Biography
Sophie Player is a special counsel in our Consumer and Market Regulation group.She specialises in complex mergers and acquisitions, particularly those involving regulated infrastructure and strategic assets such as ports, rail, intermodal terminals, renewable energy projects and telecommunications.
Sophie has significant expertise navigating Australia’s merger control regime, including contested transactions and ACCC clearance processes. She regularly advises on the development and application of access regimes, the negotiation of enforceable undertakings with the ACCC and broader regulatory strategy.
She also represents clients in Federal Court enforcement proceedings and the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Experience
EG Group on the $1.1 billion sale of its Australian business to Ampol.
Sigma Healthcare on its transformational merger with Chemist Warehouse Group.
Qube in relation to its acquisition of Melbourne International RoRo Automotive Terminal.
NSW Ports (owned by IFM Investors and Global Infrastructure Partners) in successfully defending enforcement proceedings commenced by the ACCC in the Federal Court.
Qube in relation to the development and implementation of an open access regime at the Moorebank IMEX and Interstate Intermodal Terminal.
Telstra Corporation on its application for formal merger authorisation in the Australian Competition Tribunal regarding implementation of a spectrum and active network sharing arrangement with TPG.
eBay on the acquisition by its subsidiary, Gumtree AU, of Cox Australia Media Solutions.
Tabcorp on its successful authorisation of the $11 billion merger with Tatts Group, including review before the Australian Competition Tribunal.
Major Australian banks in achieving ACCC authorisation for a program to collectively acquire assurance services for mortgage aggregators.
Qube Logistics on its acquisition of Maritime Container Services Pty Ltd.
SG Fleet Group on its acquisition of LeasePlan ANZ.
A multinational healthcare company during a regulatory investigation into its pricing conduct.
Tabcorp on competition clearance for its landmark $12 billion merger with Tatts Group.
Oaktree Capital Management on the merger clearance process for Boardriders’ acquisition of Billabong Inc.
PowAR Consortium (QIC, The Future Fund and AGL Energy) in its acquisition of Tilt Renewables’ portfolio of wind, solar and battery projects.