Investment funds

Complex regulatory and industry issues and major transactions and acquisitions demand a law firm that serves as a trusted strategic partner with extensive experience across the full spectrum of investment funds advisory services. 

We are Australia’s leading investment funds advisory team. 

Independently ranked as industry leaders (Chambers Asia Pacific and Legal500 Asia Pacific), our collective deep industry knowledge and vast industry experience mean we partner with clients at every stage of their journey to optimise wealth and create value.

With one of the largest specialist investment funds teams in the country, our pragmatic advice spans each stage of the fund life cycle – from licensing, structuring and establishment to litigation and exit strategies. 

Our work features major and complex funds transactions demanding robust collaboration across our multi-disciplinary team, including mergers and acquisitions, regulatory advice, complex fund structuring, joint ventures, and ‘investments’ work from superannuation funds.

To help you understand the industry framework, key developments, and regulatory issues we have put together a range of practical and informative guides and resources that capture our thinking.

With our multidisciplinary expertise, we offer an integrated view of the broader marketplace, its challenges, risks and opportunities, including any implications for your business. Our services span: 

• financial services regulation, including AFS licensing
• structuring and establishment
• offer documents
• finance
• major transactions and acquisitions, including joint ventures and investments
• taxation
• litigation
• exit strategies.

We establish both retail and wholesale investment funds across a wide variety of industries, asset classes and jurisdictions, including:

Our leading property funds specialists handle some of the largest and most complex property fund transactions in the market as well as assisting with ongoing regulatory and management issues. We are recognised as one of the leading firms servicing the unlisted property funds sector in Australia.

We also have experience in establishing less common wholesale managed investment vehicles, such as platforms (IDPS), hedge funds with overseas feeder structures, and capital guaranteed products.

We play an active role in thought leadership, significant regulatory initiatives and key industry bodies, such as the Property Funds Association, Property Council of Australia and the Financial Services Council.

We have a range of innovative resources providing insights into key issues and challenges facing the investment funds industry today, including:

• Navigating AML/CTF a podcast series where our experts analyse the latest developments in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing;
• CCIV Guide which outlines the framework for the new corporate collective investment vehicle and how it may benefit your business;
• Fundamental a quarterly publication where we share our latest thinking on key industry developments; and
• Financial Services in Focus our monthly e-news with up-to-date regulatory news for the financial services industry.  

We also offer a suite of essential tools to help you better understand the investment funds industry framework and key industry challenges and issues.

We advise responsible entities, trustees and promoters of managed funds throughout Australia, as well as investment managers, platform operators, brokers and distributors, custodians, administrators, advisers and other stakeholders in the financial services sector.