Proposed changes to Australia’s merger control regime were introduced to Parliament last month following extensive public consultation.
As a key element of the reforms, the new legislation will enable the ACCC to request that the Treasurer designate certain sectors of the economy where all mergers, acquisitions or other transactions would require approval from the ACCC, regardless of transaction size.
Comments made by the ACCC and the Treasury over the course of the reform consultation process indicate that the ACCC will use its increased powers under the new regime to examine transactions in the pathology and oncology-radiology sectors.

Proposed changes to Australia’s merger control regime were introduced to Parliament last month following extensive public consultation.
As a key element of the reforms, the new legislation will enable the ACCC to request that the Treasurer designate certain sectors of the economy where all mergers, acquisitions or other transactions would require approval from the ACCC, regardless of transaction size.
Comments made by the ACCC and the Treasury over the course of the reform consultation process indicate that the ACCC will use its increased powers under the new regime to examine transactions in the pathology and oncology-radiology sectors.

Excerpt: This alert provides an overview of the Australian Government’s proposed regime in respect of mandatory climate-related financial disclosure. It addresses potential liability for directors of life sciences and biotechnology companies in such disclosure.

The new Australian Government promises nearly AUD 1 billion in investments to Medicare and general practices as part of a number of policy commitments to healthcare and aged care initiatives.
On 21 May 2022, Australia elected a new federal government, the Australian Labor Party. As part of its campaign, the newly elected Federal Government committed to a number of healthcare and aged care policy initiatives with a strong focus on improving quality and access to primary care.

Securities law reforms aimed at making it easier for businesses to implement employee share schemes have been adopted and will become effective on 1 October 2022. Originally announced last year, the reforms change the way in which offers under employee share schemes are regulated. It is expected that the new law will replace the current exemptions from prospectus and licensing requirements contained in ASIC Class Orders 14/1000 and 14/1001.

Our new report, The Future of Capital Raising in Biotech and Pharma, explores the changing landscape of how biotech and pharma companies are financing their growth, trends in the market and the biggest changes in the sector over recent years.

With the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference pivoting to a virtual format again in 2022, we will be hosting a lineup of virtual events and reports aligned with the industry’s biggest conference.

Click to read Digital healthcare, a globally booming market, has been catalyzed by the events of COVID-19. In Asia Pacific, in particular, a rapidly expanding population, an empowered and tech-savvy middle class and physician shortage has created the perfect conditions for digital health innovation. A new era of digital healthcare…

The Australian Government has proposed welcome changes to the R&D tax incentive with effect from 1 July 2021, although without entirely retreating from its hotly debated proposed reforms (which the Senate Economics Legislation Committee is due to report on by 12 October).

Baker McKenzie’s Duties and Liabilities of Directors of Australian Companies is a comprehensive and timely guide for directors of Australian companies. Newly launched in September 2020, it reflects key issues for directors to consider in the current corporate governance landscape, while outlining their core legal obligations. Matters covered in this guide include…