Daniel Flühmann

Bär & Karrer Ltd

Zurich www.baerkarrer.ch

daniel.fluehmann@baerkarrer.ch Tel: +41 58 261 56 08

Biography

Daniel Flühmann is co-head of Bär & Karrer’s fintech practice group and a partner in the banking, insurance and finance department. His work focuses on financial institutions and financial regulation. Having graduated from the University of St Gallen (HSG) in 2003, Daniel Flühmann obtained his doctorate in 2008 with a thesis on the supervisory law aspects of electronic banking. He was admitted to the Zurich Bar in 2011. Prior to joining Bär & Karrer, Daniel Flühmann worked in the legal department of a reputable Swiss private bank.

While I still feel young and ambitious, I can look back at more than 10 years of legal practice in the field of financial regulation. The work with fintechs is in many ways a continuation of this path but has also given me many new and exciting challenges. I am looking forward to what is to come.

What did you find most challenging about starting up a practice in fintech?

Fintech matters typically require one to start from a blank canvas, rewarding creative minds that can also draw on significant experience in traditional financial services. It was certainly a challenge to build a team that wholeheartedly embraces the challenges of our subject matter and that enables me to extend and grow our practice. I am very proud of what my associates and I have achieved and continue to develop together.

How do you establish a detailed understanding of a client’s business to advise them effectively?

Understanding our clients is the key to our success. There is no secret sauce: you just have to listen and dig into the sticky points. As a point of principle, we consider each project to be unique and deserving of a bespoke solution.

How are recent steps in digitalisation shaping the financial sector and how are you adapting your practice accordingly?

I tend to think that the boundaries between traditional banking and fintech are rapidly dissolving. The law is naturally lagging behind, but the Swiss tradition of principlebased regulation allows us to find competent solutions for even the most advanced business models. We are actively thinking about the challenges down the road to be as prepared as we can possibly be.

How do you see your practice changing over the coming years?

The financial sector has always been very international, and this will become even more pronounced with the promises of blockchain and decentralisation. I expect these technologies and their application in practice to become ever more important to our practice. This, in turn, will increase the need for integrated legal engineering know-how and even more cooperation with correspondent firms abroad.

As co-head of the firm’s fintech practice, what are your main priorities for the practice’s development over the next few years?

I have a very singular focus on the quality and real-world applicability of our work because I do not believe there are any shortcuts to staying on top. As such, I firmly believe in developing talents from the ground up and growing our practice organically. I am convinced that this will allow us to continue attracting landmark projects and providing to our clients the first-rate service they deserve.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

At university, when asked about his interpretation of a contract clause, one of our professors simply responded: "who are we representing?" I realised then and there that the key to being a great lawyer is to always have your client's best interest in mind and to focus on pragmatic and practical advice rather than on the mere display of legal prowess.

WWL says: Daniel Flühmann is a widely recognised fintech and banking expert, who wields his “outstanding ability to comprehend complex banking matters” to provide surplus value to his clients.