Partner Managing Associate Partner Managing Associate Tom Highnam Rita Pang Luke Leybourne The fund financing market in Australia continued to be buoyant in 2019. Private equity, infrastructure and real estate funds remained the ...

In response to the rapid growth of the e-payment market in Vietnam, the State Bank of Vietnam (the SBV) has reviewed the legal framework regulating the sector and proposed some important changes. In this Insight, we set out the key amendments the SBV has already issued – as well as those in the pipeline – and their potential impact on the intermediary payment services market. ...

A review of the key trends in the healthcare sector throughout 2019 provides a clear picture of what to expect in the year ahead. On the investment front, opportunities abound across multiple and ...

The Australian Government has tabled the Crimes Amendment (Combatting Corporate Crime) Bill 2019 (the 2019 Bill) in the Senate, and the Attorney-General's Department has released Draft Guidance on the steps a body corporate can take to prevent an associate from bribing foreign public officials for public consultation (the Draft Guidance). Like the 2017 version of the Bill that lapsed earlier this year (the 2017 Bill), if passed, the 2019 Bill will strengthen Australia's foreign bribery laws, including by introducing a new corporate offence of failure to prevent bribery by an associate, and will introduce a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (DPA) scheme for resolving serious corporate criminal matters. Partner Rachel Nicolson, Senior Associate Andrew Wilcock and Associate Lewis Winter report on the key differences between the 2017 and 2019 Bills, and the content of the Draft Guidance. ...

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. ...

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 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 ...

The Federal Government has finally passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Consumer Data Right) Act 2019 (the CDR Act ) through Parliament. This follows the Government's first attempt to introduce draf ...

With technology and artificial intelligence gradually taking over the traditional banking and finance market, it is inevitable that Vietnam, a country with a population of 96 million and a 70% ...

In the midst of the EU's institutional reshuffle, new composition of the institutions and new leadership affects their legislative priorities and ultimately shapes the regulatory environment. Read more link ...