Who we are
D2 Legal in Australia is a registered legal practice, able to provide seamless legal service and commercial expertise in a number of specialist banking and finance areas. With senior lawyers from top-tier institutions and law firms, we have a competitive service and strong client relationships. We are the legal services arm of global consulting firm D2 Legal Technology which is headquartered in London.
What we do
In providing legal professional services, we are trusted advisers to key stakeholders across Australia’s financial services industry, including government entities, global investment banks, asset managers, superannuation funds, industry associations, and market infrastructure providers. Our experienced legal team provides sophisticated legal advice on the full range of complex derivative and lending transactions, netting and collateral arrangements, and regulatory frameworks, including:
- Acting for trustees in securitisation structures, providing advice on their roles and responsibilities, transaction documentation, and ongoing obligations
- Derivatives transaction review and advisory (including negotiation of ISDA, GMRA, GMSLA and other master agreements)
- Initial margin and collateral structures
- Trade reporting implementation
- Deal repaperings and amendments arising from regulatory or market developments
- Stock lending and repos
- Debt capital markets
Management Team
Akber Datoo, Founder and CEO
Akber is a leading expert at the intersection of legal, regulatory, and technology transformation in financial services. As founder and global CEO of D2 Legal Technology based in London, he advises top-tier banks, asset managers, and trade associations on capital markets regulation, legal agreement digitisation, and the strategic adoption of AI and digital assets frameworks. A qualified lawyer and former technologist at UBS, Akber brings deep cross-disciplinary expertise to complex industry challenges. He co-chairs the Technology and Law Committee of the Law Society of England & Wales and is a published authority on legal data and smart contracts.
Rachel Scanlon, Managing Director
Rachel is Managing Director and Head of APAC. She is an internationally experienced financial services lawyer specializing in data, financial services regulation and derivatives. Prior to joining D2 in 2019, her roles included Global Head of Documentation for Goldman Sachs, Head of Derivatives at Challenger, and General Counsel at ASX 100 Australian fund manager Magellan Financial Group.
Rebekah Edwards, Managing Consultant
Rebekah joined D2 Legal in 2022 following an international legal career including at top tier law firms King & Wood Mallesons and Clifford Chance, and investment banks Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan. In addition to extensive financial services, derivatives and structured products expertise, Rebekah also covers a broad range of corporate and commercial work, and has often acted as an outsourced general counsel to a variety of clients.