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
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
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
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) 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
This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. Dr René Galle, counsel based in Hamburg, is our editor this month (learn more about René in our Q&A feature at the end...more
In Brief - Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair, Rod Sims, has announced the ACCC's 2021 compliance and enforcement policy and priorities. The focus of the ACCC's 2021 priorities is reflective of its:...more
IN BRIEF - Two recent contested merger cases, the Vodafone/TPG merger and Pacific National's (PN) acquisition of Aurizon's Acacia Ridge Terminal (ART) (PN acquisition), have provided valuable guidance for the appropriate...more
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") has opposed the proposed $15 billion merger of telecom providers TPG Telecom Limited ("TPG") and Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd ("Vodafone"). The ACCC's...more
In brief: - The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has commenced the first prosecution in Australia for alleged "gun jumping" (where parties to a merger commence coordinating prior to merger completion)...more
Message from the Editors - The holiday and new year period was not a quiet one in Australian competition law. Many of the recommendations from an extensive assessment of the Australian competition law were implemented. In...more
The Situation: Australia has adopted a package of changes to its antitrust laws that are designed to give more power to its antitrust enforcement agency, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and to increase...more
The Situation: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ("ACCC") has released new guidelines on mergers in the media industry. Looking Ahead: The new guidelines provide some—but not sufficient—clarification on...more
In Brief: On 10 July 2017, the ACCC applied to the Federal Court for judicial review of the Australian Competition Tribunal (Tribunal)'s determination to grant authorisation to Tabcorp Holdings Limited's proposed...more
Australia has a voluntary premerger notification regime, administered by a well-resourced and proactive antitrust authority, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (the ACCC). The ACCC's Merger Guidelines...more