Financial Services Regulation - Australia
What the team is known for
Herbert Smith Freehills is broadly acknowledged as Australia's leading adviser for the handling of regulatory investigations and disputes, and remains highly regarded for the strength of its advice on all facets of financial services regulation law. It offers excellent cross-border capabilities through its global network of offices, with the team particularly suited to handling matters involving the UK and Hong Kong, and is recognised as a leader in the growing fintech space. National Australia Bank, Suncorp and ASX are among the firm's key clients.
Strengths
"HSF has an impressive financial services regulatory team - their partners are wellversed in handling complex matters efficiently and providing pragmatic advice in a timely manner."
"The Freehills team are what we would call the market-leading thought leaders in financial services. They have a very strong team with very strong senior statesman adviser partners for when you have complex problems."
Work highlights
Herbert Smith Freehills represented MetLife before the Full Federal Court in a dispute regarding the Australian Financial Complaints Authority's jurisdiction to hear complaints relating to life insurance in superannuation.
Notable practitioners
Luke Hastings is widely regarded as a leading litigator in the financial services regulation space. He frequently advises international banks, among other major financial services clients, in relation to a variety of contentions matters, including ASIC investigations. "He's a go-to for financial services matters."
Michael Vrisakis frequently assists clients in the superannuation sector with regulatory issues from his base in Sydney. "Michael has an excellent reputation among regulators. He's the very senior expert in FSR - we use him when there are really difficult issues, something no one else can solve."
Andrew Eastwood often acts on contentious matters for major clients in the financial services sector.
Fiona Smedley is an established practitioner who is recognised for her expertise in relation to investment funds and Corporations Act matters. "Fiona is active in industry groups and with regulators regarding proposed new laws, which allows her to share insights. As a result, we receive commercial advice that factors in the likely behaviour of regulators."
