Vodafone Hutchinson Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

[2020] FCA 117

Case NSD818/2019 (Judgment 13 February 2020)

Snapshot

Federal Court of Australia

Year
2020

Citation
Vodafone Hutchinson Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Competition and Consumer Commission [2020] FCA 117

CASE NSD818/2019

Judge
Justice Middleton

Registry
NSW

Issues
Mergers

Copyright

 
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Facts and summary

On 8 May 2019 the ACCC announced it would oppose the proposed merger between TPG Telecom Limited and Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd

This case challenged the ACCC’s opposition to the proposed merger.

The Federal Court declared that the proposed merger between TPG and Vodafone would not substantially lessen competition.

The ACCC opposed the merger, concerned that ‘with this merger, mobile data prices will be higher than they would be otherwise’. It stands by its decision to oppose the merger and is ‘carefully considering the judgment.

Hearing

10 September - 1 October 2019

Judgment

13 February 2020

No appeal

On 5 March 2020 the ACCC announced it would not appeal the decision

 

Judgment

 

Justice Middleton

Justice Middleton declared that the ‘acquisition by [Vodafone] of all of the ordinary shares in [TPG Telecom]’ as proposed in the Scheme Implementation Deed ‘would not have the effect, and would not be likely to have the effect, of substantially lessening competition in any market in contravention of section 50 …’

Media and commentary

 

ACCC

On 8 May 2019 the ACCC announced it would oppose the proposed merger between TPG Telecom Limited and Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Ltd

Legal commentary

On Federal Court decision

Caroline Coops and Carla Massaria, ‘Vodafone TPG Merger - The Key Take Outs’ (In Competition, 8 April 2020)

Calum Henderson, Vodafone v ACCC - When a lay witness trumps expert economists (LinkedIN February 18, 2020)

Robert Walker, 'Court clears Vodafone/TPG merger’ (Allens >< Linklaters Insights, 13 February 2020)

On ACCC decision

Bird&Bird: Thomas Jones, Tom Macken, Joel Diqual, 'TPG and Vodafone announce challenge to ACCC opposition to merger' (May 2019)

Gilbert+Tobin: 'Hold the phone! The ACCC's decision to block the TPG/Vodafone deal' (Insights, 9 May 2019)

King&Wood Mallesons: Samantha McDonald, 'ACCC hangs up on proposed TPG and Vodafone merger' (In Competition, 17 May 2019)

Media

Following Federal Court judgment

Nassim Khadem ‘Australian consumers may never see a fourth player in Australia's mobile market, so are we worse off?’ (ABC News, 14 February 2020)

Daniel Ziffer and Nassim Khadem, ‘Telcos Vodafone and TPG can merge after court clears barrier’ (ABC News, 13 February 2020)

Chanticleer, How Teoh turned the TPG-Vodafone case (AFR, 13 February 2020)

Sarah Danckert, ‘No regrets: ACCC's Sims defends blocking Vodafone-TPG tie-up after court clears merger‘ (SMH, 13 February 2020)

Sarah Danckert, ‘Vodafone to bide time ahead of possible ACCC appeal to tie-up' (SMH, 13 February 2020)

Euan Black, ‘Consumers to benefit from TPG-Vodafone merger as competition heats up‘ (The New Daily, 13 February 2020)

Before judgment

'Doubts ACCC can win TPG case' (Chanticleer, AFR, 4 October 2019)

Sarah Danckert, 'ACCC hits back at claims it wants TPG to build a white elephant' (SMH, 1 October 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'TPG-Vodafone decision will have 'considerable implications'' (AFR, 30 September 2019)

Elliot Nash, 'TPG & Vodafone Decision Expected Feb 2020' (Channelnews, 30 September 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'Crunch time approaches for TPG-Vodafone' (AFR, 27 September 2019)

'ACCC's own goal in TPG case' (Chanticleer, AFR, 25 September 2019)

Anthony Caruano, 'Another day, another expert carved up in the TPG-VHA merger case' (ZDNet, 24 September 2019)

Anthony Caruana, 'ACCC says TPG consultant 'had no idea' in TPG-VHA merger case' (ZDNet, 23 September 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'Hodge demolishes Vodafone's expert witness' (AFR, 23 September 2019)

Ben Butler, 'TPG boss mystery man to appear in public for first time at Vodafone court case' (The Guardian, 11 September 2019)

Sarah Danckert, 'ACCC opposition to Vodafone-TPG tie-up based on 'fallacy', court hears' (10 September 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'ACCC 'not in real commercial world' on TPG-Vodafone' (AFR, 10 September 2019)

'D-Day looms for TPG on Vodafone merger ban' (Chanticleer, AFR, 6 September 2019)

Nico Arboleda, 'TPG, Vodafone head to court over failed merger' (CRN, 27 May 2019)

Matt Ogg, 'TPG and Vodafone to fight for merger in Federal Court' (Business News Australia, 27 May 2019)

Rohan Pearce, 'Vodafone paints bleak picture of financial future without TPG merger' (ComputerWorld, 27 May 2019)

Cat Fredenburgh, 'Competition heavyweights to represent Vodafone, TPG in landmark merger challenge' (Lawyerly, 24 May 2019)

Staff Writers, 'TPG and Vodafone challenge $15bn merger rejection' (itnews, 24 May 2019)

Media on ACCC decision to oppose proposed merger

Podcast and audio

James Panichi and Laurel Henning, 'TPG-Vodafone merger suffers $700 million setback' (mLex, 9 May 2019, 17.25min)

Other media

James Ferynhough, 'ACCC hires Hayne barrister Michael Hodge for TPG Vodafone defence' (AFR, 31 May 2019)

David Richards, 'Exclusive: The ACCC got the TPG-Vodafone merger decision right claims Boost boss' (Channelnews, 23 May 2019)

Jennifer Duke, '‘Missed the point’: Top law firm backs block of TPG-Vodafone merger' (SMH, 13 May 2019)

Patrick Durkin, 'ACCC needs smoking gun on merger block' (AFR, 10 May 2019)

Elizabeth Knight, 'Thanks, Rod! ACCC telco merger veto makes Telstra an accidental winner' (11 May 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'Rod Sims plays poker with David Teoh' (AFR, 10 May 2019)

John Durie, 'Upstart might be forced to resume its network rollout' (The Australian, 10 May 2019, p 32)

Jennifer Duke, ''Embarrassing' blunder: ACCC blocks Vodafone and TPG Telecom merger' (SMH, 8 May 2019)

James Fernyhough, 'ACCC blocks Vodafone, TPG merger' (AFR, 8 May 2019)

Laurel Henning and James Panichi, 'Vodafone Hutchison's TPG Telecom acquisition blocked as regulator slams 5G rollout decision' (mLex, 8 May 2019)

Stephen Letts, 'TPG share price crashes as ACCC blocks Vodafone merger' (ABC, 8 May 2019)

James Panichi, 'Premature release of Vodafone Hutchison-TPG merger decision ‘deeply embarrassing,’ Australian competition chief says' (mLex, 8 May 2019)

Last updated: 25 May 2020