Australia’s Merger Laws Are Changing:Key Updates from the ACCC

The key takeaway from the ACCC’s latest guidance is that, during the transition, informal reviews requested late in 2025 risk being unfinished, requiring re-notification under the new rules, while clearances granted before 1 July 2025, may need updated reviews if not implemented by year-end.

On 4 March 2025, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released this guidance to help businesses navigate the shift to a new mandatory merger control regime, set to transform how acquisitions are reviewed in Australia. Passed into law on 28 November 2024, this regime moves from a voluntary notification system to a mandatory and suspensory framework, effective 1 January 2026, with voluntary engagement available from 1 July 2025.

Under the current system, businesses can seek informal clearance or merger authorisation to manage risks under section 50 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). This will change significantly as informal clearance ends on 31 December 2025, and merger authorisation applications will stop after June 30 2025. From January 2026, acquisitions meeting yet-to-be-finalised thresholds must be notified to the ACCC and approved before completion, with statutory timelines providing clarity.

For M&A stakeholders, timing is critical. The ACCC stresses early engagement—whether through the current informal process before October 2025 or voluntary notifications under the new regime from July—to avoid disruptions. Acquisitions cleared informally by December 31, 2025, or authorised by that date won’t need re-notification if completed within 12 months.

Our team is here to guide you through this evolving landscape—contact Glenn Vassallo (Managing Director), Scott Standen (Director) or Ashley Hill (Director) to keep your M&A strategy compliant and on track.

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Aylesha James

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EXPERTISE

Business Operations
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PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Aylesha serves as the General Manager at GRT Lawyers, providing effective leadership and overseeing the day-to-day operations of the firm. In her role, she manages human resources, marketing, events, and directly supervises the Administration team.

Bringing more than 19 years of experience in office management, senior administration, project and event management, as well as human resources, Aylesha has a proven track record of excellence in high-pressure environments. Her wealth of experience and professionalism ensures the seamless functioning of the firm. Aylesha excels in optimizing operational efficiencies by reviewing and implementing systems, policies, and procedures to support business functions, resulting in impactful results. She adopts a holistic approach, balancing a keen eye for detail with a focus on overarching goals.

Aylesha’s passion lies in people and culture, where she actively fosters strong relationships across all levels of the business. She connects with staff to instill the core values of GRT Lawyers and the GRT Foundation, believing in creating value through people. Her approach involves working with passion and understanding, offering support and cultivating relationships that enhance both business and individual performance.

EXPERIENCE

Her career history encompasses multi-faceted roles giving her exposure to the specialty fields of Human Resources, Marketing and Event Management. Roles have included:

Human resources, including recruitment, performance management, staffing, new employee onboarding, employee benefits, payroll and training and development.
Marketing – including roles involving the development and implementation of marketing and business development strategies.
Background in planning internal and external events from conception through to execution, displaying qualities of a successful event planner: thorough yet precise, expert knowledge, ingenuity in identifying and solving problems and clear, concise communication.

“There’s always another level up. There’s always another ascension. More grace, more light, more generosity, more compassion, more to shed, more to grow.” -Elizabeth Gilbert

Scott Standen

e scott.standen@grtlawyers.com
m 0447 790 009

EXPERTISE

In depth understanding of the M&A processes (public M&A and private M&A transactions)
Public equity capital markets transactions
Management of due diligence processes
Deep understanding of governance frameworks
Corporate structuring
Capital structure management
Transaction management

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Scott is a founder and Director of GRT Lawyers and GRT Foundation and corporate lawyer. He leads a team of specialist legal professionals, providing advice to organisations of all sizes, from middle market, large corporates and government owned corporations.

Scott’s career spans more than 20 years as a corporate lawyer and has encompassed an in-house general counsel role, director of Statutory Authorities and corporate legal adviser to managing directors, chief financial officers and boards of directors of ASX listed companies.

Scott is regularly called on by clients to provide strategic corporate advice to boards of directors and to project manage merger and acquisition transactions and public equity markets transactions. He prides himself in providing technically accurate and commercially focused corporate advice for public, private and listed companies, boards of directors and corporate advisers.

In particular, Scott advises on public equity markets transactions, debt issuances and restructuring, corporate governance and advisory, regulatory compliance, public and private M&A transactions, contract negotiation and directors’ duties and liabilities.

EXPERIENCE

Scott’s experience includes:

Advising Cerro Resources Limited in relation to its public market merger and acquisition deal with Canadian based Primero Gold Limited and the concurrent spin out of assets to Santana Metals Limited and listing of Santana Metals Limited on ASX
Advising Discovery Metals Limited in relation to its A$250 million debt restructuring and associated equity raisings and proposed convertible note issue
Advising Polymetals Limited in relation to its acquisition by Southern Cross Goldfields by way of scheme of arrangement
Advising Southern Cross Goldfields Limited in relation to its A$60 million capital raising transaction involving equity, debt and hybrid securities
Dual listing on Hong Kong Exchange of ASX listed company
ASX listing of Asia focused technology / media company and
ASX listing of Apiam Animal Health Limited, vertically integrated provider of services and product to agricultural industry and
ASX listing of P2P Transport Limited.

QUALIFICATIONS

Scott holds Bachelor Degrees in Law and Business Administration and a Masters of Law. Scott has previously held positions as a Director on the Boards of the Queensland Manufactured Water Authority (and related entities) and the Queensland Bulk Water Authority (and related entities).