After years with finance giants, the expert joins the international law firm in Sydney
Baker McKenzie has welcomed a lawyer who has been a senior executive at several finance industry giants.
Alan Darwin has joined the international law firm in Sydney as a special counsel. He comes from Linear, where he was CEO of trustee services and managing the responsible entity of a $1.5bn managed-investment scheme-based investment platform.
Darwin was also executive director for equity derivatives and vice president and head of Asia-Pacific equities compliance at J.P. Morgan.
Bill Fuggle, Baker McKenzie’s head of financial services and funds in Australia, said Darwin is joining a group that leads in ASX-quoted funds and investment products, having acted on the first actively managed ETS for Magellan, Platinum, and others, as well as the first XBTs for the Global Bond Exchange.
“He comes highly regarded and at the top of his game having held impressive roles throughout his career to date. Ultimately, his strong commercial focus with experience in the field was a great match – and, did I mention, he isn't a bad guy either,” said Fuggle.
Baker McKenzie said that the new special counsel is an experienced finance industry professional with extensive knowledge and experience of investment banking, derivatives, asset management, financial product development, investment platform management, corporate strategy, governance, and legal regulatory compliance.
“He possesses a strong track record of product issuance with emphasis on innovative product design. He has been a CEO, responsible manager and director of ASIC and APRA regulated entities for structured products issuance, managed investment schemes and superannuation products,” the firm said.
Darwin joins a growing team, said Ben McLaughlin, the firm’s head of corporate in Australia. Over the past year, the firm has attracted Lauren Magraith and Caroline Tait from J.P. Morgan; Antony Rumboll from UBS; Duncan McGrath, who was Gilbert + Tobin’s debt capital markets head; and Paul Anderson from elite Wall Street law firm Sherman & Sterling.
The law firm’s brand, talent, and network attracted him to Baker McKenzie, Darwin said.
“Ultimately, the global platform, calibre of talent and ability to work with the world's leading companies operating or investing in and out of Australia, was too good an opportunity to pass up on,” he said.