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Financial Services AU

    HSBC Australia Sells Loans to Blackstone, Closes Retail Bank

    Blackstone Inc. announced Thursday that it will acquire HSBC Bank Australia Ltd.'s $36 billion home and personal loan portfolio, as HSBC plans to focus on its corporate and institutional banking presence in Australia and New Zealand and wind down its retail banking business.

    Judge Says ACCC Debt Collector, Force Legal Claims 'Serious'

    A Federal Court judge on Friday said ACCC claims a legal firm and debt collector owned by Credit Clear Limited sent over 320,000 debt collection notices that falsely claimed consumers owed debts already paid were "very serious" and ordered liability be determined before any penalty hearings.

    Photo illustration of a gavel and scales in the foreground with paper currency (euros and U.S. dollars) and a calculator in the background

    Judge Rejects CBA Costs Bid Against Law Firm Cornwalls

    A Victorian Supreme Court judge has ruled that law firm Cornwalls doesn't owe costs related to bringing Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the receivers it appointed over two companies into a dispute alleging the firm breached its duty of care to the companies.

  • July 31, 2026

    First Guardian Founder Calls Travel Ban, Freeze 'Punitive'

    A Federal Court judge said on Friday he would lift travel restrictions on Simon Selimaj, founder of the operator of the collapsed First Guardian Master Fund, after Selimaj argued the restriction and a related asset freeze were a "sword of punitive punishment."

  • July 31, 2026

    AFSA CEO Targets 'Systemic Misuse' Of Insolvency And Debt

    AFSA will focus on investigating the "systemic misuse" of personal insolvency proposals and predatory debt agreements, with CEO Tim Beresford saying these are the greatest threats to the insolvency system's integrity in a speech on Thursday.

  • July 31, 2026

    Grant Thornton Australia Cleared For Partnership Buyout Vote

    A New South Wales Supreme Court judge has approved a vote by accounting and advisory firm Grant Thornton Australia Ltd's shareholders on its proposed acquisition by a parent company partnership entity.

  • July 31, 2026

    ASIC Sues First Guardian Auditor Over Alleged Audit Failures

    ASIC is suing the auditor of the First Guardian investment fund and two of its individual auditors in the Federal Court in Melbourne, alleging serious failures across the collapsed fund's financial audit reports between 2021 and 2024, the regulator said on Friday.

  • July 31, 2026

    Allens-backed Janus Henderson Buys 3 Insignia Units

    London-based global asset manager Janus Henderson said it is buying three investment management businesses from ASX-listed wealth manager Insignia Financial Ltd as part of a larger strategic partnership between the firms.

  • July 30, 2026

    Government Rejects Blacklist For 'Unethical' Contractors

    The Federal government has rejected a Greens bill that would ban "unethical" contractors from receiving Commonwealth contracts, arguing existing procurement rules already allow agencies to exclude suppliers, conduct due diligence and use contractual remedies, in a statement released on Thursday.

  • July 30, 2026

    Ex-HIH Solicitor Not Entitled To More Costs, Judge Rules

    A New South Wales Supreme Court judge said on Thursday that a solicitor who previously represented shareholders of HIH, the insurer at the center of Australia's largest ever corporate collapse, was not entitled to a greater share of a costs settlement with HIH's liquidators than the $500,000 already given to him.

  • July 30, 2026

    Commercial Brokers 'Uncertain' If AML Laws Apply to Them

    Commercial finance broking groups say new anti-money laundering law reforms could unintentionally include the industry when assisting clients to obtain commercial loans, according to two finance broker associations.

  • July 30, 2026

    Victorian Courts Disclose Second Data Breach in 2.5 Years

    Court Services Victoria has disclosed a second data breach in over two and a half years, revealing the latest incident involved unauthorised access to data including email addresses in the Magistrates' Court of Victoria and the Children's Court of Victoria between 2022 and 2026.

  • July 30, 2026

    Judge Allows ASIC To Pursue 'Unconscionable' Lending Case

    A Federal Court judge on Thursday allowed ASIC to move forward with its case against lender Oak Capital accused of skirting credit laws when originating more than $37 million in loans, despite the firm going into liquidation earlier this year.

  • July 30, 2026

    QB4 Capital Loses Stay Order In $8.5M Guardian Trust Fight

    The Federal Court of Australia on Wednesday denied an 11th-hour application from asset manager QB4 Capital for a stay in distributing $8.5 million to investors in Guardian Securities, with a separate bid to appeal related orders filed the previous day already delaying the release of the funds.

  • July 30, 2026

    Financial Council Urges Tighter Controls On Advice Licensees

    Australia's peak financial services industry group has called for financial advice licensing regulation to be tightened after the $1.1 billion Shield and First Guardian superannuation fund collapses in a new white paper on Thursday.

  • July 30, 2026

    Zurich's $415M Takeover of Clearview Approved by NSW Court

    The Supreme Court of New South Wales approved life insurer ClearView's $415 million acquisition by Zurich Financial Services on Thursday after shareholders voted in favour of the offer this week.

  • July 30, 2026

    Blanket Ban On Lead Generators Would Cut Choice: SMSFs

    A blanket ban on lead generation activities could cause uncertainty and limit genuine referrals, the self-managed super fund body argues, as the Federal government prepares to deliver a consumer protection reform package in response to the Shield and First Guardian Master fund collapses.

  • July 29, 2026

    Super Investors Urge Stronger Corporate Whistleblower Rules

    Companies should be required to disclose policies for dealing with whistleblowers because they are "a prerequisite for good corporate governance," the Australian Council of Superannuation Investors (ASCI) said in a letter sent to Assistant Treasurer Daniel Mulino on Wednesday.

  • July 29, 2026

    Investment Scammer Gets Lifetime Ban Over 'Evil Scheme'

    A Federal Court judge on Wednesday permanently banned investment scammer Larry Dawson from managing corporations after he had served more than three years in prison, saying he wanted to send a "very clear message" to would-be fraudsters.

  • July 29, 2026

    Ex-NT Judge Fails To Block Old Sexual Harassment Complaint

    A Federal Court judge has refused to toss a sexual harassment and discrimination complaint brought against an unnamed former Northern Territory Supreme Court judge by a former associate, saying the state anti-discrimination official had properly used their discretion to allow the complaint to proceed despite a lengthy gap in filing the claim.

  • July 29, 2026

    Perpetual Taps Mallesons As EQT Pushes $2.6B Takeover Bid

    Mallesons is advising Perpetual on EQT's takeover offers after rejecting a third bid worth $2.6 billion but agreeing to give access to private information and engage with them, the asset manager announced on Wednesday.

  • July 29, 2026

    Big Banks Paid $55M For Mortgage Offset Account Failures

    Eight major Australian banks have paid over $55 million in compensation after failing to manage mortgage offset accounts properly, ASIC said in a new report released on Wednesday, warning home loan customers are paying thousands in additional interest.

  • July 28, 2026

    Pengana Set To Sue After Equities Fund Buy-Back Approval

    Pengana International Equities is set to face legal action from its investment manager in a dispute over a shareholder vote to give investors the choice of cashing out of the company by selling back their shares.

  • July 28, 2026

    Capital Guard Wound Up Over Alleged $17.4M Investor Scam

    A New South Wales Supreme Court judge has approved ASIC's proposal to wind up Capital Guard AU Pty Ltd, after the investment firm allegedly misused most of the $17.4 million it raised from investors.

  • July 28, 2026

    ACCC Wants ASIC Policing Aggressive Financial Sales Tactics

    The consumer watchdog says high-pressure, unsolicited sales tactics and lead generation are widespread in the finance industry and should be policed by ASIC by extending the unfair trading practices ban to the sector.

  • July 28, 2026

    Law Council Says Tribunal Reform Risks Procedural Fairness

    The Law Council of Australia warned a Senate committee on Monday that proposed reforms aimed at reducing the Administrative Review Tribunal's backlog, particularly in relation to migration matters, could undermine procedural fairness.

  • July 28, 2026

    ASIC Wins Record $55M Fines For Harvey Norman, Latitude

    Harvey Norman and Latitude Finance have been ordered to pay a combined $55 million in fines by the Federal Court of Australia after advertising a misleading "60 months interest free" payment method without disclosing that it required customers to take out a credit card and pay ongoing account fees.

  • July 28, 2026

    Victoria Bar Sets Requiem Mass For Late Justice Santamaria

    Requiem Mass for former Justice Joseph Santamaria, who served on Victoria's Court of Appeal from 2013 until his retirement in 2018, will be held in Melbourne on Friday, the Victorian Bar announced on Tuesday. 

Expert Analysis

  • Practice Leader Insights From Phi Finney's Joel Phibbs

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    Joel Phibbs, Phi Finney's anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing practice lead, discusses the approach of banks when dealing with compliance, the challenges of delays in getting cases to trial, and why financial bodies' regulatory burden and the desire to lower costs using artificial intelligence seem like a recipe for major problems in the future.

  • APRA's Warning Letter Means Directors Must Grasp AI Risks

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    A recent letter from the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority outlines industry expectations for managing artificial intelligence-related risk, reminding boards and directors to work closely with their technology officers to ensure compliance with the regulator’s recommendations, says Claire Mallon at HWLE.

  • Practice Leader Insights From HSF Kramer's Andrew Bradley

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    Andrew Bradley, leader of HSF Kramer's financial services regulatory practice in Australia, discusses managing mental health while working on a complex matter, the glaring need for further reform in the financial advice sector, and why this practice area may be the most dynamic and intellectually stimulating.

  • Blue Star Shows Why Liquidators Need Approval Rule Reform

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    The recent Queensland Supreme Court decision in Blue Star Care v. Rimcroft highlights the uncertainty surrounding Section 477(2B) of the Corporations Act court approvals regime, meaning that until outright reform is implemented liquidators must make unsatisfactory choices between what is safe and what is in creditors’ best interests, says Robert True at Quinn Emanuel.

  • What ACCC Data Reveals About Finance Deals

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    Recent Australian Competition and Consumer Commission data confirm that clearances under the new mandatory merger control regime are moving faster than anticipated and that the system’s waiver process works particularly well for low-risk transactions, making it a natural fit for the financial services sector, say lawyers at Squire Patton.

  • Australian Payments Reg. Proposals Will Broaden Oversight

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    The Australian government’s recent payments regulation proposals for a more activity-based licensing framework will significantly expand the perimeter of entities, indicating that the regulators view payment systems, digital assets and tokenized financial infrastructure as part of a connected regulatory ecosystem, say lawyers at Corrs.

  • Australia's Computer Patent Ruling Will Aid Global Companies

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    While courts around the world have struggled to articulate a technology-neutral test for patentability of computer-implemented inventions, a recent decision by Australia's top court offers a decisive answer, creating strategic opportunities for overseas applicants, say attorneys at Mallesons.

  • Assessing The Significance Of Australia-EU's Free Trade Deal

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    The recently concluded Australia-European Union free trade agreement could be a springboard for a more ambitious initiative bringing together the EU and the economies of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a critical mass capable of shaping norms across subsidies, sustainability disciplines and competition policy, says Alan Yanovich at Akin Gump.

  • Decoding Arbitral Disputes: ICSID Enforcement In Australia

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    The Federal Court of Australia recently ruled for award creditors in Blasket Renewable Investments v. Spain in a judgment that explains how Australia's statute book operationalizes the promise of depoliticized enforcement under the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes Convention while accommodating, without yielding to, the centrifugal forces of European Union law, says Josep Galvez at 4-5 Gray's Inn.