Competition/Antitrust

A&B Competition Lawyers is highly regarded for its expertise across the whole competition and antitrust sphere, including merger approvals, abuse of market power investigations and Commerce Commission market studies. The firm has also advised government departments on reforms to New Zealand's competition laws and has particular experience handling contentious matters.

"David Blacktop and Neil Anderson bring immense, industry-leading technical expertise but match it with a no-nonsense and highly pragmatic approach."

A&B Competition Lawyers acted for NZ Post in seeking clearance to acquire the courier customer contracts of PBT couriers.

David Blacktop in Auckland offers particularly rich experience of the competition scene, having previously worked as a principal counsel at the Commerce Commission, where he not only advised on both merger control and investigatory mandates but was also involved in the drafting of official guidelines on merger clearance and competitor collaboration. "David is an exceptional competition law adviser who understands our business and industry extremely well. He always provides extremely efficient and pragmatic advice."

Neil Anderson in Wellington commands a high level of respect among market sources as one of New Zealand's most accomplished and experienced competition lawyers, equally at home whether acting on challenging merger clearance mandates or in defence of enforcement proceedings. He acts for both domestic and international clients and is particularly familiar with the impact of competition issues on the real estate, energy and resources, financial services, and transport and communications infrastructure sectors.