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ARTICLE · 20 SEPTEMBER 2022

Fostering relationships with regulators

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Even for businesses under scrutiny, there are ways to foster respectful and constructive relationships with regulators.

AustraliaAntitrust/Competition Law
Mark McCowan
Mark McCowan
Ian Reynolds
Ian Reynolds
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It is common for businesses to perceive, and treat, regulators as hostile adversaries - and they often are. However, for many large and complex organisations, engagement with regulators like the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is a necessary and increasingly frequent activity.

In that environment, to what extent is there merit in fostering an organisation's relationship with a regulator, and are trust and transparency a relevant currency?

Business' engagement with the regulators like the ACCC can take many and varied forms, including merger reviews, industry inquiries, authorisation processes and enforcement investigations and litigation - and in each case, a business may be the target / subject of the ACCC process or an interested third-party.

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