Christopher Fischer Email & Phone Number

Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria

I lead the legal teams supporting the sales and commercial operations of Paysafe in EMEA-APAC. My teams support the merchant acquiring, payment processing, digital wallets (Skrill & NETELLER), eCash APMs (paysafecard & Paysafecash) and crypto services offered by Paysafe primarily in Europe. The companies of the Digital Wallets division offer a range of online payment, crypto and money transfer services in 120+ countries worldwide that allow you to pay at thousands of online shops across a whole range of industries. Paysafe also has a growing presence in payment processing in Europe. My activities encompass the full range of legal and regulatory matters for a financial services provider, including commercial negotiations, corporate secretarial, regulatory compliance (PSD, AMLD and GDPR), risk management and regulatory interaction.I am also an active member of the Paysafe Corporate Responsibility team supporting charitable organizations, diversity and inclusion and environmental topics. I also serve as a mentor within Paysafe.

Vienna, Austria

As the chief legal officer of the Digital Wallets & eCash division (Skrill, Neteller, paysafecard), I lead the team of lawyers supporting the digital wallet, crypto and prepaid voucher business unit within the Paysafe Group. The companies of the Digital Wallets division offer a range of online payment, crypto and money transfer services in 120+ countries worldwide that allow you to pay at thousands of online shops across a whole range of industries. My activities encompass the full range of legal and regulatory matters for a financial services provider, including commercial negotiations, corporate secretarial, regulatory compliance (PSD, AMLD and GDPR), risk management and regulatory interaction.I am also an active member of the Paysafe Corporate Responsibility group supporting charitable organizations, diversity and inclusion and environmental topics. I also serve as a mentor within Paysafe.

Vienna, Austria

Strategic advisor in the areas of legal, regulatory and compliance to a fin tech start-up working to combine traditional financial products with crypto assets and currencies. Ad hoc advisory support to various projects.

Vienna, Austria

As Associate General Counsel, I have managed a team of 25-30 lawyers, legal professionals and regulatory compliance specialists across 8-10 offices providing legal support in EMEA-SA, with a primary focus on Europe and Russia. I also served as chairman of the supervisory board and member of the audit committee of the Western Union International Bank GmbH (Austria), director of Western Union Business Solutions (UK) Limited and Custom House Financial (UK) Limited (both licensed providers of B2B payment and FX hedging services), as well as a director or officer of numerous other regulated or non-regulated corporate entities.My activities encompass the full range of legal and regulatory matters for a corporation offering financial services, including prudential matters (both under PSD and banking regulations), AML and regulatory compliance (PSD, AMLD and GDPR), commercial negotiations, corporate secretarial, and mergers and acquisitions. I led legal and regulatory workstreams for the initial implementation of Western Union's digital market launches. I also supported numerous regulatory outreach and public policy initiatives in the EU.2004-2006 Counsel2006-2008 Senior Counsel, Head of Legal EMEA-SA2009 Assistant General Counsel Europe & CIS2010 Associate General Counsel The Americas2010-2013 Associate General Counsel Europe, Middle East and Africa

Vienna, Austria

I chaired the supervisory board of the Western Union International Bank, the "upper"​ board in the bank's two board structure (the "lower" board being the management board responsible for day-to-day operations). In my role I led the board meetings as well as engaged in meetings with regulators and others on behalf of the bank.After my initial appointment to the supervisory board in September 2011, I served as Vice-Chairman prior to being elected Chairman in March 2014. Since my appointment to the board, I have served as a member of the internal audit advisory committee and after arranging for its establishment two years ago, also the risk and compliance advisory committee.

Vienna, Austria

While always maintaining a close relationship and actively supporting specific initiatives, I also led the EU Regulatory and Public Policy team on an interim basis for most of 2016. During this time I managed and advocated financial services regulatory and public policy matters in Europe. I also oversaw outreach and public affairs initiatives vis-à-vis supervisory, regulatory and other stakeholders of the WU group at the EU level.

Wien, Österreich

I was responsible for legal matters in Austria including contractual negotiations for hardware, software and services (in particular for complex systems integration projects), public procurement (including for international organizations), alliances, mergers & acquisitions as well as corporate legal matters. In addition, I was also responsible for legal matters in conjunction with customer and commercial financing, litigation and public procurement in the region covering Central and Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East.

Wien, Österreich

OKB is the agent of the Republic of Austria in the field of export guarantees and export financing. My role involved the negotiation, documentation and administration of debt securities (bonds and commercial paper), credit facilities (stand-by lines, interbank credit lines and swing lines) and derivative products (mainly straight currency and interest rate swaps but also credit support facilities) in support of the financing of OKB's export activities.

Wien, Österreich

Research and support for UN initiatives such as a legislative guide for developing countries on how to establish a legal framework conducive to foreign investment in infrastructure projects using the Build-Operate-Transfer model of project financing, a model check law for the Republic of Laos, and the Working Group on International insolvency.

Wien, Österreich

I served foreign clients with legal matters in Austria and Austrian clients with legal matters in foreign English-speaking countries. I was involved in several mergers and acquisitions, participated in a major commercial arbitration, conducted due diligence, wrote purchase and distribution agreements, and practiced general company law.

Mag. Jur., Law

Recognition (Nostrifizierung) of equivalence of foreign degrees with additional exams (constitutional law, labor law, civil procedure).

Ll.M., German And European Law, Summa Cum Laude

J.D., Law

Activities and Societies: Alpha Phi Omega, Phi Delta Phi, Law Journal "The International Lawyer", Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot.

B.S. Business, International Business

Activities and Societies: Alpha Phi Omega

Education record