The Harper heat map: Retail sector

The Australian government is consulting on legislation that would treat certain employment-related restrictive covenants and inter-business labor market agreements as cartel conduct, while banning other clauses outright. The proposed bill extends Australia's cartel framework to no-poach and wage-fixing provisions between any employers, and prohibits non-compete clauses for most employees, with severe penalties for non-compliance including fines and potential jail time for individuals.

Australia's Parliament has passed critical amendments to the country's new merger regime, replacing automatic voiding of non-notified acquisitions with a court-supervised model and clarifying control exemptions for minority investments. The changes also introduce greater flexibility for stale clearances, though questions remain about whether further reforms are needed to address the regime's underlying complexity and conservative thresholds.

Australia's Parliament has passed significant amendments to the country's merger regime, less than a year after its introduction. The changes address practical concerns around mandatory merger notifications, providing greater flexibility for minority investments, reducing risks from inadvertent notification failures, and allowing extensions for delayed transactions. How will these refinements impact dealmakers navigating Australia's interventionist competition framework?

Australia's mandatory merger control regime undergoes significant refinement through new legislation that addresses practical challenges businesses have faced since its 2026 introduction. The amendments fundamentally reshape how control and associate relationships are assessed, what happens when acquisitions aren't properly notified, and how parties can manage completion timelines for approved mergers.

The Federal Court has imposed a record $1 million personal fine on an executive for attempting to induce competitors into cartel arrangements in the oil and gas services industry, despite all five attempts failing. The Court also issued a non-indemnification order preventing the executive from using insurance or company funds to pay the penalty, marking a significant escalation in competition law enforcement.

Cartel arrangements are a serious crime, as price-fixing or price-rigging reduces competition.

Australia's new mandatory merger control regime has completed its first three months of operation, revealing both promising trends and emerging challenges for dealmakers.

This edition of the K&L Gates Competition and Consumer Law Round-Up examines recent enforcement actions by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, including greenwashing allegations, misleading pricing investigations, and record penalties for horticulture code breaches. The newsletter also covers significant merger reviews, authorisations for industry collaborations, and emerging regulatory developments affecting digital platforms and supply chain disruptions.

Australia's mandatory merger notification regime, which began in January 2026, is already facing proposed amendments just six months into operation. The government seeks to refine key aspects including how non-notified acquisitions are handled, extending clearance periods, and clarifying notification requirements for minority investments.

Transition to Australia's new merger control regime began on July 1, 2025, and merger parties are now able to notify voluntarily under the new regime. Mandatory approval of transactions that meet notification...