Australian competition and consumer laws have undergone significant reform in recent years, including by the introduction of criminal cartel laws, an expanded misuse of market power (dominance/monopolisation) prohibition and new concerted practices laws. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is actively seeking opportunities to prosecute these new laws and has a strong view that larger penalties should be ordered against large corporates.
For international companies, Australia’s competition and consumer laws present particular challenges in that they often differ subtly but significantly from laws in other jurisdictions.
We advise on dominance issues, joint ventures, distribution arrangements, marketing initiatives and industry regulation. We focus on developing an in-depth understanding of the commercial context, so that our advice is tailored, practical and aligned with our client’s commercial objectives and risk appetite.
We are regularly involved in complex mandates across a wide range of sectors, including pharmaceuticals, medical devices, financial services, agriculture and forestry, food and beverage, oil and gas, retailing, private health insurance, automotive, technology and media, waste management and more.
