Shaping the future with our clients, people and communities
Foreign Investment Regulatory Framework
- Foreign Investment in Australia
- Foreign Investment Regulatory Framework (FIRB)
Navigating regulatory changes
Australia’s foreign investment regulatory framework changed substantially in January 2021. Our team is at the forefront of these changes and well placed to help you plan ahead as you execute your Australian investment strategy.
Whether you are investing into Australia from overseas, or expanding your existing Australian business through acquisitions, or running a sale process that will attract foreign interest, it is likely that you will need to consider whether and how the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) regime will need to be factored into your plans and form part of your transaction strategy.
How we can help
We have been leading the Law Council of Australia's response to these changes and have brought our expertise to shape multiple submissions on these reforms. With our deep understanding of the FIRB regime and considerable experience engaging with FIRB, we can pre-empt and proactively respond to issues so that transactions run to timetable.
We have considerable experience advising on approvals for pension funds, private equity funds, state owned enterprises, sovereign wealth funds and other foreign investors on complex foreign investment approvals.
Navigating the review process
Our strong and enduring relationships with FIRB, enables us to play an effective role in any deal team. It is becoming more usual for FIRB to impose conditions on their approval (particularly in relation to data, tax and critical infrastructure) and we have expert teams to help clients reach satisfactory outcomes.
Helping you with compliance and enforcement actions
FIRB is increasingly focused on monitoring compliance with approval conditions and enforcement. Where non-compliance is identified, often this can be resolved through a negotiated remediation action plan. We have deep expertise in this area.
Industry perspectives
Foreign investment reforms: policy and practice
Podcast – a discussion of the recent, and very significant, reforms to Australia’s foreign investment review framework, that came into effect on 1 January this year.
A discussion on the UKNSIB and Australia’s FATA
Webinar – a discussion on the UK’s new foreign investment regime and how it compares to the approach the Foreign Investment Review Board takes under the Foreign Acquisitions and Takeovers Act (FATA) and practical advice for clients looking at investment into Australia.