Maria-Therese Bless
Image of Maria-Therese Bless

Maria-Therese Bless

Associate

Maria advises financial institutions, including banks, financial service providers, FinTech companies, investment firms and payment service providers, as well as unregulated entities, on all aspects of German and European financial regulatory law.

With a specialization in regulatory issues related to digital assets, Maria provides expert guidance to crypto-asset service providers.

Maria is also an active member of the firm's Center of Excellence on Crypto and Other Digital Assets, a dedicated group of lawyers who consolidate and leverage the firm's extensive expertise in the crypto sector.

Expertise

Industries

Speaking Engagements

  • Guest Speaker, "Cryptoassets – Use Cases in Customer Business and Practical as well as Legal Guidelines", Seminar of the Association of Foreign Banks in Germany (Verband der Auslandsbanken in Deutschland), October 2024
  • Guest Speaker, “Regulation of Digital Assets – Bitcoin, crypto securities and NFT”, German Lawyers’ Academy (Deutsche Anwaltakademie), November 2023
  • Guest Speaker, “Regulation of Digital Assets – Bitcoin, crypto securities and NFT”, German Lawyers’ Institute (Deutsches Anwaltsinstitut), September 2023
  • Guest Lecturer, „Regulation of Digital Assets”, EBS University of Business and Law (Wiesbaden), July 2023

Qualifications

Admissions

Admitted as German Rechtsanwältin, 2023

Academic

Second German Law Degree, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 2022

First German Law Degree, EBS University of Business and Law, Germany, 2019

MA, Business for Legal Professionals, EBS University of Business and Law, Germany, 2018

LLB, Law, EBS University of Business and Law, Germany, 2017

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.