Competition/Antitrust
Asia-Pacific Guide 2025 : Australia
Band 1
Email address
[email protected]Contact number
+61 2 9230 4000About
Provided by Allens
Allens are competition law advisers of choice in Australia.
Our team has remained at the forefront of M&A clearances, managing the competition issues arising both from headline Australian transactions and the Australian aspects of global transactions, such as the DowDuPont merger.
Our competition practice regularly advises on immunity applications, ACCC investigations and enforcement action. We have acted for clients in global cartels in the healthcare and airline freight industries and in significant domestic cartels with international ramifications.
Ranging from agribusiness, banking and pharmaceuticals, to ecommerce, media and entertainment, our wide spectrum of clients benefit from our strong and respectful working relationship with the ACCC, built up over years of experience and interaction. This ensures that we are across all matters of concern and can give our clients commercially strategic and informed advice to guide them towards the best possible regulatory outcomes.
Chambers Review
Allens fields a well-resourced group, offering coverage of the full life-cycle of competition issues, backed by a global network and enhanced by a constructive relationship with the ACCC. The firm attracts particular praise for its handling of merger clearance mandates and is noted for expertise in the energy and resources, banking, pharmaceutical and telecommunications sectors. The team has experience defending ACCC enforcement proceedings, including cartel and misuse of market power prosecutions. The firm also provides regulated access, third-party access and price monitoring advice for both national and international clients. The practice advises extensively on clients' interactions with ACCC market inquiries, particularly in the financial services sectors.
Work Highlights
- Allens acted for Viterra in relation to an informal merger clearance application to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for clearance of the acquisition of Viterra by Bunge.
Strengths
Provided by Chambers
"Allens is our go-to firm for complex, resource intensive or reputationally important competition law matters."
"A very experienced team that is able to bring significant experience to the table in terms of regulatory expectations and appropriate ways to respond."
"Allens is our go-to firm for complex, resource intensive or reputationally important competition law matters."
"A very experienced team that is able to bring significant experience to the table in terms of regulatory expectations and appropriate ways to respond."
Notable Practitioners
Fiona Crosbie is based in Sydney and advises a blue-chip client base across a range of major merger clearance, litigation and ACCC inquiry mandates as chair of the firm.
"Fiona is a world-class competition law expert."
Jacqueline Downes leads the practice from the Sydney office. She regularly provides merger clearance counsel to a prestigious roster of leading multinationals, in addition to showcasing well-developed regulatory expertise.
"She is very capable and able to break down the process for those not familiar with engaging with the ACCC."
"Jacqueline Downes has depth of experience and is in an industry leading position for merger control issues."
Carolyn Oddie is based in Sydney and concentrates primarily on regulatory matters, risk management and transactional issues. She is especially noted for her expertise in the healthcare sphere as Allens' health sector practice head.
"Carolyn was incredibly responsive and it is reassuring to know we have someone of her calibre to help us manage tricky issues."
"It is a pleasure to have her leading the legal team and she is a great partner."
Rob Walker, in Melbourne, maintains a varied practice, covering both competition and consumer law issues and operating across the transactional, regulatory and contentious spectrum.
"Robert Walker is an exceptional lawyer and is able to quickly understand what the business is trying to achieve and comes up with solutions."
"Rob has a strong understanding of our business and the market dynamics and gives commercial and practical advice."
Rosannah Healy handles both transactional and regulatory mandates from the Melbourne office, being particularly noted for her advice on questions concerning merger clearances and ACCC investigations.
"Rosannah is a very safe pair of hands and has a calm, considered style, even when unexpected or challenging issues arise."
"Rosannah has been a fantastic leader throughout this engagement."