Skip to content
Business Company News, Legal

JWS Merger Report 2025: Recent trends in ACCC SOI informal merger clearance decisions

Johnson Winter Slattery 2 mins read

Law firm Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS) has released the latest edition of the JWS Merger Report, analysing recent trends in complex informal merger clearance decisions made by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The report provides a complete statistical analysis of ACCC informal merger clearance decisions where a Statement of Issues (SOI) has been published.

The latest trends include the ACCC taking issue with more deals with the most SOIs and red light SOIs being published in almost a decade, consumer-facing industries being in the spotlight and half of all red light SOIs being withdrawn.

The report examines the likelihood of transactions being opposed or not opposed (with or without remedies) depending on the seriousness of the preliminary competition concerns identified in a SOI. It also analyses the time taken by the ACCC to make those decisions. 

Read the full report

Authors of the report
: Sar Katdare (JWS Partner and Head of Competition & Antitrust), Morgan Blaschke-Broad (JWS Senior Associate) and Liz Tang (JWS Associate)

Contacts: JWS Competition Partners Sar Katdare, Aldo Nicotra, Michele Laidlaw, Jennifer Dean, Tom Jarvis, James Love

Key Facts:

Latest trends in complex informal merger clearance decisions:

- ACCC takes issue with more deals; 

- the most SOIs* and red light SOIs being published in almost a decade;

- consumer-facing industries in the spotlight; and

- half of all red light SOIs being withdrawn.

*Statement of Issues

About us:

Johnson Winter Slattery (JWS) is a leading independent Australian law firm of more than 450 people, including 80+ partners. The firm is engaged by major corporates and investment funds on their most challenging transactions and disputes.

Contact details:

Angela Welsh, Marketing & Communications Manager
T: +61 2 9392 7454 | M: +61 414 281 902
E: [email protected]

Maureen Grose, Marketing & Business Development Director
T: +61 2 8247 9697 | M: +61 447 004 445
E: [email protected]

Media

More from this category

  • Legal
  • 12/12/2025
  • 09:33
Rightside Legal

MONIVAE COLLEGE PAYS SURVIVORS IN 2025 – MORE ABUSE CASES LISTED FOR NEXT YEAR

Four historic child abuse claims against Monivae College, at Hamilton in Western Victoria, have cost the religious order which ran the school more than $6.5 million in damages and legal costs over the past six months. And the total is expected to rise significantly, with at least five more cases listed for trial next year. Rightside Legal partner Michael Magazanik says the Catholic boarding school, run by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, failed in its duty of care, with two of the religious brothers involved in most of the cases between 1973 and 1984. “The key abuser was Brother…

  • Legal, Youth
  • 12/12/2025
  • 00:01
Law Society of NSW

Updated principles strengthen legal representation for children

Friday, 12 December 2025 Updated principles strengthen legal representation for children Lawyers representing children involved in legal proceedings now have updated resources to support…

  • Contains:
  • Business Company News, Finance Investment
  • 11/12/2025
  • 16:47
Jane Morgan Management

Singapore: Asia’s Emerging Epicenter for Longevity Tech Amid Global Boom

As the U.S. health tech scene heats up—exemplified by Function Health's recent capital raise that catapulted its valuation to a staggering US$2.5 billion—eyes are turning eastward to Singapore, where the stars are aligning for a similar revolution in preventative and longevity medicine. While Silicon Valley grabs headlines, the Lion City is quietly positioning itself as Asia's indispensable hub, blending government foresight, academic prowess, and innovative startups to serve a market of billions hungry for extended healthspans. At the heart of this surge is Singapore's bold public investment strategy. Just last week, the government unveiled a S$37 billion commitment under the…

Media Outreach made fast, easy, simple.

Feature your press release on Medianet's News Hub every time you distribute with Medianet. Pay per release or save with a subscription.