The Competitive Edge

In this bonus episode, we rejoin Professor Emerita Anne Twomey for more on how media is regulated at election time. How could AI be deployed in political advertising? What is misinformation anyway, and who should decide what is verifiably true or false? Can truth in political advertising be legislated? And what's the future of debate in the town square - or are we all on our own private bubble?&nb...

Professor Emerita Anne Twomey, constitutional law expert and G+T consultant, takes us through the regulation of elections: misinformation, disinformation and the implied freedom of political communication. Plus the new draft merger thresholds, targeted sectors and forms; the High Court's understanding of "understanding" in the ACCC's case against Hutchinson and the CFMEU; the Digital Platform Serv...

Economist and former head of  the Competition Authority of Ireland and the UK Office of Fair Trading   John Fingleton CBE   joins us from the Competition Taskforce to talk about Australia's recent and future reforms, the role of  ex ante  regulation and the shifting sands of antitrust in the US, the UK and Europe.  Plus competition and consumer protection in the Austr...

Partner Louise Klamka and Special Counsel Rebecca Dollisson take us through the risks and rewards of business cooperation, from Virgin and Qatar to the Vanilla Ice Posse. When can you talk to your competitors, when should you talk to your lawyer, and when do you need the ACCC? Plus the roadmap to the new merger clearance framework, the new scam prevention framework and some que...

The ACCC's compliance and enforcement priorities are here and Partner Simon Muys reads between the lines on the new merger framework, the global zeitgeist and where private litigation fits in. Plus a re-evaluation of competition law, regulation and national champions; DeepSeek takes the  Fast and Furious  challenge; all the Niue/New Zealand numismatics news; and a new...

Chief Advisor Marcus Bezzi joins us to talk about his time at Treasury's Competition Taskforce, merger reform implementation, the future of our National Competition Policy and the next chapter in a life of competition law and policy. Plus antitrust shifts in the US and the UK, new judges for the Federal Court, merger reviews and non-reviews in smartphone apps, and a look at the year ahead …...

Special Counsel Amelia McKellar joins us with the latest on AI and consumer protection, from rogue chatbots to fake reviews and how regulators are combatting and using AI. Plus price-fixing on defence force estates in the ACCC's first competition law court case in a while; new and proposed laws on the merger process, social media age restrictions, privacy and  ex ante  dig...

Partner Liana Witt joins us to talk about the latest in competition and consumer law enforcement and law reform. The ACCC is leaning into consumer and cost-of-living issues as a new prohibition against unfair trading practices is taking shape. Private and class actions are dominating new competition law cases, but ACCC cases currently on appeal could change the enforcement landscape dramatically. ...

Productivity Commission Chair  Danielle Wood joins Partner Jeremy Jose to discuss the evolving role of the Commission, the Competition Taskforce, the progress and prospects of the new Competition Policy Review, and the importance of basing Australian policy on Australian evidence and data. Plus regulatory grids and antitrust raps at G+T's inaugural Financial Services Forum, a googol roubles troubl...

Deputy Assistant Attorney-General John W. Elias lays out the mission and culture of the Antitrust Division at the US Department of Justice, covering diversity in competition law, the new geometries of the US merger guidelines, and the recent AI workshop at Stanford. Plus vague promises and unfair trading practices; a hat-trick of competition and labour law complaints against FIFA; the ACCC's new m...

Partner Geoff Petersen explores the new role for governments in the energy transition, taking the lead on targets and infrastructure and making sure consumers aren't left behind. But what's left for market mechanisms and national regulation? Plus the recalibrated merger reform bill hits Parliament with something for everyone in the notification thresholds; more supermarket scrutiny here and around...

Partner Louise Klamka takes us down the catwalk where fashion meets competition law. Is the Birkin bag in a market of its own? Is "accessible luxury" a contradiction in terms or a reason to keep Tapestry away from Capri? And how does this relate to industrial relations and ESG-washing? Plus supermarket discounts and the new Food and Grocery Code; new directions for competition law in the European...

New ACCC Commissioner Dr Philip Williams AM trades a long history in economics in the private sector and academia for a crucial role with the competition regulator. He joins partner Simon Muys to discuss the history and future of competition law and economics, from misuse of market power to the structure–conduct–performance paradigm. Plus we examine the proposed merger notification thresholds; Dis...

Partner Tanya Macdonald on how industry associations and their members can promote industry, consumer and public interest goals while staying on the right side of the law. Plus Apple loosens up on contactless payments, with a few complications; the ACCC gets creative with Google search defaults; a 3-to-2 merger in credit reporting sails through; and the High Court gears up to untangle contracts, a...

NZCC Chief Economist and former DoJ Counsel Douglas Rathbun speaks to Special Counsel Haidee Leung about why New Zealand is the best place in the world to think about the future of competition policy, regulation of nascent technologies like generative AI, how the Commerce Commission is adapting to new challenges and, controversially, who really invented the flat white.  Plus the  US v Google  judg...

The Government has released a hundred pages of draft amendments to the merger review framework, and partners Elizabeth Avery and Simon Muys talk us through the devil in all that detail. What does the new process mean for procedural fairness? How does the new test affect the whole of the competition law? Is this faster or a disaster, stronger or just longer, simpler or whatever rhymes with simpler?...

Technology + Digital Partner Melissa Fai takes us through the seismic changes to the Privacy Act now expected in August, with new protections for individuals, obligations on business and powers for the regulator to match the massive increase in maximum penalties we saw in 2022. Plus more yellow cards for FIFA and other sports administrators in the courts; the backlog in submissions for Treasury co...

Elizabeth Avery and G+T Ventures head Xavier Keary investigate the coming collision of venture capital and the new merger proposals as the ACCC draws the line at market power. You can't enter a box junction unless your exit is clear -- is it the same for the startup sector, and what does that mean for economic dynamism? Plus merger reforms and AI were discussed and the Chatham House rule was obser...

The ACCC is calling for reform to the consumer guarantee regime to make non-compliance a contravention — similar to unfair contract terms. Currently the guarantees are the top issue for complaints to the ACCC, and they can lead to millions in penalties even though they don't have the force of law. Special Counsel Amelia McKellar takes us through these paradoxes and what the ACCC wants to do about...

G+T alumna Romany Webb joins us from the Sabin Centre for Climate Change Law at Columbia University to talk about regulatory approaches to carbon dioxide reduction and removal on the critical path to net zero and beyond. Plus rethinking no-poach and non-compete agreements and competition law, more greenwashing action from ASIC and the ACCC, sky-high penalties for Qantas while Bonza is grounded, th...

In this bonus episode, we rejoin the ESG, Sport and Human Rights Forum, where host Moya Dodd spoke with Women's World Cup winner Mary Harvey, now the CEO of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights, and Rachel Davis, co-founder of the Shift Project and former independent chair of FIFA's Human Rights Advisory Board,  about culture, sustainability, leadership and change through a human rights approach...

The biggest shakeup of merger regulation in Australia in 50 years is coming into view. Partners Elizabeth Avery and Louise Klamka take us through the major changes and the devilish details that still need to be settled, with additional commentary from partner Simon Muys and winning visualisations from Treasury. Is this faster, stronger and simpler, or just harder? More transparent or less accounta...

Anne Catherine Faye, Economist and Counsel to the Chair of the American Bar Association's Antitrust Section, takes us through the complicated landscape of antitrust, economics and sustainability in the US and beyond. Plus the Department of Justice goes bobbing for Apple, the Epic case gets underway in Australia, the Full Federal Court overturns the ACCC's win against the CFM(M)EU, and the Producti...

Change is the only constant, but even change is changing as partner Andrew Low joins us to talk about digital regulation, digital ecosystems and digital payments, and the fight over access to a tiny part of your phone. Plus more constant than change in the ACCC's 2024–25 compliance and enforcement priorities, Epic's battle royale against Google and Apple lands on our island, gatekeepers land their...

G+T partner Ilona Millar and Business and Human Rights Lawyers Association Co-Chair Rae Lindsay on global ESG trends, corporate sustainability in Europe, and the unfolding impacts on Australian companies in the first part of a double-header on the emerging field of business and human rights.   Plus the Tribunal overturns the ref's call on the ANZ/Suncorp merger authorisation, but it's not all bad...