JWS Merger Regime Analysis: Quarter 1, 2026

Australia's new mandatory and suspensory merger regime is working as intended after 3 months. While the ACCC is clearing over 90 per cent of deals in half the allotted time, the key challenges for merger parties continue to be extended timelines for preparation of applications, higher costs, more upfront work and disclosure of the deal.

Our “3 month lookback” provides a summary of clearance rates, time taken for decisions, key reasons for clearance and rejection decisions, private vs public deals and industry statistics.