In a highly competitive market environment, pressures on business may require you to embrace growth through mergers, joint ventures and other opportunities. The changing nature of the law regulating these business activities means that strategic advice can be essential to maintain regulatory compliance.

Freehills is recognised as having one of the premier and truly national competition and market regulation practices in Australia. Drawing together the skills and experience of some of Australia’s leading authorities in competition and market regulation, we provide our clients with strategic, analytical and innovative advice.

Our clients receive the benefit of our group’s extensive experience in all aspects of competition law and market regulation across diverse industries, including financial services, energy and resources, transport and logistics, health and pharmaceuticals.

Our areas of practice are:

• mergers and acquisitions
• joint ventures
• ACCC investigations
• cartel matters
• enforcement and litigation
• commercial and strategic advice
• access and market regulation
• consumer law
• compliance programs and training.

The sub-menus in the Competition & Market Regulation area provide specific examples of our experience in our various competition service areas.

One of our greatest strengths is our unparalleled relationships at all levels of the major regulators, including the ACCC, government bodies and peer organisations.

We are recognised leaders in the debate and development of competition and market regulation law in Australia and internationally. Our opinions are regularly sought and commentary is widely published in leading newspapers, journals and commentaries. Members of our team are also heavily involved in the Competition and Consumer Committee of the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia, the leading policy advisory group in competition and market regulation law in Australia.

Legal guides

• ranked as ‘Elite’: Global Competition Review (GCR) Country Survey 2007, 2009–2010
• Band 1 ‘Leading’ recommendation for Competition/Antitrust PLC Which Lawyer?, 2004, 2006–2011
• Tier 1 ranking for Competition and Trade Asia Pacific Legal 500 2005–2010
• Ranked ‘No 1’ in Australia in the Competition/Antitrust category Best Lawyers International 2008–2011

Testimonials

• ‘Excellent quality of service and good depth of knowledge.’ ‘The firm looks into and understands the business of the client.’ Chambers Global 2010.
• ‘First rate’ and takes a ‘practical’ approach to dealing with regulators or handling investigations’. Asia Pacific Legal 500 2009/10.
• ‘technically proficient and hard-working team’ Chambers Global 2009.
• ‘… commercially focused and flexible’, ‘… continues to impress clients with its “top-rate work and great turnaround times.”’ ‘The team “fully understands the different needs of government and private sector clients”’. ‘Clients also enlist its services when faced with major disputes’, ‘… cultivated excellent relationships with the ACCC and key government departments’, and ‘… well versed in contentious matters.’ Chambers Global 2008.
• Bob Baxt is ‘a beacon of knowledge on antitrust’ Chambers Global 2010, ‘one of Australia’s pre-eminent competition law experts’ Chambers Global 2009 and ‘a deeply experienced senior competition practitioner’ Chambers Global 2008.
• Michael Gray ‘adds value through his business-focused and efficient approach’ Chambers Global 2010, ‘has intimate knowledge of the regulatory environment and case law’ Chambers Global 2009, and is an ‘“active, visible and highly talented” competition lawyer’ Chambers Global 2008.
• It is Paul Hughes’ ‘grasp of the commercial issues, responsiveness and expertise in the area, which enable him to contribute at a strategic level’ Chambers Global 2011. Paul ‘has a tremendous grasp of commercial issues’ Chambers Global 2010, and is ‘a top-flight lawyer for telecommunications regulatory issues’ Chambers Global 2008.
• Chris Jose ‘is noted for his ability to tackle highly complex issues’ Chambers Global 2010, and ‘supplements his competition practice with administrative law experience and in-depth knowledge of the energy and telecoms industries' Chambers Global 2008.
• When interacting with Peter McDonald ‘you feel like it’s more a discussion of strategy, not just him handing down his opinions’ Chambers Global 2011. Peter ‘knows how regulators think, and doesn’t overcomplicate’ Asia Pacific Legal 500 2010/11.
• Don Robertson is ‘a highly respected figure, particularly in competition disputes’, is ‘praised as a “clear sighted practitioner”’, Chambers Global 2008, and is ‘recognised for the strength of his competition litigation skills in particular’ PLC Which Lawyer? 2007.