In its September 25, 2018 judgement, the 4th Criminal Division of Berlin Court of Appeal ruled that Bitcoin trading is not punishable because Bitcoins are not a financial instrument within the meaning of the Banking Act.

On May 24, 2023, the EU Commission published the hotly debated retail investment package. Private investors are to be increasingly encouraged to invest in the capital market.

BAFIN has recently indicated to industry and other EU regulators that it will require foreign UCITS registered to distribute in Germany to be compliant with the application by BAFIN of the IOSCO...

Der Europäische Gerichtshof hat entschieden, dass Sollzinssätze bei Verbraucherkrediten nur auf den tatsächlich bereitgestellten Kreditbetrag angewendet werden dürfen – nicht auf mitfinanzierte Kreditkosten wie Versicherungsprämien oder Gebühren. Diese Klarstellung hat weitreichende Folgen für Kreditgeber in der gesamten EU, die ihre Produktgestaltung, Preislogik und Kundenunterlagen entsprechend anpassen müssen. Besonders betroffen sind Banken und Anbieter von

The Transposition Act for the Second EU Directive on Payment Services (PSD2) has been in force since January 13, 2018

This Client Alert provides an overview of the International Swaps and Derivatives Association's updated arbitration guide that was published in December 2018

The Supreme Tax Court has held that the hotel costs of an employee for occasional overnight stays near the place of work rank as business expenses. This reverses the position taken in earlier cases.

The annual tax returns submitted by corporate and other business taxpayers are usually accepted as filed, unless they are obviously incorrect or illogical, or unless the taxpayer openly discloses that he has taken a position at variance with the known views of the tax authorities. However, the assessment notices issued will be provisional subject to fiscal audit

The German regulatory practice has been to treat bitcoin as a unit of account and thus a financial instrument.

The Council of the European Union has adopted its 20th and 21st sanctions packages against Russia, marking a fundamental shift in EU sanctions policy. Rather than simply expanding lists of designated persons, these measures systematically target the financial infrastructure—payment channels, banking relationships, crypto-asset ecosystems, correspondent banking, trade finance, and maritime logistics—that enables Russia's war economy.