The Australian Government (the Government) opened consultation on Australia’s proposed merger notification thresholds. The Consultation Paper proposes a notification regime that consists of four different thresholds—two based...more
On July 24 2024, the Australian Federal Government released its long-awaited exposure draft legislation to amend Australia's current informal merger clearance process to a mandatory merger control regime (Exposure Draft)...more
Spotlight on below-threshold merger reviews: doubts over European Commission’s powers while in depth probes launched in Italy - Last month, we reported on the landmark Advocate General (AG) opinion in Illumina/GRAIL. The AG...more
On 10 April 2024, Australia’s Federal Government announced far-reaching reforms to its merger control regime, most notably the introduction of a new single, mandatory and suspensory, merger control system. The reform package...more
The Background: The Australian Federal Treasurer recently announced sweeping reforms to Australia's merger review regime. These reforms will overhaul the current merger review regime in Australia to introduce mandatory filing...more
Australian Update - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Enforcement Priorities for 2024-2025 - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has announced its enforcement and compliance priorities for...more
Australia welcomes new business and foreign investment by providing a strong economy, a stable political environment and a skilled and talented workforce. Our comprehensive guide to Doing Business in Australia has been...more
In a move that has long been advocated for by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Australian government has announced sweeping reforms to Australia's competition law merger control regime....more
In Brief - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its compliance and enforcement priorities for 2024-25, with ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb expanding on the Commission's key areas of focus in...more
Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this week announced the ACCC's 2024-25 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities.1 The ACCC's priorities continue to be shaped by the key...more
Several antitrust authorities ended 2023 with a bang by imposing record fines. Resale price maintenance (RPM) and cartel conduct were particularly in the spotlight....more
The Competition Review announced by the Australian Government on 23 August 2023 is well underway. A Competition Taskforce has been established, with the scope of the Review broad - extending beyond the current competition...more
In July 2023, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released draft guidance for businesses making environmental and sustainability claims (the Draft Greenwashing Guidance). The Draft Greenwashing Guidance...more
The false, misleading or deceptive conduct prohibitions that are enshrined in the Australia Consumer Law (ACL) – Schedule 1 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA) – apply to representations made to any person or...more
For a number of years the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has advocated for amendments to the country’s merger control rules. The current regime is voluntary, and the ACCC cannot itself prohibit a...more
This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. Ellen Braun, partner based in Germany, is our editor this month (learn more about Ellen in our Q&A feature at the end...more
Competition law in Australia continues to evolve. Through an address to the National Press Club,1 the Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its proposal to Government for a new...more
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, has outlined the Commission's ambitious compliance and enforcement priorities for 2023-24....more
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced its 2023-24 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities this week.1 The priorities are weighted towards protecting consumers in a year characterised by...more
The ACCC’s remit is diverse and extensive. The breadth of work undertaken by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and an insight into in the competition regulator's focus for the year ahead was...more
This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. Ioannis Thanos, counsel in Hamburg, is our editor this month....more
This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. Lisa Emanuel, counsel based in Sydney, is our editor this month (learn more about Lisa in our Q&A feature at the end...more
As the new Parliament prepares to sit, it is useful to consider the new Labor Government’s key focus areas for competition policy. These changes are intended to further strengthen consumer and small business rights and deter...more
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") also cautions government agencies to be alert to potential bid rigging in the procurement process for public tenders. ...more
Recent Merger Review and Litigation in Australia - Australia's antitrust merger laws have remained largely unchanged since 1993. The law prohibits the acquisition of assets or shares with the effect or likely effect of...more