Financial Services Regulation

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. Serves a prestigious client base across the industry, with prominent clients including Citigroup, NAB and CBA. 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 recognised as a leader in the growing fintech space.

A client praises the depth of expertise and experience demonstrated by the Herbert Smith Freehills team, noting: "They have deep technical knowledge of financial services regulation matters, expertise in dealing with regulators and understanding of specific issues that are unique to regulatory disputes, such as the mindset of regulators."

Another client comments: "They help develop creative solutions to various challenges faced and they have the ability to adapt messages in a way that different parts of the business can understand."

Herbert Smith Freehills acted for ASX in relation to all aspects of its response to an outage in its ASX Trade platform.

Andrew Eastwood often acts on contentious matters for major clients in the financial services sector. "He's technically very capable and a very strong communicator, particularly for a non-legal audience," comments one client.

Fiona Smedley is an established practitioner who is recognised for her expertise in relation to investment funds and Corporations Act matters. A client describes her as being "very responsive and accessible," going on to add: "Her expertise is unquestionably top-notch but she is also very pragmatic and commercial."

Luke Hastings is widely regarded as a leading litigator in the financial services regulation space. He frequently advises international banks, amongst other major financial services clients, in relation to a variety of contentions matters, including ASIC investigations.

Michael Vrisakis frequently assists clients in the superannuation sector with regulatory issues from his base in Sydney. "He's very creative with the kind of solutions he provides," comments a client, adding: "He's very technical and where there's a new issue I check in with Michael because I find him to be very good and prompt."