Australia: Securities

Justice Brereton’s recent decision in HMA International Ltd [2026] NSWSC 401 (HMA International) endorses two separate but interconnected schemes of arrangement for holders of the same class of ordinary shares who receive different consideration. The structure provides a practical workaround to the uncertainty of class composition and will interest private equity sponsors and others structuring transactions with rolling shareholders.

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

ASIC transaction reporting requires entities to submit an expanded set of data fields, including Item 49: Price Unit of Measure. This field specifies what unit a reported price refers to, drawn from ISO 20022 standardised codes, and must align with quantity measures to ensure internal consistency. Understanding when to populate this field and selecting the correct unit code are critical to avoiding common reporting errors.

On 10 June 2025, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) announced that it was commencing a two-year trial of a fast-tracked initial public offering (IPO) process (Fast-Track Process).

On 31 March 2025, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) published its Regulatory Guide 280 Sustainability Reporting (RG280) following the introduction of Australia's first climate-related financial disclosure regime and comprehensive public consultation with various stakeholders.

Company served with a statutory demand has a statutory right to apply to the court to set aside the demand.

The Australian federal government has recently adopted mandatory climate-related disclosure standards, after the country's Senate passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Financial Market Infrastructure...

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024 (the Bill) was introduced into Parliament.

ESG-related enforcement remains a top priority and focus for Australia's corporate regulators. Since our last update, there has been a steady stream of enforcement activity aimed...