ADELAIDE: Association of Corporate Counsel (SA) and Piper Alderman – DEBATE | Unfair contract terms – is that term unfair, or not?

Shannon has been providing specialist legal advice and services to financial services providers for over 35 years.  He acts for banks, mutual banks, credit unions, building societies and others operating within the sector, and he has deep experience in relation to the regulatory environment within which they operate. Shannon also has specialist experience in relation to mutual financial institutions.

The areas in relation to which Shannon practices include:

• regulatory compliance, particularly in relation to retail financial services (including credit)
• corporate governance
• mergers and acquisitions (financial services)
• commercial arrangements
• delivery channels and electronic commerce
• commercial and specialist lending transactions
• enforcement of credit contracts and securities
• dispute resolution (internal and external) and litigation.

Shannon has an outstanding reputation for his expertise in relation to the documenting, delivery and marketing of retail financial services. He works closely with many clients in relation to product development and the drafting of terms, conditions and other template documents.

Shannon has many years of experience in relation to corporate governance, both as an external adviser and as a company director, and in both the for-profit and not-for profit sectors. He is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and his past appointments include being the Chairman of World Vision Australia and a Director of World Vision International.

Joshua is a partner who specialises in helping banks, credit unions and other lenders and financial services providers navigate and understand the complex regulatory environment that applies to retail financial services.

Joshua regularly help clients with product development, regulatory issues and reforms, compliance audits and training, various types of product distribution, service provider and other commercial arrangements and advertising and marketing activities. Joshua also advises on banking and financial services-related disputes and litigation including mortgage enforcement, customer complaints and AFCA disputes.

In addition to Joshua’s legal qualifications, he also has formal qualifications in Information Technology.

In recent times, Joshua has advised clients in relation to the continued development of the New Payments Platform, the implementation of Comprehensive Credit Reporting, the digital execution of lending and mortgage documentation, the upcoming commencement of the Australian Design and Distribution Obligations regime and the introduction of the Consumer Data Right/Open Banking.

As an in-house lawyer SA Power Networks, Janelle has a strong background in commercial law and contract management, navigating negotiations and transactional matters for both small and large business. She aligns her expertise with harmonizing legal intricacies with business risk appetite. With the change to the Australian Consumer Law in 2023 shifting the unfair contract law to include a new penalty regime, she managed the internal review project of procurement and provision contracts balancing the rights of small business, legal intricacies and commercial pragmatism.