Australia’s National Consumer Protection Law Comes Into Effect

By: Ainsley Brown Talk about kicking off the New Year with a bang: it is official as of January 1, 2011 Australia now has its first national Consumer Law. The new law ushers in a comprehensive national consumer protection regime that mandates quick remedies – repair, replace, refund – to customer complaints.  It replaces a patchwork of 20 national, State

Share
Read more

Australia To Review Tax Laws On Islamic Finance

By: Ainsley Brown When an industry approaches being worth close to a trillion dollars it can no longer be considered a passing fancy or fad – Islamic banking and finance (IBF) is real and is as much a part of the global financial system as “conventional” finance. It is this realization that has prompted Australia to conduct a review of

Share
Read more

Judge Delivers Hammer Blow To JP Morgan Down Under

By: Ainsley Brown Judge David Hammerschlag – German for hammer blow – does just that, delivers a hammer blow to the investment bank JP Morgan. In the case of JP Morgan Australia Limited v. Consolidated Minerals Limited, Judge  Hammer Blow , sorry I just couldn’t resist, I mean Judge Hammerschlag has ruled that the fees the bank charged  Consolidated Minerals

Share
Read more

JP Morgan Case Down-Under Is Set To Shine The Spotlight On Investment Banking Fees…But Not So Fast

By: Ainsley Brown The stage was for a very interesting court battle in Australia pitting advisor against former client; at stake the fees that the advisor could charge. While the case remains interesting the deep probing spotlight that it promised on investment banking fees alas may not materialize. JP Morgan Chase, the investment bank is suing its former client Consolidated

Share
Read more

Telstra To Be Broken Up

By: Ainsley Brown The Australian telecommunications group Telstra is to be broken up in a move to spur competiotion. The telecommunications giant, according to Australia’s Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, would be forced to separate its retail and wholesale arms if it does not do so voluntarily. The government  – a 12% part owner – for its part hopes Telstra will

Share
Read more

Australian Securities Regulators In Policy Quandary

By: Ainsley Brown The question that faces Australian securities regulators is what to do about two or more Chinese state owned enterprises together owing substantial shareholdings in an Australian company? At first blush it would appear that this is a case of China take over fear, however there is much more to the story than this. Indeed, there is a

Share
Read more