Much to the regret of the ITM, Prof. Dr. Nikolas Guggenberger, LL.M. (Stanford) from the University of Münster to Yale Law School, USA, in summer 2019. Professor Guggenberger had been working at ITM since 2016 as a junior professor of the RWTÜV Foundation and, with his research focus on blockchain, smart contracts and legal automation, was an important pillar in the ITM’s competence structure.
Prof. Dr. Nikolas GuggenbergerDuring his time at ITM, Professor Guggenberger sparked students’ enthusiasm for digital topics of the future such as cryptocurrencies and artificial intelligence (AI) in numerous seminars and lectures on IT law. As co-organizer and speaker at the symposium “Blockchain: Opportunities, Law and Regulation”, which took place on 7 November 2017 at the Erbdrostenhof in Münster, he also made a lasting contribution to the dissemination of knowledge about DLT technology. The conference marked the 10th anniversary of the RWTÜV Foundation. Prof. Guggenberger has also repeatedly published on prominent IT topics, such as the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG) in the context of social networks. As a member of the International League of Competition Law (LIDC), Professor Guggenberger also contributed to a comprehensive resolution on trademark law, which was adopted by a majority of over 100 delegates from more than 25 countries in October 2018 and is addressed to the EU and national legislators. In 2018, Professor Guggenberger was also appointed as a founding member of the “Medien-Digital-Land NRW” advisory board.
In summer 2019, Professor Guggenberger will take up a position as Executive Director of the Information Society Project (ISP) at Yale Law School. As part of this project, he will focus on the interface between law and technology, i.e. in particular fintechs, platform regulation, legal automation and the future of private law.
The entire ITM would like to thank Professor Guggenberger for the exciting, instructive and always enjoyable collaboration over the past three years. His special expertise, particularly in the field of DLT technology, and his outstanding legal knowledge will always be fondly remembered by the Institute.
The entire ITM wishes Professor Guggenberger all the best for his future in the USA and would be delighted to welcome him back to the ITM one day.
