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Matthew J. Watts

Matthew is a partner in the Asset Management and Investment Funds (AMIF) group in Sydney. He has extensive experience advising Australian and international clients on all aspects of Australian corporate law, investment management and financial services regulation. Matthew advises some of Australia's largest financial institutions, asset managers, private equity firms and Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) as well as local and offshore investment fund managers.

Matthew’s focus areas are:

  • Investment funds including advising on the structuring, establishment, offering, and restructuring of a range of domestic and international collective investment vehicles including registered managed investment schemes, exchange traded funds (ETFs), wholesale managed investment schemes, private unit trusts, venture capital funds, infrastructure funds, debt funds, hedge funds and REITS;
  • Financial services regulation including advising on disclosure obligations, Australian Financial Service Licensing (AFSL) applications, variations and ongoing compliance obligations, product design and distribution obligations (including target market determinations) and breach reporting requirements to Australian regulators;
  • Advising on and drafting investment management agreements, custody agreements, administrative service agreements, broker agreements, distribution agreements and platform agreements;
  • Joint ventures and start-ups including the preparation of joint venture, co-investment, unitholder and shareholder agreements;
  • Private sale and purchases of Australian investment and asset management businesses; and
  • Generally advising investment management businesses and their Boards on corporate governance issues.

Matthew has extensive private practice and in-house experience, including having previously held the roles of General Counsel at a leading international investment management firm based in Sydney and Executive Legal Counsel at a global asset manager.

  • The Law Society of New South Wales
Additional Thought Leadership Pages
  • K&L Gates Advises Dimensional Fund Advisors on Three New Equity ETFs on the ASX, Legal Desire, August 2024
  • Partner reflections after advising on ‘dual-access’ ETF structure, Lawyers Weekly, December 2023
  • AFCA is Coming: an Overview of the new Australian Financial Complaints Authority, Australia Financial Services, March 2018
Additional News & Event Pages
  • Quoted, "Australia's booming ETF market draws in more specialised offerings", Asian Investor, Press News Agency, 21 October 2024
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