Thomas Stern

Experience

Dr. Thomas Stern, has nearly two decades of senior regulatory and academic experience, including a background as Head of Bank Resolution at the FMA Liechtenstein. He is a highly respected legal scholar and regulatory expert with extensive involvement in Liechtenstein and European financial market law. At Bergt Law, he serves as Legal Counsel, bringing his expertise to banking supervision, financial regulation, and cross-border transactions. His practical experience spans regulatory licensing of financial intermediaries, advising on compliance with CRD/CRR/BRRD/DGSD frameworks, MiCAR, PSD2 and MiFID II, as well as participating actively in legislative processes related to restructuring, mergers and acquisitions, fintech, and corporate law.

Specialty

Dr. Stern specializes in banking and financial market law, with an emphasis on regulatory licensing of financial intermediaries and financial service providers in the European, Austrianand Liechtenstein contexts. His expertise includes key regulatory areas such as CRD/CRR (Capital Requirements Directives/Regulations), BRRD & IRRD, Investment Firm Review, MiCAR (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), PSD2 (Payment Services Directive 2), MiFID II (Markets in Financial Instruments Directive), and Covered Bonds. Additionally, he focuses on compliance, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, fintech, Anti-Money Laundering and Combat of Market Abuse. He combines legal expertise and economic understanding to provide tailored legal solutions, particularly in financial market regulation and cross-border corporate transactions.

Education

Dr. Thomas Stern holds the titles “Privatdozent” (Private Lecturer), Doctorate (Dr. in law), Master in Political Science, Master in Restructuring Law (Heidelberg) and an MBA (Vienna). He is also an Associate Professor at the University of Liechtenstein, indicating a strong academic background in law and business administration which supports his practice and expertise in financial market regulation and corporate law.

• Leadership excellence: Head of Bank Resolution and Deputy-Head of Banking Supervision at the FMA Liechtenstein (2021-2025)
• International experience: Long-time member of several European working groups (European Commission, European Banking Authority, European Central Bank).
• Historic Academic Milestone: Thomas Stern is the first legal scholar in Liechtenstein to be awarded a habilitation (venia legendi) in law, marking a historic academic achievement in 2020.
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• Leadership Role: Joined Bergt Law as new legal counsel, recognized as a top talent acquisition for the firm.
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• Firm Award: Bergt and Partners Ltd., where Thomas Stern is a key member, was awarded as a Leading Firm 2023 by Legal500 in Liechtenstein/Europe.
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