Banking & Finance...
John Bassilios
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.
Eugene Chen
Eugene is a Partner in the Banking and Finance team at Hall & Wilcox, and is Head of the firm's China Practice. Eugene specialises in capital raising, funds management, financial services licensing and anti-money laundering law.
Eugene services Australian and Chinese fund managers, corporate advisors, retail and commercial banks and financial institutions, institutional investors and ultra-high net worth investors, and has expertise in managing large scale mergers and acquisition, joint venturing and capital raising transactions for Australian and Chinese businesses.
Emma Donaghue
Emma has over 15 years’ experience advising clients in the funds management and financial services industries.
Her expertise includes the establishment and ongoing operation of MISs (listed and unlisted) and banking and finance transactions. She specialises in debt funds, including structuring, establishment and deployment of capital in documenting debt facilities.
Emma’s experience includes working first-hand in the investment funds industry as legal counsel for a corporate and government bonds specialist. Clients describe Emma as clear thinking, resourceful, and results focused.
She is a member of the Property Funds Association Issues and Regulatory Committee.
Mark Inston
Mark is the lead partner of the firm's Banking and Finance practice. He has more than 25 years' experience acting for Australian and overseas financial institutions and borrowers in a broad range of finance transactions, including construction and investment property finance, all forms of corporate finance, including syndicated and bilateral loans, mezzanine and quasi equity finance, acquisition finance, asset and equipment finance, and derivatives.
Emma Leys
Emma has over 25 years’ experience practising in the areas of non-contentious property, finance, corporate, commercial and local government law, with a focus on property law.
Emma acts for a broad range of private, corporate, institutional, local government, State Government department, and statutory corporation clients.
Before joining Hall & Wilcox, Emma was a partner of the property and commercial team of Western Australian firm Kott Gunning for 16 years.
Since 2019, Emma has been a committee member of the Property Council of Australia, WA Division Commercial Committee.
Adrian Verdnik
Adrian is the section leader of the firm's national Banking and Financial Services practice. Adrian’s financial services law practice covers superannuation, managed funds, insurance, and financial advice. His work includes both advisory and transactional services. He works for a variety of participants in the financial services industry, including issuers, investment professionals, and service providers.
Adrian is valued by his clients for his ability to balance the technical and commercial aspects of financial services law, and for his effective management and delivery of work.
Team Services
For the past decade, economic fluctuations around the globe have placed banks and financial institutions under considerable pressure. Locally, there’s also a fiercely competitive market and heightened post-Royal Commission scrutiny. These factors mean the sector’s need for outstanding legal advice, informed by both technical expertise and genuine commercial understanding, has never been more acute.
Our banking and finance lawyers have experience gained in both private practice and in-house roles. They advise on:
- all forms of general borrowing arrangements, including bilateral and syndicated loans and related security issues for listed and unlisted companies
- asset finance and equipment leasing
- real property finance
- derivatives
- restructuring and insolvency, and
- Personal Property Securities Act (PPSA).
We act for Australian and overseas borrowers and lenders, as well as corporates. Our clients include Asia Debt Management, China Construction Bank, DomaCom, ICBC, Isuzu, Qualitas Securities and Westpac.
Awards and Recognition
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2021-2023
Recommended for Banking and Finance