Maria Collett-Bevan
Senior Associate - Financial Services
Maria is a Senior Associate in the Banking and Financial Services team, and is a financial services specialist. She has particular expertise in financial services regulation, assisting with reviewing and drafting offer documents, trust deeds, custody agreements and investment management agreements. She also advises on a range of issues related to offering securities and operating financial services or financial advisory businesses in New Zealand.
Maria works with retail and wholesale fund managers, trustee companies, insurers and other major financial institutions, advising on all aspects of the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2014 (particularly in relation to discretionary investment management services and managed investment schemes), the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010, as well as financial advice and broking services regulation.
Maria started her legal career with Chapman Tripp, before working in offshore funds and banking for a Guernsey law firm. Returning to New Zealand at the end of 2016, Maria joined our firm in August of that year.
Professional background
Recent work
Advising various entities regarding Trusts Act requirements
Assisting a range of financial service providers (including Milford, Westpac and Generate) with changes required to managed investment scheme governing documents in light of the Trusts Act 2019 (with the Act largely coming into force in January 2021). This included providing advice regarding how the Trusts Act interacts with the governance provisions in the Financial Markets Conduct Act 2013.
Advising BNZ re. YouWealth and DIMS
Advising BNZ on its YouWealth managed investment scheme (YouWealth) and discretionary investment management service (DIMS), including liaising with MBIE, the FMA and the Financial Services Council to develop and obtain approval of wording for product disclosure statements reflecting the new tax laws in relation to prescribed investor rates.
Advising Westpac on the Financial Advice Regime
Providing extensive advice to Westpac in respect of the requirements under the new financial advice regime, including in respect of training, disclosure and the structure of their financial advice model.
Advising TSB Bank on the Financial Advice Regime
Advised TSB extensively on a range of requirements in respect of the new financial advice regime. This formed one of the largest compliance projects undertaken by TSB in recent years, and was vital to their strategic direction.
Primary legal advisors and special projects
Advised Milford Asset Management Limited on a wide range of issues impacting their business with the advent of COVID-19 (including, for example, the impact of market volatility on pricing for their managed investment schemes), along with the formation of new funds within the Milford KiwiSaver Plan.
Vital Healthcare restructure
Advised Trustees Executors Ltd in relation to a high-profile series of changes to its management and fee arrangements.
Admitted
- 2011, New Zealand
Qualifications
- LLB (Hons First Class), University of Waikato
- BDes (Photography), Victoria University of Wellington
Specialisations
- Regulatory Compliance
- Funds Management
Awards
- Ranked as a Rising Star – Investment Funds, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific
Maria Collett-Bevan
- Office
- Auckland
- Phone
- +64 9 353 9881
- Mobile
- Maria.Collett-Bevan@minterellison.co.nz
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-collett-bevan-9951ab62/