzbank.

Blassl is known in the market for advising numerous larger banks on several crypto projects. At private bank Hauck, Aufhäuser & Lampe, he advises the Digital Assets team led by Simon Seiter on numerous projects. Seiter commented on the move: “I have been working with Johannes Blassl on several crypto projects since 2018 and highly appreciate his professional expertise. I wish him continued success in his new position and look forward to collaborating in the future.”

Johannes Blassl is a Certified Specialist Lawyer in Banking and Capital Markets Law. His dissertations to obtain his doctoral degrees in law dealt with compliance and capital markets law. In addition to his legal practice, he is a lecturer at EBS Law School in Wiesbaden for Compliance, Banking Law, and Transnational and European Securities Law. He also teaches Corporate and Capital Markets Law at Fulda University of Applied Sciences as well as Corporate Governance and Compliance at Fresenius University of Applied Sciences. At Frankfurt School of Finance, he heads the law module in the “Blockchain & Digital Assets” master’s program.

In addition, Blassl is involved as an expert with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the FDP parliamentary group in various hearings on new legislation relating to digital assets.

Linda Karl will also join Johannes Blassl’s team as Senior Associate. She had previously worked for Heuking in capital markets law and for Flick Gocke Schaumburg in financial regulatory law. In addition, Maja Erbe (business lawyer) from Blassl’s current team at Ernst & Young Law with whom he has been advising on various crypto projects for about two years will join Heuking.

“With the addition of Johannes Blassl, we continue to expand our expertise in capital markets law focusing on the crypto sector,” the leaders of the practice group Dr. Anne de Boer and Dr. Mirko Sickinger stated. “The crypto custody and crypto securities registry and the Electronic Securities Act, which came into effect in the summer of 2021, are highly requested matters for our legal advice. The move of Johannes Blassl to our firm therefore represents an excellent addition to our advisory services”, said Dr. Thorsten Kuthe, Partner in the Capital Markets practice at the Cologne office.

Dr. Christoph Gringel, Partner in Banking & Finance at Heuking’s Frankfurt office, added: “I am very much looking forward to collaborating with the proven crypto and compliance expert. Since Germany is a pioneer in regulating crypto assets, Johannes Blassl is reinforcing our team at the perfect time.”

Johannes Blassl is also looking forward to his new position: “What a pleasure it is to have the opportunity to expand one of the country’s leading Banking and Capital Markets practices jointly with such outstanding peers.”