About Robert Walker
Robert is a competition and consumer law expert.
His practice spans:
- ACCC merger clearances for domestic and global deals
- Antitrust and consumer protection investigations and litigation
- ACCC market studies and inquiries
- Antitrust and consumer protection advice and compliance
Robert acts as trusted advisor to major corporations in sectors including financial services and payments, technology, telecommunications, healthcare, energy, oil & gas, mining, automotive, forestry and retail.
He is particularly sought after for his tech, payments and financial services expertise. Robert acted on high profile ACCC inquiries into the tech sector (digital platforms services inquiry and ad tech inquiry) and payments (foreign exchange inquiry).
Robert brings a global lens to his practice. He spent seven years with Linklaters LLP in both their London and Brussels offices. He continues to work with international clients and firms to secure ACCC merger clearances on cross border transactions and to manage the Australian aspects of global antitrust investigations.
Robert is recognised for his competition law expertise by Chambers and Partners, Asia-Pacific Legal 500 and Who's Who Legal. According to Chambers and Partners, Robert is widely acknowledged as an emerging talent by market sources, who characterise him as ‘very thoughtful’ and ‘really smart’. Clients describe Robert as 'really impressive, really good litigator with a deep knowledge of the law and attention to detail that is second to none'.
Merger clearance
- Domestic payments schemes merger (BPAY, eftpos and NPP) acting for a bank shareholder in ACCC merger authorisation process.
- Royal Dutch Shell plc for its $98 billion takeover of BG Group plc.
- Monash IVF for its acquisition of Fertility North.
- Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for its US$ 62 billion acquisition of Shire plc.
- CSL Limited for its global commercialisation agreement with uniQure for a novel gene therapy for the treatment of haemophilia B.
- Visa Inc for its acquisition of Rambus Inc's payments portfolio.
- OneFortyOne Plantations for the vertical merger between its forest plantations and the Jubilee Highway sawmill.
- Hesperia and CFC Group for their sale of Midland Brick to BGC.
Antitrust and consumer protection litigation
- Vodafone Hutchison Australia in Federal Court proceedings against the ACCC regarding VHA's $15 billion merger with TPG – the largest merger litigation in 10 years.
- Fronerri-owned Australasian Food Group (Peter's Ice Cream) in relation to proceedings brought by the ACCC for alleged exclusive dealing.
- Australian Energy Council in Competition Tribunal proceedings seeking authorisation for the New Energy Tech Consumer Code.
- Ford Australia in its defence of proceedings brought by the ACCC alleging unconscionable and misleading conduct in relation to the application of consumer guarantees.
Antitrust and consumer protection enforcement
- Digital platforms and media companies on ACCC competition and consumer law investigations.
- Global investment banks on a number of significant ACCC cartel investigations.
- Retailers and franchisors on ACCC competition and consumer law investigations.
Robert is particularly experienced in preparing economic evidence and completed post-graduate training in competition economics at King's College London and the Barcelona Graduate School of Economics. Robert is a graduate of the University of Melbourne and Sciences-Po, Paris.