Profile
Andrea has more than 25 years’ experience and specialises in financial services, banking and corporate law. Andrea brings legal capability and insight into regulatory matters, corporate governance, compliance and risk management. She assists her clients to adapt to the changing regulatory landscape to ensure they meet the expectations of their customers and shareholders and regulators.
Her expertise extends to designing and conducting a broad range of financial services training for financial services providers, their senior executives and responsible managers, legal & compliance officers, consumer advocates and lawyers.
Andrea advises domestic and foreign institutions on acquiring financial services and credit licences and exemptions. She specialises in advising on structuring and establishing financial services and credit businesses including licence obligations, drafting plain English documents, procedures, systems audits and online web application processes. She advises on regulatory compliance projects and audits, regulatory enforcement defences, and regulator investigations and disputes.
Andrea’s experience includes advising clients on financial products and channels, including FinTech solutions, peer to peer lending platforms, crowd funding, payment systems, crypto currency, reward programs, gift cards and financial services acquisitions, disposals and alliances.
Andrea also has in-depth knowledge of privacy laws and regularly advises clients on data and privacy security, credit reporting and breach remediation. She has assisted entities reform their privacy compliance.
Andrea regularly advises on AML/CTF compliance. Andrea also regularly conducts training programs and workshops for clients including Australian Credit Licence and Australian Financial Services Licence compulsory responsible managers training, privacy training, regulatory updates and “Back to Basics” credit law, privacy, anti-money laundering and other training workshops.
Andrea is widely published and her authorships include 7 editions of the leading consumer law text “Annotated National Credit Code”, with the most recent edition published on 31 October 2024 by LexisNexis, the ‘Australia’ chapters in the “Consumer Finance Law Review” and the “Banking Regulation Review”, which is published by The Law Reviews, Law Business Research Ltd, UK.
Andrea is also a member of numerous financial services professional associations. She is the Deputy Chair of the Privacy Committee and a member of the Financial Services and Digital Commerce Committees of the Law Council of Australia Business Law Section. Andrea is also one of three members of the Australia Finance Industry Association’s (AFIA) Code Compliance Committee for the Online Small Business Lenders Code.
In addition to her recommendation in The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific for Fintech & Financial Services Regulatory and Data Protection in the 2024 edition, Andrea is also ranked for Financial Services Regulation in Chambers and Partners. She has also recently been named as Best Lawyer for Commercial Law by The Best Lawyers in Australia, 2025 edition.
Expertise
Recognition
‘Andrea Beatty is a subject matter expert, and her team is also intimately familiar with the regulatory framework, which enables them to provide precise and technical advice on compliance and risk-reduction matters that are integral to our lending business.’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Fintech and financial services regulatory – 2025 edition
‘Andrea Beatty is consummate technical lawyers in this area, but is also highly pragmatic and understanding of our product and processes.’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Fintech and financial services regulatory – 2025 edition
‘Andrea Beatty is widely regarded as a solid practitioner in the payments space and on consumer protection issues. A client notes that she is “very easy to work with, has a pleasant demeanour and breaks complex things down into simple parts,” while another comments: “She is extremely knowledgeable and is respected by regulators.”
Chambers and Partners Asia-Pacific – Financial Services Regulation – Band 3 in 2021 edition
‘Andrea Beatty was fantastic support to the business when we were dealing with a cyber-security breach. She was always available and provided expert guidance on the Privacy Act implications and communication strategies.’
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Data Protection – 2022 edition
Accolades
- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Australia, Recommended Lawyer for Financial services regulatory, since 2021 edition
- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Australia, Recommended Lawyer for Data Protection, since 2022 edition
- Chambers Asia Pacific Guide – Financial Services Regulation – Band 3, since 2018 edition
- Best Lawyers in Australia – Recognised for Financial Institutions (Sydney, AU) – Since 2012 edition
- Best Lawyers in Australia – Recognised for Privacy and Data Security Law (Sydney, AU) – Since 2012 edition
- Best Lawyers in Australia – Recognised for Regulatory Practice (Sydney, AU) – Since 2012 edition
- Best Lawyers in Australia – Recognised for Commercial Law (Sydney, AU) – 2024 edition
- Nominated for Euromoney Legal Media Group’s 2013 and 2014 for Australian Women in Business Law Awards for the Banking and Finance practice group
Recent deals and media coverage
- Top firms act as fintech start-up sells fast – Australasian Lawyer, 23 January 2019
- New fintech sector showcased by crypto acquisition – Lawyers Weekly, 3 January 2019
- Podcast: Blockchain’s role in anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing – Lawyers Weekly, 25 January 2019
- Piper Alderman brings in financial services team – Australasian Lawyer, 15 November 2018
Memberships
- AFIA (Australian Finance Industry Association)
- Online Small Business Code of Lending Practice – Code Compliance Committee member
- Association of Compliance Professionals of Australia – Privacy Interest Group
- Australian Retail Credit Association
- Banking & Financial Services Law Association
- Financial Services Council
- Senior Fellow, Financial Services Institute of Australasia
- International Association of Privacy Professionals (Aus/NZ)
- Law Council of Australia – Member of the Privacy, Financial Services and Digital Commerce committees
Insights
04 August 2022
Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Data Protection and Privacy, 2023 Edition
Read More30 March 2022
Lexology Getting the Deal Through – Banking Regulation Australia, 2022 Edition
Read More27 October 2020
Do you have standard contracts which may have unfair terms? The ACCC has you in...
Read More12 October 2020
Carrying on business in Australia in a digital age: Privacy Commissioner v Facebook Inc
Read More25 September 2020
RG 271: Internal Dispute Resolution – are enforceable regulatory guides the way of the future?
Read More24 September 2020
The Senate committee looking to make IT happen for financial services in Australia
Read More22 June 2020
Revised timelines for Banking Royal Commission reforms, design and distribution obligations and open banking
Read More22 May 2020
Australian Financial Services Licence for Litigation Funders: What does the Government’s announcement mean for the...
Read More24 March 2020
Lexology getting the deal through – Banking Regulation Australia, 2020 Edition
Read More24 February 2020
It’s raining consultations: What draft legislation has the government dropped in 2020?
Read More19 November 2019
ASIC targets Banking Royal Commission Case Study: Has judgement day begun?
Read More15 October 2019
ASIC to target car yards in newest proposed use of the product intervention power
Read More15 October 2019
Open Banking moving forward with rules released and fintechs chosen for testing
Read More27 August 2019
Restoring trust in Australia’s financial system – Financial Services Royal Commission implementation roadmap
Read More27 August 2019
APRA applies additional requirements to three major banks in response to self-assessments
Read More26 August 2019
ASIC sues ANZ for misrepresentations and unconscionable conduct over account fees
Read More26 August 2019
ASIC v Kobelt [2019] HCA 18 – Supplying “book-up” credit to an Indigenous community
Read More15 July 2019
ASIC consults on new foreign AFS licencing regime which all foreign financial services providers should...
Read More15 July 2019
ASIC releases Consultation Paper 316 – Using the product intervention power: Short term credit
Read More21 June 2019
Pointing the finger at privacy law: Commission’s new take on when a direction is lawful...
Read More14 May 2019
Fair Work Commission’s surprising interpretation of the Australian Privacy Principles
Read More14 April 2019
Draft legislation to end grandfathered conflicted remuneration for financial advisers
Read More14 April 2019
Design and distribution obligations and product intervention power finally legislated
Read More14 March 2019
What will a tougher Unfair Contracts Regime mean for suppliers? Emerging trends in interpretation of...
Read More26 February 2019
ASIC appealing Westpac subsidiaries ‘personal advice’ Federal Court decision
Read More03 December 2018
Dampier Finance fined $240,000 for failing to lodge financial information with ASIC
Read More03 February 2018