Mark Williamson

Mark Williamson, a commercial and financial services lawyer at Phillips Fox, said modest fee increases were justified, but there were sound policy reasons for a significant government subsidy, given the country had a number of highly concentrated markets.

Williamson suggests the commission should stick with flat fees, as businesses would rather have certainty about costs than complex discussions with the commission.

He said the commission stacked up well internationally.

Some companies tried to get competition clearance in 2001 before the law change, so that was a "big year", said Phillips Fox corporate lawyer Mark Williamson.

"There is the possibility that due to the stricter regime some companies are simply not proceeding with proposed mergers rather than wasting time applying for a clearance that will almost certainly be declined," he said.,

But that was not the Phillips Fox experience, he said.

Some companies tried to get competition clearance in 2001 before the law change, so that was a "big year", said Phillips Fox corporate lawyer Mark Williamson.

"There is the possibility that due to the stricter regime some companies are simply not proceeding with proposed mergers rather than wasting time applying for a clearance that will almost certainly be declined."

But that was not the Phillips Fox experience, he said.

Mark Williamson, senior associate at law firm Phillips Fox, said the legal and regulatory issues the group was reviewing were among the fundamental planks of the two Governments' moves towards a single economic market.They would be similar to processes worked through by European Union nations.

"It is important to have this ability for a formal structure around regulatory co-operation to enable parties to have certainty in dealing with organisations on both sides of the Tasman," Williamson said.
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Williamson suggested legislative changes were needed in competition law to formalise information-sharing processes.

Mark Williamson, a commercial and financial services lawyer at Phillips Fox, said modest fee increases were justified, but there were sound policy reasons for a significant government subsidy, given the country had a number of highly concentrated markets.

Williamson suggests the commission should stick with flat fees, as businesses would rather have certainty about costs than complex discussions with the commission.

He said the commission stacked up well internationally.