Liam Hennessy
Liam Thomas Hennessy (born 31 July 1985) is an Australian lawyer and academic, recognized for his expertise in financial services regulation. He is a Partner at the Brisbane office of the law firm Thomson Geer.[1]
Liam Thomas Hennessy | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 31, 1985 |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Education |
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| Occupations |
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| Employer | Thomson Geer |
| Notable work |
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| Spouse | Juliet Smith |
| Children | 1 |
Early Life and Education
changeHennessy was born in New Zealand and raised in New South Wales, Australia. He is the eldest of three siblings. He studied law and forensic science, majoring in chemistry, at Newcastle University, and earned a Master's degree in law from the University of Sydney.[2] Hennessy is currently pursuing a PhD focusing on the tokenization of financial products at Griffith University, where he also serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law.[3]
Hennessy has worked in various cities, including London, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, at prominent firms such as Clifford Chance and King & Wood Mallesons.[4]
Legal Career
changeHennessy specializes in financial services licensing, capital raising, and digital asset regulation. He represents private funds, insurers, trading houses, and digital asset firms.[5] His work bridges the intersection of financial regulation and digital assets, an emerging area in global financial law.
In 2021, he designed the Gadens' Breach Manager, a cloud-based tool aimed at managing breach reporting obligations for financial services and insurance companies.[6] Accompanying research highlighted significant challenges for regulatory teams, including workload and stress.[7]
In 2024, Hennessy co-authored the CBDC Handbook and Encyclopaedia, a publication analyzing the legal frameworks required for central bank digital currencies.[8] Later that year, the Dubai Future Foundation selected him to lead the development of a regulatory framework for tokenizing real property in Dubai.[9] The project received global attention for its innovative approach to real estate tokenization.[10]
Research and Media
changeHennessy publishes a widely-read weekly newsletter on financial services regulation and has written extensively for LexisNexis and Thomson Reuters.[11][12] He frequently comments in financial media and has consulted multiple times for the Australian Parliament and Treasury.[13]
Hennessy supports regulatory models such as Braithwaite and Ayres' theory of responsive regulation, which emphasizes collaboration before enforcement.[14]
Personal Life
changeHennessy is married to Juliet Smith, a medical doctor, and they have a daughter. Outside of law, he has expressed an interest in studying the Roman Republic and enjoys historical podcasts.[15]
References
change- ↑ "Thomson Geer appoints two Partners and their teams from Clyde & Co | News". www.tglaw.com.au. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
- ↑ "Ground-Breaking Report Finds Breach Reporting Rules Corroding Australian Financial Services Sector". Lawcadia. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Meet Our People: Griffith Law School". Griffith University. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "ASIC wants crypto start-ups to hold financial services licences". Australian Financial Review. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "2023 winners and finalists". Lawyers Weekly. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Simplifying the Burden of Regulatory Breach Reporting". Lawcadia. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Ground-Breaking Report Finds Breach Reporting Rules Corroding Australian Financial Services Sector". Lawcadia. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "CBDC Now Handbook and Encyclopedia". Amazon. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Clyde & Co appointed lead legal adviser to Dubai Future Foundation". Clyde & Co. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Clyde&Co is legal advisor to DFF on its property tech Sandbox". Legal Community MENA. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Financial Services". LexisNexis. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Practical Aspects of the Financial Accountability Regime". Thomson Reuters. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ "Hansard Display". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 2024-12-22.
- ↑ Healy, Judith; Braithwaite, John (2006). "Designing Safer Health Care Through Responsive Regulation". Medical Journal of Australia. 184 (S10). doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2006.tb00364.x.
- ↑ "Podcast Analysis: Mike Duncan's Revolutions". Podchaser. Retrieved 2024-12-22.