Minter Ellison Rudd Watts has the leading New Zealand and trans-Tasman, Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) legal team. Our experts include lawyers from a range of disciplines, including partners Lloyd Kavanagh (Banking and Financial Services) and Aaron Lloyd (White Collar), together with support from Minter Ellison’s sector leading team in Australia, led by Sydney based partner Richard Batten.
The team advises clients with respect to both the current AML/CFT regime (under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act 1996 and the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002) and with respect to the upcoming changes to New Zealand’s AML/CFT regime, which will arise following passage of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill.
Our experts have had industry leading involvement in AML/CFT matters, including:
advising a leading financial institution as to its criminal and commercial legal risks, and the appropriate course of action to take, in circumstances where they have identified a series of suspicious transactions by a large, international, customer
representing the New Zealand Bankers’ Association (and other finance sector clients) with respect to the compilation of submissions for the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee regarding the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Bill
representing parties charged with criminal money laundering offences under the Financial Transactions Reporting Act 1996
advising a leading financial institution with respect to legal liability arising with respect to the potential transfer of funds offshore in relation to acts of piracy
liaising with leading AML/CFT solicitors and attorneys in the United Kingdom and the United States with respect to cross-border AML/CFT matters
meeting with officials form the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) during their May 2009 visit to New Zealand to audit New Zealand’s compliance with international AML/CFT obligations
assisting clients interact with New Zealand government officials with respect to novel AML/CFT issues arising in business
