Discussions on the ACCC Draft Merger Guidelines

The law, economics, business and regulatory communities must now adapt to the new environment. In this public seminar, we will discuss the ACCC’s package of draft Merger Guidelines, covering the assessment of notified acquisitions and the unprecedented formal process for their review. As these documents will serve as cornerstones for the new system of merger control, the seminar provides an occasion to critically evaluate their content and consider how they might be improved or supplemented. CLARS is pleased to welcome speakers from the ACCC, the Competition Tribunal, the legal sector, as well as the broader public, to provide early reactions and insights regarding the draft Guidelines.

Seminar Details

Date: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Time: 1.30 - 3.30 pm AEST (registrations from 1pm)
Venue: Sky Room, Level 14/30 Collins Street Melbourne, VIC 3000

Register now

Speakers

Professor David Byrne, University of Melbourne and Competition Tribunal

Professor David Byrne is a member of the Australian Competition Tribunal and Professor of Economics and Ritchie Chair of Economic Research at the University of Melbourne. His research includes empirical studies in industrial organisation and behavioural economics, focusing on digital, energy, and resource markets. He has published in leading economics journals such as the American Economic Review, Journal of Political Economy, and Quarterly Journal of Economics. He is also an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Industrial Organization and an Executive Committee member of the Asia Pacific Industrial Organization Society and European Association for Research in Industrial Economics.

He has actively engaged in public policy as the Deputy Director of the Centre of Market Design at Melbourne. He has advised governments on price-fixing matters and market design inquiries, and has been a member of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia, National Economic Panel of Australia, Melbourne Economic Forum, and Melbourne Energy Institute. In 2023, he received the Young Economist Award from the Economic Society of Australia for his research and policy impact achievements. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) in Economics from Mount Allison University and a PhD in Economics from Queen’s University in Ontario.

Dr Lilla Csorgo, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Dr Lilla Csorgo is Chief Economist at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Dr Csorgo has over 30 years’ experience in competition economics and has worked as a senior economist in different jurisdictions. Prior to joining the ACCC in 2023, she was Chief Economist of the Canadian Competition Bureau. Dr Csorgo has also been Chief Economist at the New Zealand Commerce Commission and Head of Economics and Policy at the Hong Kong Competition Commission. In the private sector, she has worked at the consulting firm Charles River Associates.

She is a lay member of the High Court of New Zealand and has been a lay member of the Canadian Competition Tribunal. She holds a Bachelor of Economics from McGill University and a PhD in Economics with a speciality in Industrial Organisation and Economic Development from the University of Toronto.

Jacqueline Downes, Partner, Allens

Jacqueline Downes is a Partner at Allens, where she is the Practice Leader of the national Competition, Consumer & Regulatory group. She has extensive experience handling matters before the ACCC and other regulators. She advises on all types of competition and consumer law, and has particular expertise in obtaining merger clearances, advising on joint ventures and arrangements, acting in cartel investigations, and advising on access and pricing matters.

She has represented clients in a wide range of sectors, from investment banking to consumer electronics to education. She is ranked as a leading competition and antitrust expert in Chambers, Best Lawyers, The Asia-Pacific Legal 500 and Global Competition Review. She is a past Chair of the Competition and Consumer Committee of the Law Council of Australia and has assisted in preparing submissions, meeting with government and attending parliamentary inquiries on matters.

Tom Leuner, Executive General Manager, Mergers, Exemptions and Digital Division ACCC

Tom Leuner is the Executive General Manager of the Mergers, Exemptions and Digital Division at the ACCC, which includes the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Branch. He has held several senior positions while working for the ACCC, and for the Australian Energy Regulator. He was a lawyer briefly before joining the ACCC in 2003. He studied law and economics at Melbourne University.

Moderator: Professor Stephen King, Monash University

Professor Stephen King is a Commissioner at Australia’s Productivity Commission and a Professor of Practice at Monash University. He has previously been a Commissioner at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission from 2004 to 2009. Since joining the Productivity Commission in 2016, Professor King has worked on a range of projects, including inquiries into mental health, human services, airport regulation, financial services and the 2023 Five Year Productivity Inquiry.

Prior to joining the Productivity Commission, Stephen was a Professor of Economics at Monash University, where he was Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business from 2009 to 2011. Stephen has a PhD in economics from Harvard University, and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and a Lay Member of the High Court of New Zealand.