Narelle Smythe brings with her three decades of experience advising leading banks and financiers
Ashurst has announced the appointment of former Clayton Utz partner Narelle Smythe to its partnership.
She joins the financial regulation practice in Sydney, working with Phil Trinca (Melbourne) and Hong-Viet Nguyen (Sydney) in servicing the payments and consumer credit segment of the market.
Smythe is widely recognised as a leader in financial services regulation. She has advised domestic and international financial services providers on regulatory compliance, investigations and enforcement proceedings, and M&A transactions in the financial sector for the past three decades. She has also advised the Reserve Bank on payment systems reform.
Smythe began her career at Clayton Utz and served as partner from 2000 to 2021. Her experience extends to financial services, credit, privacy, anti-money laundering, fraud, and bribery and corruption.
"We are excited to welcome Narelle to Ashurst,” Ashurst’s global head of financial regulation Jonathan Gordon said. “Narelle is one of the most highly respected lawyers in financial services regulation and her arrival will bolster Ashurst's already strong offering to clients.”
“Throughout her impressive career, Narelle has built a reputation as a trusted adviser to some of the largest banking, regulatory and corporate clients in Australia. Her appointment underscores Ashurst's investment in the financial regulation practice and we are unquestionably the leading team in Australia in this area.”
Smythe praised Ashurst’s work in financial regulation, describing it as “the strongest and deepest practice in the market.”
“I am excited by the opportunity to help consolidate its reputation as the go-to firm for clients across the sector," Smythe said. “I am also really looking forward to working with the Ashurst risk advisory consulting business and bring new regulatory solutions to our clients.”
