Andrea Beatty
Partner
Sydney
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
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
‘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
I have had regular dealings with Piper Alderman and Andrea Beatty and her team for more than 6 years. They have continually shown an understanding of our business and the specific challenges we have to deal with.
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Fintech and financial services regulatory
Andrea Beatty shows an extensive knowledge of consumer leasing and is always up to date on legislative changes that we are required to meet. Andrea shows a genuine understanding of how our business operates and works with us when sometimes the required changes we have to make seem at best illogical and not relevant to what we do.
The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific: Fintech and financial services regulatory
Accolades
- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Australia, Recommended Lawyer for Fintech and financial services regulatory
- The Legal 500 Asia Pacific – Australia, Recommended Lawyer for Data Protection
- 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) – Since 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
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Super ban on super funds
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Life’s a beach for CFD issuers
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New Whistleblowing laws passed
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ASIC consulting on RG 209 update
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AFCA up and running
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Royal Commission round 7 update
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