In Brief The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) continue to be vigilant and seek significant penalties for alleged “greenwashing” (misleading environmental or sustainability claims). The ACCC has been vocal that greenwashing is an enforcement priority for some time and, in December 2023, issued guidance for businesses in…

In Brief On 10 October 2024, the Australian Government introduced a bill into Parliament for Australia to enact a mandatory and suspensory competition merger clearance regime. The regime will commence on 1 January 2026, although parties can voluntarily seek clearance under the new regime from 1 July 2025. The thresholds for mandatory merger clearance[1] are…

In July, we outlined the new Government’s Competition and Consumer Law policy initiatives (click here). The Government has now moved forward with one of these initiatives, publishing for consultation a draft bill and related explanatory materials (click here), seeking very substantial increases to the maximum penalties for breaches of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010…