From 1 January 2026, parties to acquirers of shares or assets in Australia (or affecting Australia) must notify the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) if the acquisition satisfies certain monetary and...more
From January 1, 2026, it is mandatory for businesses to notify acquisitions that meet certain thresholds and must wait for approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) before they can proceed. In...more
From 1 January 2026, Australia will become a mandatory and suspensory merger control regime. Businesses must notify the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of acquisitions that meet specified thresholds and...more
Updated compulsory merger notification rules - From 1 January 2026, under the new Part IVA Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) (CCA), businesses may need to notify the ACCC of any acquisition of shares or assets that...more
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Whether you celebrate with tinsel or simply a well-earned break, we think everyone deserves a gift – the greatest gift of all, M&A insights! To turn the phrase made famous by...more
The changes to Australia’s merger notification regime substantially expand the scope for early-stage economic analysis to support more effective and efficient filings for merging parties and their legal advisers. Economic...more
From 1 January 2026, significant reforms to Australia’s merger clearance regime will come into effect. The amended regime will operate on a mandatory and suspensory basis. Parties must notify the Australian Competition and...more
What’s Inside This Issue? This edition of the K&L Gates Competition & Consumer Law Round-Up provides a summary of recent and significant updates from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), as well as...more
IN BRIEF - Australia's new competition merger clearance regime is now live. It can now be used on a voluntary basis and becomes mandatory from 1 January 2026 for all acquisitions of shares or assets that meet the monetary...more
The Government has made the notification rules which determine the circumstances in which 2026 transactions will need to be notified to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) under the new Part IVA of the...more
The Australian Treasury and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released a consultation paper in which it proposes a full cost recovery regime for application fees under Australian's new mandatory...more
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") recently announced that it had conducted a sweep of more than 2,000 Australian retail websites that found some businesses' return policies and website terms and...more
On 28 March 2025, the Australian Government (the Government) published its draft Determination providing the beginnings of detail about the acquisitions that are the subject of mandatory notification, some of the exceptions...more
On 4 March 2025, the ACCC released its much-anticipated guidance on how it proposes to manage the transition to Australia's new mandatory merger control regime. The guidance strongly suggests that, if the ACCC does not...more
In Brief - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb has just announced the ACCC’s Compliance and Enforcement priorities for 2025-2026....more
On 20 February 2025, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) announced the ACCC's 2025-26 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities. The ACCC's priorities continue to target conduct...more
We’re excited to be visiting Sydney next week to catch up with competition law colleagues on our way to the ABA 2025 Asia-Pacific Conference. This is a time of unprecedented activity and change in antitrust law and policy...more
Business owners should be aware of a new email scam circulating impersonating an intellectual property (IP) representative, containing false information, and offering trademark assistance. This nefarious email scam is sent by...more
New bribery offenses in Australia now make it easier for authorities to prosecute organizations and require companies to exercise greater oversight and controls. Australia’s regulators remain active in greenwashing and other...more
It is now confirmed that Australia will have a mandatory and suspensory (competition) pre-merger clearance regime with the passing of legislation last week....more
Australia’s mandatory suspensory merger control regime will come into force on 1 January 2026 following the passing of legislation by both houses of Parliament, representing a major shift for businesses, their advisors and...more
What's Inside this Issue? This edition of the K&L Gates Competition & Consumer Law Round-Up provides a summary of recent and significant updates from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), as well as...more
Australia will soon shift to a mandatory and suspensory merger control regime, with the transition commencing mid-2025. We provide below our key takeaways and observations on the bill which now has the support of both major...more
Qantas Airways is facing a formal complaint lodged with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) by the Environmental Defenders Office, an Australian non-governmental organization. The complaint claims that...more