Global law firm Norton Rose Fulbright announced today that financial services regulatory partner Charlotte Henry has transferred from its London office to Sydney.
Charlotte adds significant strength to the Australian financial services regulatory practice, where she will support major domestic and international clients. Her move is strategic, given that the Australian market is undergoing many of the same regulatory developments that the UK and Europe experienced after the Global Financial Crisis. Her focus will be on sharing the firm's global experience of how the UK and European markets reacted to, addressed and implemented regulatory change so that Australian businesses can make risk-based decisions.
Charlotte continues as a key member with the firm's global financial services team, led by partner Jonathan Herbst, and the global payments and global fintech practices, as well continuing to support the regulatory needs of the firm's global M&A activity. She will use her experience in those practices to facilitate UK and European fintech and regtech providers exploring opportunities in Asia-Pacific and Australia.
Charlotte brings experience in retail banking, advisory business lines, wealth management and distribution (including product governance), consumer products and services (including unfair terms), corporate governance, fintech and regtech, and payments (including Open Banking) both as a partner and as a former regulator at UK regulatory authority, the Financial Conduct Authority.
Norton Rose Fulbright managing partner in Australia Wayne Spanner commented:
"Charlotte brings to our Australian financial services team a unique exposure to the full spectrum of retail banking products and services, and a wide breadth of transactional and advisory experience. She has joined us in Sydney at a time when there is heightened interest in financial services regulation following the Hayne Royal Commission and further implementation of the Banking Executive Accountability Regime. Her addition will bolster our strong offering to financial institution clients as they face unprecedented change and growing risk in their industry."
Charlotte Henry commented:
"The heightened scrutiny that the Australian financial services industry is currently facing bares many of the hallmarks of similar recent regulatory changes experienced in the UK. When clients in Australia are talking to me, it is not about the risks they know; they want to know what is likely to come and what they should be preparing and planning for now."
The Australian partnership has welcomed new partners in recent months. In February, corporate M&A partners Jessica Davies and David Jewkes joined the firm's Perth office. In January, Claire Forster, Lisa Koch and Paulina Moncrieff were promoted to the partnership, and three new partners – Holly McAdam, Richard Morrison and Martin Taylor – joined the firm's expanded team in Canberra.