Australia: Financial Services

The Unique Product Identifier (UPI) serves as a critical component of common data elements under EMIR, UK EMIR, ASIC, and MAS regulations, designed to identify OTC derivative products in transaction reporting. This article explores how UPIs work alongside Legal Entity Identifiers (LEIs) and examines the role of ANNA-DSB as the centralized service provider managing the UPI Reference Data Library. Understanding the methods for obtaining and creating UPIs is essential for firms navigating derivative transactio

The first half of calendar year 2026 represented a cautious six months for IPOs on ASX, amidst the background of geopolitical tensions and significant divergence between sectors.

ASX Listing Rule 7.1 generally restricts an ASX-listed entity from issuing more than 15% of its issued capital in a 12 month period without shareholder approval, other than in accordance with exceptions set out in Listing Rule 7.2.

The High Court of Australia has delivered a landmark ruling in ASIC v Web3 Ventures Pty Ltd, finding that Block Earner's fixed-yield cryptocurrency product constitutes a financial product under the Corporations Act. This decision overturns the Full Federal Court's earlier judgment and marks the first time Australia's highest court has examined crypto-assets under financial services laws, with significant implications for how digital asset products are regulated.

In the early hours of 8 December 2019, on a rural property at St Mary near Tiaro in Queensland, Benjamin Freear (the deceased) moved between properties armed with a .303 rifle, firing at neighbours, vehicles and buildings, and telling others he expected to die.

On 25 June 2026, ASIC commenced proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia against three former directors of the operator and manager of the Shield Master Fund (Shield) and two former compliance...

This week’s TGIF considers the recent decision of the Queensland Supreme Court in White Rook Pty Ltd v White Horizon Pty Ltd (No 2) [2026] QSC 86 where the Court applied proportionality principles and reduced a court-appointed receiver’s remuneration by 15%.

Australia's proposed capital gains tax reforms may inadvertently undermine government efforts to strengthen sovereign defence capability and innovation. As the nation faces increasing global instability and supply chain vulnerabilities, changes to the CGT regime could discourage investment in defence-focused startups precisely when such investment is most critical to national security objectives.

The Australian debt capital market has transformed over the past couple of decades, particularly in the last few years. What was once a nascent and then narrow market with a questionable future has evolved into a significant component of our broader financial architecture