John Bassilios
Partner & Fintech and Blockchain Lead
John has broad experience in financial services, funds management, blockchain, corporate and commercial law, with a particular emphasis on funds management related matters. John is one of Australia's leading Fintech and Blockchain/crypto lawyers and is a Director on the board of Blockchain Australia.
John has acted for a wide range of financial services providers (both start-ups and established industry providers), including retail and wholesale fund managers, investment advisers, financial planners, stockbrokers, IDPS operators, managed discretionary account providers and consumer credit providers. He has advised financial services providers on all aspects of managed investments schemes, AFSL and ACL licensing, disclosure requirements, and ongoing compliance with regulatory requirements.
John also has extensive experience in advising financial services industry participants in relation to the establishment and development of various financial products, as well as the preparation of disclosure documents such as financial services guides, product disclosure statements and information memoranda.
John also has significant experience in a broad range general corporate commercial matters; from company establishment, shareholder agreements, mergers and acquisition and ASX listings.
More recently John has taken a keen interest in Blockchain/crypto related matters and gained significant experience advising on, and establishing, crypto currency funds, reviewing Whitepapers for Initial Coin Offerings (ICO) and token sales and advising on the establishment of cryptocurrency exchanges including preparing AML/CTF Programs and terms of use and advising on conducting Security Token Offerings (STOs) in Australia.
'John is impeccable in his work and his work ethic … with the bonus of being a lovely guy and a pleasure to catch up with.'
Chambers FinTech Legal 2024 Guide
John Bassilios has written the Australian chapter of the Lexology Getting The Deal Through Fintech 2023 publication. He covers issues such as financial regulation, financial crime, distributed ledger technology, crypto assets, and much more.
Experience
- Advised Kilara Capital on the establishment of the $34 million Kilara Growth Fund, which is Australia’s first climate-focused growth private equity fund.
- Advised Islamic Bank Australia on becoming the first Islamic bank licensed in Australia.
- Establishment of the Anti-Hero Capital Fund – a wholesale crypto currency fund.
- Review of the Whitepaper for the Artchain Global ICO.
- Advising and acting for DomaCom on the structuring and establishment of a unique and innovative investment platform for fractional investing in property. The platform is a complex structure comprising a single registered, managed investment scheme with each property held in separate sub-trusts created by the issue of a separate class of units.
- Acting for Bennelong Funds Management Limited with respect to review of its PDSs, establishing new joint ventures with Investment Managers and establishing new funds.
- Acting for the responsible entity and fund manager in the proposed Pacific Retail REIT IPO. This transaction involved the potential acquisition of five sub-regional shopping centres and an AUD$370 million capital raising.
- Acting for APN in respect of the staling and listing of the APN National Storage Trust on the ASX.
- Advising Newmark Capital on obtaining an AFSL (and variation) and establishing a wholesale property fund to raise AUD$30 million in equity to purchase the Chadstone Lifestyle Centre and the AUD$83 million acquisition of 417 St Kilda Road, and the establishment of the Newmark Hardware Property Trust No. 1.
- Acting for AR Capital in the establishment of the Ascot Fund (hedge fund) and the Ascot (Cayman) Fund (a Cayman Island feeder fund for the Ascot Fund).
- Advising AXA Asia Pacific subsidiaries on a capital guaranteed IDPS, including advice on directors’ duties and liability.
- Providing APN Property Group and APN Funds Management with advice on various commercial and financial services matters, including the establishment of funds and preparation of product disclosure statements.
- Providing commercial and financial services advice to Bendigo and Adelaide Bank and Sandhurst Trustees.
- Advising large trustee organisations in respect of their obligations relating to banking and finance matters.
Awards and Recognition
Chambers FinTech Legal 2024 Guide
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024
Next Generation Partner) | Fintech and financial services regulatory
Memberships
- Trusted Adviser - Frank Lab (Hall & Wilcox Start Up Accelerator)
- Director, Blockchain Australia
- Director, Foundation of International Blockchain and Real Estate Expertise
- Course Mentor, RMIT Blockchain Strategy Course
- Cohort Mentor, REACH Australia
- Blockchain Working Group, FinTech Australia
- Mentor, Stone & Chalk