Allens

Jacqueline Downes

Jacqueline advises on all types of competition law matters including cartel investigations, mergers, misuse of market power, exclusive dealing, joint ventures, distribution arrangements, resale price maintenance, third line forcing, access, consumer protection, advertising and unconscionability.

Jacqueline has acted in a number of high profile matters including:

• FOXTEL's acquisition of AUSTAR
• Wesfarmers' acquisition of Coles Group, at the time the largest merger in Australian corporate history
• St.George Bank's merger with Westpac Bank, the largest bank merger ever in Australia
• Cemex's acquisition of Rinker and subsequent sale to Holcim
• The Queensland Government's privatisation of Queensland Rail's coal transport business, the second largest initial public offering ever conducted in Australia
• News Limited's acquisition of Vogue, Notebook and The Wentworth Courier
• Oracle Corporation's acquisition of Sun Microsystems.

Jacqueline also has particular expertise in access matters under Part IIIA and Part XIC including:

• acting for FOXTEL on various arbitrations and exemption applications and appearing before the Australian Competition Tribunal
• acting for FOXTEL in obtaining ACCC acceptance of the first ever special access undertaking which was successfully defended in the Federal Court
• advising the Queensland Government on access and competition matters for its privatisation of Queensland Rail's coal transport business
• advising on access in rail, telecommunications, waste and water.

Jacqueline also advises and acts for companies the subject of national and international investigations into cartel and other matters by the ACCC. She regularly advises clients on compliance with the Australian Consumer Law. Jacqueline has been involved in key trade practices litigation, including litigation by Seven Network in relation to the acquisition of the AFL and NRL rights.

Sources for Chambers Asia Pacific 2013 say that 'She is a strategic thinker. She doesn't set unrealistic goals but manoeuvres you to achieve what's achievable'.

Jacqueline is an active member of the Competition and Consumer Committee of the Law Council of Australia.