As the world continues its shift towards a low carbon economy and businesses seek to meet the expectations of potential investors, shareholders and customers, regulators continue to watch closely to ensure that claims are...more
Legislative reform remains active in the APAC region, with Australia’s mandatory merger control regime nearing finalization, China seeking to amend its anti-monopoly laws, and Indonesia proposing to bolster its agency and...more
6/20/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Australia ,
China ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Indonesia ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Regulatory Reform
2024 was a year of significant development in the APAC region. Competition regulators continued to flex their muscle in merger control and remain committed to tighter controls on big tech. Looking ahead to 2025, competition...more
2/11/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Australia ,
China ,
Competition ,
Digital Platforms ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Japan ,
Mergers ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Software ,
South Korea
In recent years, sustainability and ESG compliance have become pivotal factors in consumer purchasing decisions. The fashion industry – from luxury to high street brands to online fast fashion retailers – as a significant...more
12/19/2024
/ Australia ,
Climate Change ,
Consumer Product Companies ,
Consumers ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
EU Directive ,
Fashion Industry ,
France ,
Germany ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Greenwashing ,
Italy ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Luxury Goods ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Sustainable Business Practices ,
UK ,
United States
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
12/2/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Australia ,
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ,
Competition ,
Merger Controls ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
Notification Requirements ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Threshold Requirements
In recent years, sustainability and ESG compliance have become pivotal factors in consumer purchasing decisions. The luxury fashion industry, as a significant contributor to CO2 emissions, faces increasing scrutiny in this...more
11/26/2024
/ Australia ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Commercial Litigation ,
Competition ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
EU ,
Fashion Industry ,
France ,
Germany ,
Greenwashing ,
Italy ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Luxury Goods ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Sustainability ,
UK ,
United States
Australia’s shift to a mandatory merger control regime has reached another milestone with the Government introducing the proposed laws into Parliament on 10 October 2024. If enacted, notifiable transactions that trigger...more
It has been a productive year for the Australian Government through its award of multiple feasibility licences under the Offshore Electricity Infrastructure Act 2021 (Cth) and its associated regulatory framework (OEI...more
10/16/2024
/ Australia ,
Capital Markets ,
Competition ,
Electricity ,
Energy Projects ,
Foreign Investment ,
Joint Venture ,
Legislative Agendas ,
New Legislation ,
Offshore Wind ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Oversight
On Friday 30 August 2024 the Australian Government released its much-anticipated proposed mandatory merger notification thresholds, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s shift to a mandatory merger regime.
The...more
As we move into the second half of 2024, the competition law landscape across the Asia-Pacific region continues to shift towards tighter regulation and increased enforcement. Faced with the intricate challenges of modern...more
7/30/2024
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Asia Pacific ,
Australia ,
Cartels ,
China ,
Competition ,
Enforcement ,
Hong Kong ,
Japan ,
Merger Controls ,
New Legislation ,
Philippines ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
South Korea ,
Taiwan ,
Technology Sector
Australia's Federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, has announced major changes to Australia's foreign investment regime designed to safeguard economic and national security. Overseas investors with a proven track are set to benefit...more
The Australian Treasurer has announced the introduction of a mandatory suspensory merger control regime to come into effect on 1 January 2026. The reforms introduce significant procedural changes, limited appeal rights and...more
Gina Cass-Gottlieb, Chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), this week announced the ACCC's 2024-25 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities.1 The ACCC's priorities continue to be shaped by the key...more
As we move into 2024, legislative reform is on the minds of competition regulators in the region as they turn to competition policy to address perceived challenges in market structures and limit the extent to which businesses...more
2/27/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Asia Pacific ,
Australia ,
China ,
Competition ,
Indonesia ,
Japan ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
South Korea ,
Unfair Competition
The Australian Government has commenced consultation on options to reform Australia's merger regime, including a shift to a mandatory suspensory regime. Businesses have until 19 January 2024 to respond to the consultation....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
As we shift towards a carbon neutral economy, businesses are increasingly using environmental claims as a point of differentiation. Any representations made, including to consumers, other businesses or investors, must be...more
The false, misleading or deceptive conduct prohibitions that are enshrined in the Australia Consumer Law (ACL) – Schedule 1 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (CCA) – apply to representations made to any person or...more
On 26 April 2023, the Australian Federal Government published its proposed Mandatory Code of Conduct for the supply of wholesale gas in the East Coast Gas Market. The draft Code continues the existing $12/GJ price cap...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
Many Australian businesses have determined the upcoming changes to the unfair contracts regime to be a low risk on the basis that they do not deal directly with consumers or that the businesses they deal with are not...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
Foreign direct investment (FDI) accounted for $36.6 billion of investments in Australia in 2021. With prominent levels of M&A activity, private equity and investment funds are increasingly in the spotlight from antitrust...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
Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey See Significant Surge in Merger Filing Activity; US and EU Merger Filing Activity is Down Compared to 2021's Record Levels, But Still Above Historical Levels -
White & Case...more
12/20/2022
/ Acquisitions ,
Antitrust Division ,
Australia ,
Biden Administration ,
Brazil ,
Competition ,
EU ,
EU Horizontal Safeguard Regulation (HSR) ,
European Commission ,
Investigations ,
Merger Controls ,
Mergers ,
Pre-Merger Filing Requirements ,
Russia ,
Saudi Arabia ,
Turkey ,
Ukraine