For digital platforms, the significant risk is whether those platforms operate to affect markets within Australia, which attracts the regulatory authority of the Competition & Consumer Act and whether the promotion of clients’ products on the digital platform is done in a way which is misleading or deceptive and the knowledge or otherwise of the platform operator with respect to such contents. Recognition at this level often reflects not just individual work, but a broader team collaboration. What do you think sets your practice – and your colleages – apart in such a competitive field? In our practice I have established a Competition & Consumer Law Committee, which comprises lawyers from many expertise within the firm and emphasises the relevance of competition and consumer law within the legal practice. The knowledge and understanding of competition and consumer law across the firm minimises the risk of a lawyer who is not familiar with competition and consumer law principles providing advice in a way that could impact upon a client’s responsibilities under competition or consumer law. You built a career working with clients across sectors, from large corporates to industry bodies. How do you tailor your legal strategies to meet such varied commercial needs? The work of my Competition & Consumer Law Committee has been to examine industry bodies and look for opportunities that may be likely to produce work for the firm. Where the industry body is relevant to clients of our firm, that is generally not difficult to get instructions. When the firm does not have significant client presence within an industry, those industry bodies are more challenging and less likely to be approached, as we prefer to target ‘low hanging fruit’ in our strategies. There’s growing pressure on companies to address issues like green washing, misleading claims and unfair contract terms. What advice would you give to GCs and in house teams trying to future proof their compliance efforts? These three issues also form the focus of our training and advice to General Counsel will be to ensure that the key operatives within an organisation understand the laws that may apply to their roles and how to appropriately deal with others. It is essential to understand the specific circumstances in which those provisions apply. Where long term contracts were entered into before the date upon which unfair contract laws took effect, GCs should ensure that commercial operatives understand that enforcing any unfair term of a pre existing contract is unlawful under the new legislation. Furthermore where, before the date of amendments to the law, commercial people within the organisation may have been used to taking certain strategies in enforcing contract terms, those strategies must be now reviewed in the light of the new laws. Looking back on your career, are there any cases or moments that were particularly defining in shaping your approach to legal problem solving? I think that there were several matters that shaped my approach to legal problem solving. Since 1990, I have been involved on Boards of several companies, some publicly listed, publicly unlisted and proprietary companies, others regulated by Australian Securities & Investments Commission only and a few regulated by that Regulator plus other Federal Regulators affecting financial services companies. As a director of those companies I have understood the need to provide legal advice in a commercial context and to frame advice having regard to the client. That does not affect the advice given, which depends purely upon the application of legal principles to factual situations but rather presenting it in a way that best assists the client to address problems that arise because of it. What does this award mean to you on a personal level and how do you hope it helps spotlight the importance of competition and consumer law in Australia’s evolving legal and economic landscape? This award means a great deal to me. It has enabled me to enhance the importance of competition and consumer law in a number of sectors because of my recognition of expertise in this area. The result of that has been the introduction of new clients across a range of industry sectors, which is extremely satisfying. Australia leads many areas of the Asia Pacific in competition and consumer law and the opportunities that exist continue to unfold and will do so indefinitely into the future. FIRM PROFILE Cooper Grace Ward is an independent Australian commercial law firm, recognised for delivering outstanding client service based on an exceptional team culture. The firm works across many different industries for clients ranging from large scale corporate and government clients to private clients and family-owned businesses. Cooper Grace Ward’s team of legal experts is experienced in working closely with in-house legal teams, with boards and senior management teams, and with operational managers and other staff to meet each client’s commercial objectives. A key element in Cooper Grace Ward’s corporate advisory services is the delivery of specialist advice and advocacy in all matters relating to Australian competition and consumer law. The firm has acted on behalf of a wide range of commercial clients in this area of the law, including multinational businesses and publicly listed companies. Both the firm and individual lawyers have been recognised for excellence in competition and consumer law, with a reputation for delivering clear, straightforward advice to navigate Australia’s complex competition and consumer regime. www.cgw.com.au Australia leads many areas of the Asia Pacific in competition and consumer law and the opportunities that exist continue to unfold and will do so indefinitely into the future. AUSTRALIA COMPETITION & CONSUMER LAWYER OF THE YEAR LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2025 83 AUSTRALIA COMPETITION & CONSUMER LAWYER OF THE YEAR LAWYER MONTHLY LEGAL AWARDS 2025 82
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