Today, Treasury released its consultation paper in relation to the Australian financial services license (AFSL) exemptions for foreign financial service providers (FFSPs) and the options to fast track AFSL applications for FFSPs. Read our insights here. If you have any questions, get in touch with one of our experts below.   Read more

Introduction Section 52(2) of the Superannuation Industry (Supervision) Act 1993 (Cth) (SIS Act) contains two statutory covenants of a registrable superannuation entity (RSE) that concern fairness, namely: “to act fairly in dealing with classes of beneficiaries within the entity” (sub-section (e)); and “to act fairly in dealing with beneficiaries within a class” (sub-section (f)). This … Read more

Commercial behaviour falls on a spectrum. On one end, we find healthy marketplace competition, on the other end, we find behaviour that is downright predatory. The critical question for financial services providers is: at what point does capitalising on a commercial advantage actually become unconscionable? Read more

Background This edition of HSF FSR Australia Notes is the first in our series dealing with legal remediation issues arising from exercises undertaken post Royal Commission. In this edition, as the title indicates, we examine the topical issue of where compensation payments should be made in a situation where multiple parties have been involved in … Read more

THE STARTING POINT This edition of HSF FSR Australia Notes delves into a phenomenon which we see as increasingly prevalent in the Australian financial services market; namely, the over-reporting or under-reporting of significant breaches under section 912D of the Corporations Act. In this sense, the burning question becomes just what is the right compass setting … Read more

The Federal Court has recently reaffirmed that the phrase “in relation to” a financial service is necessarily of wide import. In this context, it is timely to reiterate the practical consequences of this broad interpretation in the context of financial services. “in relation to” In Australian Securities and Investments Commission v Hutchison [2020] FCA 978, … Read more

THE ISSUE The issue of differential pricing of financial products on investment platforms has arisen as a news item over the past several weeks. This edition of FSR Australia Notes sheds some light on this topic, and the legal furphies and controversies surrounding it. THE STARTING POINT The starting point is to articulate the concept … Read more

This edition of Regulatory Rinkles follows on from our previous edition on Spotlight on Conflicted Remuneration and focuses on the transitional issues facing product issuers and advice licensees who are looking to end or deal with their existing grandfathered arrangements before the grandfathering exemption is removed from 1 January 2021. LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND – THE END … Read more