Partners Ben Farnsworth and Michael Ryan outline the main trends and significant developments in Australian project finance Among other factors they discuss restrictions on foreign investment bankruptcy and restructuring proceedings tax and political risk in relation to changes in law ...

The 2018-19 Federal Budget has introduced a number of proposed superannuation-related changes, with a focus on protecting small balances, young members and existing retirees. ...

The hearings in the Financial Services Royal Commission have been compulsory viewing not only for financial services industry participants and their regulators and professional service providers The hearings have exposed wide-ranging actual or alleged wrongful conduct that has captured the attention ...

The High Court's first decision on the financial assistance prohibition in section 260A of the Corporations Act supports a conservative approach to the prohibition, and in particular highlights the danger of 'taking a view' on the no material prejudice exception. ...

Investor appetite for Australian infrastructure remains strong. However, to maintain our status as a leading infrastructure investment destination, we must address systemic issues that are adversely impacting the market, including cost overruns on major projects.  ...

The Equator Principles Association unveiled the finalised fourth version of the Equator Principles (EP4) on 18 November 2019. Set for an effective date of 1 July 2020, EP4 heightens requirements for designated OECD countries and tightens due diligence assessments with a greater focus on human rights, climate change and biodiversity. While there are many improvements and refinements from the draft we reviewed in June, the only potentially material change is a compromise on the 'free prior and informed consent' requirement for affected Indigenous communities. ...

The Australian Financial Complaints Authority AFCA the new one-stop-shop for resolving financial complaints has had a very busy first six months of operation ...

APRA and ASIC issued a joint letter to all RSE licensees entitled 'Oversight of fees charged to members' superannuation accounts' in early April, in response to the 'fee for no advice' issue that attracted so much attention in the Royal Commission ...

Lawyers working in the field of financial regulation have become inured to said regulation producing weird, unintended outcomes. Even so, there are two outcomes produced by recently enacted laws that are unequivocally crazy. ...

The Australian impact investing market has grown considerably in recent years and growth is largely attributed to a surge of impact investment with focus on environmental rather than social outcomes. ...