Sarah Lynch

Special Counsel
Sydney

Biography

Sarah is a special counsel in our Competition, Consumer and Market Regulation group.

She is experienced across the spectrum of Australian competition, regulatory and consumer protection law, including assisting clients in relation to complex merger clearances and litigation, enforcement investigations and strategic advisory work. She also has a strong regulatory practice with experience advising on complex regulatory regimes, including in relation to access and pricing issues. Sarah has worked with clients in a diverse range of industries, and has particular expertise in ports and infrastructure, energy networks, financial services, stock exchanges, digital platforms and services and consumer goods.

Prior to joining Gilbert + Tobin, Sarah worked as an associate in the London office at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, advising on EU and UK competition law.

Experience

Sarah’s experience includes advising:

  • NSW Ports in successfully defending complex Federal Court ACCC proceedings regarding the 2013 privatisation of Port Botany and Port Kembla, a subsequent appeal by the ACCC to the Full Federal Court and in ongoing follow-on private damages litigation in the Federal Court.

  • Vocus in achieving unconditional phase 1 ACCC clearance for its proposed acquisition of TPG’s enterprise, government and wholesale business and associated infrastructure assets.

  • Microsoft on the Australian competition aspects of its US$68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard (Global Competition Review’s '2024 Matter of the Year'), its US$20 billion acquisition of Nuance Communications and in relation to the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Inquiry.

  • Various other clients in relation to merger clearance including Quadrant’s sale of Superior Food Services to Metcash, Greencross on various acquisitions of pet retail businesses and veterinary clinics and Aon on the ACCC merger clearance aspects of its proposed acquisition of Willis Towers Watson.

  • Various clients in relation to enforcement actions, cartel immunity applications and internal investigations, including Expedia in the ACCC’s investigation of MFNs, Tabcorp in proceedings by the VGCCC and a large bank in relation to payment platforms.

  • Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy in their successful appeal to the Australian Competition Tribunal against a pricing regulation decision by the Australian Energy Regulator (including defending a subsequent judicial review application).

Related insights

Insights featuring Sarah