Thomson Geer strengthens Competition and Regulation practice with appointment of Mark Grime as Partner

Thomson Geer has appointed leading competition and antitrust lawyer Mark Grime as a Partner, strengthening the firm’s capabilities in complex merger control and high-stakes competition and consumer matters.

Mark advises on a wide range of competition and regulatory issues, including merger control, behavioural antitrust and cartel investigations, market studies, regulated infrastructure and third-party access regimes, and ACCC enforcement proceedings.

Mark, who joins from Clifford Chance, brings a sophisticated international perspective and has extensive knowledge of Australia's antitrust laws and regulator, having worked in the Enforcement and Mergers divisions of the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.

He is dual qualified in Australia and New York and has been consistently recognised as a rising star and next generation practitioner in global legal directories, including Global Competition Review and Legal 500, for competition and antitrust law in Australia and the Asia-Pacific.

Chief Executive Partner Adrian Tembel said the appointment reflects growing demand from clients for sophisticated competition and regulatory advice, following recent reforms to Australia's merger control regime.

“Mark has a strong track record advising on complex, high-value and strategically significant matters. His appointment strengthens our ability to support clients navigating increasingly complex competition and regulatory landscapes, particularly in M&A and cross-border transactions,” Mr Tembel said.

Mark has advised leading global and domestic clients across a broad range of industries, including energy & resources, transport, technology, healthcare and consumer goods. His recent experience includes securing approvals under the ACCC's new merger regime on behalf of L'Oreal for its A$7 billion acquisition of Kering Beauty and for Adobe on its A$3 billion acquisition of Semrush Holdings. He has also acted for Viva Energy on its $1.15 billion acquisition of OTR Group and its subsequent acquisition of the remaining 50% interest in Liberty Oil Convenience, Oracle Corporation on significant technology acquisitions, and Bunnings on multiple phase 1 and 2 merger reviews in the consumer goods sector. He frequently guides domestic and international private equity clients and institutional investors on ACCC merger strategy and has a proven track record in successfully resolving complex enforcement investigations, including matters involving misuse of market power and cartel conduct for major corporates and multinationals.

Mark said he was excited to join Thomson Geer and contribute to the continued growth of the firm’s competition and consumer offering.

“Thomson Geer offers a formidable national platform and an impressive client base in key sectors of the economy facing increasing antitrust scrutiny. It's a pivotal time for competition law in Australia, and I look forward to working with the firm’s leading team to help clients navigate a landscape where penalties for anticompetitive conduct have reached record highs.

Seamlessly securing regulatory approvals for complex and strategically important transactions under the now fully operational ACCC mandatory merger control regime has never been more important,” he said.

Mark will be based in Thomson Geer's Sydney office.

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