Paul Holm

Paul’s practice focus is competition law and regulation, including advising both corporate and government clients on mergers, restrictive trade practices, access to essential services, consumer protection, franchising and compliance issues.

Prior to private practice, he was a former employee of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), New Zealand’s Commerce Commission and the General Directorate-IV (Competition) of the European Commission Brussels, Belgium.

Paul acts for a number of major international and domestic corporations on various matters, including responses to investigations by the ACCC. This has included settling responses to section 155 notices, negotiation of confidential settlements, making applications under ACCC leniency policies and acting in Federal Court proceedings.

Paul has been engaged by a number of corporate clients as an independent competition compliance expert to conduct ongoing audits of compliance programs, including sustainability and modern slavery.

Expertise Capabilities

• Acting for a number of listed Australian companies in the telecommunications; automotive; food/grocery and pharmaceuticals sectors as an independent reviewer of their respective compliance systems.

• Providing ongoing support for the franchise network of a automotive manufacturer.

• Assisting a local subsidiary of a multinational corporation to acquire and aggregate a number of practices in the audiology sector.

• Advices on the competition effects of marketing offers designed to protect market share following pharmaceutical patent expiry.

Experience

• Obtained authorization from the ACCC for the Magazine Publishers Association to undertake a trial of reformed news agency distribution processes;

• Acting for Ford Australia as an independent reviewer of its compliance systems. • Undertaken an independent review of compliance systems within Coles Ltd;

• Updated and implemented a compliance program for Toyota Material Handling Australia.

• Acted for Pfizer Australia in ensuring compliance with ACCC undertakings arising from the divestiture of its nutrition business to Nestle.

• Conducted an independent review of NBN Co’s complaints handling process for the purposes of the section 87B Undertaking provided by NBN Co to the ACCC. Acted for Pfizer Australia in ensuring compliance with ACCC undertakings arising from the divestiture of its nutrition business to Nestle.