Alistair Robertson
Special Counsel - Financial Services
Alistair is a Special Counsel in our Financial Services team.
Alistair is a specialist financial services regulation lawyer. He works with fund managers, trustee companies, financial advisers, banks, derivatives issuers, insurers, and fintechs to help them develop new products and services, and to understand and navigate the complex financial services regulatory environment.
He advises on all aspects of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013, and all other relevant financial services legislation. He has particular expertise in licensing issues (including helping clients to obtain successful outcomes with regulatory reviews, and advising on ongoing license compliance issues) as well as the regulation of registered banks.
Alistair began his career in the United Kingdom. Upon moving to New Zealand in 2012, he was a Senior Solicitor at MinterEllisonRuddWatts. Before returning to the firm in early 2020, he spent six years at ANZ Bank, across a range of legal, regulatory, and compliance roles, including Head of Regulatory Affairs and Head of Compliance.
Professional background
Recent work
Closure and winding-up of Bonus Bonds
Assisting ANZ Investment Services on all aspects of the closing of the public offer of Bonus Bonds and winding up of the Bonus Bonds Scheme. With NZD3.2 billion invested in Bonus Bonds, the project required strategic and technical advice in a highly sensitive media and regulatory environment.
Trusts Act
Advised the Trustee Corporations Association (the industry body for supervisors of managed funds and debt securities) on the implications of the Trusts Act 2019. Also advised a number of fund managers on amendments to their scheme documents to reflect the new legislation, as well as a major New Zealand registered bank on amendments to processes and documentation when dealing with trustee counterparties.
Banking standards compliance
Advising a major New Zealand registered bank on compliance with the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s Open Bank Resolution and Outsourcing policies.
Free Trade Agreement
Advised a foreign Department of International Trade on New Zealand’s financial services regulatory regime and its potential treatment under a combined free trade agreement.
FMA supervision and monitoring review response
Advised a registered bank on its response to a Financial Markets Authority review of its Financial Advisers Act governance and compliance arrangements, including the development of its workplan to address FMA’s concerns.
Listed unit trust placement
Advised the supervisor of a listed unit trust in relation to complaints made by investors regarding the conduct of a placement by the manager of the unit trust.
Payments
Advised a major global technology firm on the New Zealand financial services regulatory implications of establishing new payments products on its existing digital platform.
Admitted
- 2015, New Zealand
- 2009, England and Wales
Qualifications
- Legal Practice Course (Commendation), College of Law
- BA (Hons), Law, University of Cambridge
- BA (Hons) (Philosophy, Politics and Economics), University of Oxford
Specialisations
- Regulatory compliance
- Funds management
- Financial services regulation
Alistair Robertson
- Office
- Auckland
- Phone
- +64 9 353 9918
- Mobile
- +64 27 293 7154
- alistair.robertson@minterellison.co.nz
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-robertson-1a53a85a/