Australia’s financial services sector is complex, heavily regulated and changes frequently. We provide our clients with the necessary strategic and corporate advice to allow them to achieve commercial outcomes and manage risk in a timely manner.

Our key services

As specialists in this area we are active in each of the following keys areas:

• Australian financial services (AFS) regime, including—
   
  • AFS licence applications and variations.
     
  • Responsible manager and authorised representative appointments.
     
  • Distribution and referral arrangements.
     
• Investment management agreements, including managed discretionary accounts services.
   
• Disclosure requirements, including—
  
  
  • Product disclosure statements.
     
  • Financial services guides and statements of advice.
     
  • Continuous disclosure requirements for disclosing and non-disclosing entities.
     
  • Marketing and advertising requirements, including website reviews, disclaimers and review of marketing material.
     
• Compliance services, including—
  
  
  • Compliance committee requirements and member agreements.
     
  • Management of compliance systems.
     
  • Licensee and representative reviews, such as surveillance visits.
     
  • Financial services related training.
     
• Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) requirements, including AML/CTF compliance programs and AUSTRAC reporting requirements.
   
• Finance broker regulation and credit reforms, including licence requirements.

We act for a wide range of clients in the financial services sector, including fund managers, financial planners, dealer groups, stockbrokers, research houses, direct debit providers, accountants, custodians, promoters and market operators.

Our financial services division works cohesively with the other parts of our firm and in particular with our funds management and corporate teams. We are therefore able to provide a fully integrated specialist service.

Our financial services division provides commercially focused advice and seamless service delivery in all financial services related transactions.

For more information on financial services, please contact Matthew.  

What our clients say about us

• "Outstanding; very quick; a cut above the rest"
   
• "Their superior knowledge and responsiveness gives them a competitive advantage over most in the market"
   
• "Good people; know their areas of law; commercial; responsive; can challenge them; trust them" 

Recent work

Click here for recent examples of our work in the financial services sector.

Factsheets

Below is a selection of factsheets.  This list is not exhaustive.  For more information you should contact a member of our Financial Services team.

AFS licensing

• AFS licence application—Getting started
• AFS licence application—Steps and timing 
• AFS licence requirements—Operating unregistered funds 
• Comparison : buying an existing AFS licensee or applying for a new AFS licence

Compliance 

• Compliance services
• CPD policy—CPD regime for responsible managers and representatives 
• Compliance committee member—Obligations, duties and liability 
• Authorised representatives—Obligations and duties

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF)

• AML/CTF—Customer identification and verification for fund managers

Disclosure and structuring 

• Comparison—Registered funds and unregistered funds 
• Comparison—Product disclosure statement and information memorandum