Austin Bell Partner

Austin is a corporate and financial services lawyer specialising in investment funds and hedge funds.

He helps domestic and international fund managers to understand and navigate all aspects of the Australian regulatory regime including establishing and restructuring investment vehicles, Australian financial services licensing, disclosure obligations and negotiating contracts.

Austin is ranked in Chambers Asia-Pacific as a leading Investment Funds practitioner, with clients noting that he is a lawyer who can "balance the law with the commercial aspects and tailor his advice to the realities." He is also ranked in Best Lawyers under Funds Management and Financial Institutions, and named as a leading individual in Financial Services Regulatory in The Legal 500. He was nominated by in-house counsel and peers to appear in the Experts Guide: Guide to the World's Leading Investment Funds Lawyers as an outstanding practitioner in this field. In 2019, his contribution to policy development was recognised with an industry leadership award from the Financial Service Council. He is the author of the Australian chapters in the ICLG publications on Alternative Investment Funds and Public Offer Funds.

Experience

General

Ausbil Investment Management Ltd

Advising on a number of regulatory matters, including the preparation of a product disclosure statement for the Emerging Leaders Fund.

AllianceBernstein

Acting on the establishment and launch of AllianceBernstein’s registered funds for the retail market.

Macquarie

Acting for Macquarie Investment Management Ltd on the MBO sale of its private equity business.

US SEC registered investment advisers

Acting for a number of SEC registered investment advisers on obtaining the foreign financial services provider ASIC class order exemption from holding an Australian financial services licence.

Mason Stevens Ltd

Acting for Mason Stevens Ltd on the establishment and offers of its registered and unregistered funds.

Recognition

Career & qualifications

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Laws (Hons), McGill University
  • Bachelor of Civil Law, McGill University

Memberships

  • Law Society of New South Wales
  • International Bar Association

International experience

  • Admitted to practise in Canada and New York

Insights Read more insight

ASIC wins Qoin case: freshly minted jurisprudence on crypto, NCPs and the meaning of ‘on behalf of’

The Federal Court has found in favour of ASIC against digital currency payments provider BPS Financial Pty Ltd over its Qoin Wallet product. We unpack the Court’s findings and comment on the...

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FFSP AFS licensing exemptions tabled in the Australian Parliament

On 30 November 2023, the Treasury Laws Amendment (Better Targeted Superannuation Concessions and Other Measures) Bill 2023 (Amendment Bill) was tabled in the Australian Parliament.

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New exemptions from financial service licensing for foreign financial service providers

On 7 August 2023, the Commonwealth Government released exposure draft legislation to introduce exemptions from the Australian financial service licence (AFSL) regime for foreign financial service...

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