Areas of Expertise
- Funds management
- Financial services
- Capital Markets
- Corporate Advisory
- Governance
- Regulatory hearings and investigations
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Arts, University of Queensland
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Queensland
- Graduate Diploma of Applied Finance and Investment, Finsia
- Graduate, AICD
- Admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland
- Fellow, Finsia
- Chair, ICCMF Brisbane
Contributor to the Lexis Nexis publication, Financial Services Newsletter
Chris Mee
Principal
T: +61 (07) 3211 4010
M: +61 408 014 274
E: cmee@cnmlegal.com.au
Chris is the principal at CNM Legal. He has practised in corporate law for more than 20 years, and is a specialist in funds management, financial services and capital markets.
He holds degrees in law and arts and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment from the Securities Institute of Australia (now Finsia). He is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of Finsia. He is chair of the Independent Compliance Committee Member Forum (Brisbane). He is recognised in The Best Lawyers™ in Australia – Investment Funds 2020/21.
His legal expertise in funds management, financial services and capital raising is provided to clients over a range of industries, including those involved in equity and debt raising through corporate and trust structures. His clients include responsible entities, wholesale trustees, investment managers, financial planning groups, banks, custodians, venture capitalists and securities dealers.
His areas of expertise include the formation of private and public investment vehicles (including registered and unregistered managed investment schemes); Australian financial services licensing applications and variations; structuring and promotion of investment products (including share and debenture offers); the preparation of regulated and unregulated offer documents such as information memoranda, product disclosure statements and prospectuses; and ongoing compliance requirements for companies and managed investment schemes.
Areas of expertise and relevant experience
Areas of Expertise – Funds Management
Chris regularly undertakes the following work for his funds management clients:
- Establishment of funds management businesses including company incorporation, preparation of shareholder agreements, director appointments and capital raising for the entity through private and public offers.
- Applications for, and variations of, Australian financial services (AFS) licences, including assisting with the identification and engagement of experienced, responsible managers.
- Formation, structuring and registration of funds with ASIC including preparation of constitutions and compliance plans, reviewing custody deeds and establishing compliance committees.
- Product structuring.
- Preparation or review of regulated and unregulated disclosure documents, such as product disclosure statements and information memoranda.
- Advising on ongoing compliance arrangements, including breach reporting, continuous disclosure, unit pricing issues and regulator engagement.
- Advising on governance issues, including conflict issues, directors’ duties and trustee duties.
- Assisting with regulatory investigations by ASIC.
- Reviewing loan documentation for fund loans.
- Defending or launching takeover bids for funds.
- Assisting with restructuring issues, such as trust mergers and changes in responsible entity.
- Advising on insolvency and deregistration issues.
Relevant Experience – Funds Management
- DDH Graham Limited – Review of disclosure material for derivatives and equities funds; establishment of investor directed portfolio service; AFS licence variation applications; general advice regarding ongoing compliance.
- Fidelis Investment Limited – Establishment of funds management business; AFS licence application; established and prepared the product disclosure statements for the following registered schemes:
- Ascentiv Commercial Property Fund 2
- CMH Property Fund no.2
- Fidelis Eagleview Income Fund.
- Freehold Investment Management Limited – Acted as legal adviser on the establishment and promotion of the Freehold Development Trust, a wholesale unlisted development trust.
- IPIF Management – Establishment and promotion of the IPIF Infrastructure Fund, a wholesale unlisted managed investment scheme.
- EMR Capital – Establishment of investment manager including company establishment, shareholders agreement, capital raising and employment agreements.
- ASF Capital Pty Ltd – Establishment of funds management business and wholesale infrastructure fund to comply with the Significant Investor Visa regime.
- Peet Limited – Acted in restructure of funds management business including establishment of subsidiary fund manager and appointment of subsidiary as new responsible entity for five registered schemes.
- Arena Investment Management Limited – Establishment of equities schemes and venture capital fund; preparation of disclosure documents for the funds; settlement of investment by the fund in Asian property; preparation of unit pricing policy; preparation and review of loan documentation for the funds.
- Mosaic Portfolio Advisers Limited – Establishment of seven equities schemes including global equities fund and concentrated fund; preparation of product disclosure statement for the funds; AFS licence issues; ongoing compliance advice.
- Opus Capital Limited – Defended hostile takeover bid for flagship fund; negotiated enforceable undertaking with ASIC; represented client in proceedings against ASIC regarding AFS licence breaches; general commercial advice; review of public offer of shares; advised on trust merger options; review and preparation of loan documentation; advised on friendly takeover of company; advised on trustee duties and corporate governance matters.
- DH Flinders – Review of product disclosure statement and constitution for a small caps equities fund.
- Questus Group – Establishment of land development fund; preparation of product disclosure statement; $30 million capital raising via debentures.
- Eclipse Funds Management Limited – Preparation of term sheets for fund investments via convertible notes; advised on early stage venture capital limited partnership (ESVCLP); AFS licence issues.
- Dransfield Management Services Limited – Application for and variation of an AFS licence; establishment of funds management business including registration of fractional ownership scheme requiring novel relief from ASIC; preparation of product disclosure statement; review of compliance procedures; preparation of AML/CTF procedures.
- Lifestyle Fractions Management Limited – Application for AFS licence; establishment of funds management business including registration of fractional ownership scheme requiring novel relief; preparation of product disclosure statement; appointment of responsible managers.
- Northern Australia Development Fund Limited – Preparation of prospectus for pooled development fund and advised on AFS licence issues.
- Targeted Funds Management Limited – AFS licence variation application to replace responsible manager.
- Property Investment Management Limited – Acted in takeover of scheme as responsible entity; conversion of prescribed interest scheme to registered managed investment scheme; conversion of prescribed interest schemes to management rights schemes; establishment of serviced strata schemes and management rights schemes.
- One Investment Management Limited – Establishment of property securities fund; preparation of product disclosure statement.
- Becton Property Group – Establishment of hotel trust; preparation of prospectus for hotel trust; preparation of loan documents for fund lending.
- Emerging Leaders Investment Limited – General corporate advice.
Areas of Expertise – Financial Services
Chris regularly undertakes the following work for his financial service provider clients:
- Applications for, and variations of, Australian financial services (AFS) licences, including assisting with the identification and engagement of experienced, responsible managers.
- Preparing or reviewing statements of advice (SOAs), financial services guides (FSGs), conflicts policies and compliance systems.
- Preparation of disclosure documents for financial products including insurance products, derivatives (CFDs) and mutual risk products.
- Establishment of investor-directed portfolio services (IDPS), IDPS-like schemes and managed discretionary account (MDA) services.
- Establishment of mutual discretionary funds for the issues of risk products.
- Mock ASIC surveillance visits.
Relevant Experience – Financial Services
- Sandhurst Trustees Limited – Represented this custodian in relation to the issue of debentures by its clients.
- Australian Executor Trustees Limited – Advised on client–broker agreements.
- Trust Company Fiduciary Services Limited – Establishment of management rights scheme for a real estate work-out fund.
- Bank Julius Baer – Advised this Swiss private bank on Australian regulatory issues.
- EMR Capital – Establishment of investment manager including company establishment, shareholders agreement, capital raising and employment agreements.
- Wingate Financial Services – Advised on AFS licensing issues.
- Wealth Within Limited – AFS licence variation, establishment of registered scheme and review of product disclosure statement for a new investment platform.
- Global Derivative Services – Obtained an AFS licence for this South African‑based CFD issuer; preparation of product disclosure statement and associated disclosure material including hedging policies, financial services guides, privacy policies, risk warning and product terms and conditions.
- Queensland Operators Association – Structured a mutual discretionary fund for the issue of mutual risk products.
- Terrace Funds Pty Ltd – Application for AFS licence for this outsourced issuer.
- Regnan Corporate Governance and Research – Variation of AFS licence and replacement of responsible manager.
- Firstlight Noosa Pty Ltd – Establishment of wholesale fractional ownership scheme structured as a company limited by guarantee; AFS licensing issues.
Areas of Expertise – Trustee duties and corporate governance
Regularly advises clients on issues relating to their duties as trustees and directors, including conflicts of interest, compliance with AFS licence conditions, investor meetings and corporate governance.