Australias market licensing regime has long been crying out for an overhaul with regulatory guidance that largely dates back to the early 2000s struggling in the face of significant developments in financial markets since then Fortunately ASIC has taken heed and is due to release an updated market ...

Since the announcement of the Royal Commission into ahem financial services much has been written and said - a lot of which suggests that little attention is being paid to the terms of reference In this article I take a look at those terms ...

Fund financing activities in Australia remained strong in 2017 with particular focus on infrastructure private equity funds and private debt funds which have taken advantage of the additional liquidity and funding flexibility in this market Allens Partner Tom Highnam Managing Associate Rita Pang and ...

The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking Superannuation and Financial Services Industry is well underway with its first round of public hearings wrapping up less than a month ago By reference to a number of case studies the first round of hearings focused on consumer lending practices In ...

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. ...