Competition & Consumer

Wallmans Lawyers has a leading Competition and Consumer Law practice with the depth and range of experience to effectively protect business interests and ensure compliance with an ever increasing and widespread regulatory system. Competition and Consumer Law plays a large part in regulating business, and in the variety of commercial transactions, impacting on how businesses conduct, sell and promote their products or services.

Our team has an extensive understanding and specialist expertise in the legislative and regulatory framework surrounding consumer and competition law, assisting clients across various industries not only with compliance related issues but also representing them in connection with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regulatory investigations and prosecutions. We provide advice to directors and businesses on competition issues arising from mergers and acquisitions and ‘cartel’ behaviour, consumer protection (including misleading and deceptive conduct), franchising agreements, restraints of trade and product liability.

Additionally, we assist businesses with compliance frameworks and audits to ensure compliance. Our experience extends across industries such as media, communications, professional services, retail, advertising, manufacturing, viticulture and commercial property. Our knowledge of the industries in which our clients operate in ensures we provide specialist, practical and strategic advice with a focus on commerciality.

Competition and Consumer Law Services

• Consumer protection – misleading and deceptive conduct, unfair contracts, price fixing
• Competition and restrictive trade practices including merger clearance, market power, resale
• Price maintenance
• Franchising
• Unconscionable conduct
• Advising on ‘at risk’ transactions and applications to ACCC
• Restraints of trade
• ACCC investigations and representation at prosecutions
• Compliance programs and audits
• Technology and other related exemptions
• Marketing and distribution
• Advertising and promotional activities
• Cartel and anti-trust investigations
• Product liability including recall and product safety