JWS Merger Report 2025: Recent trends in ACCC SOI informal merger clearance decisions

We are pleased to share the 9th edition of our report on recent trends in complex informal merger clearance decisions made by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

The report provides a complete statistical analysis of ACCC informal merger clearance decisions where a Statement of Issues (SOI) has been published.

It examines the likelihood of transactions being opposed or not opposed (with or without remedies) depending on the seriousness of the preliminary competition concerns identified in a SOI. It also analyses the time taken by the ACCC to make those decisions. 

The latest trends include the ACCC taking issue with more deals with the most SOIs and red light SOIs being published in almost a decade, consumer-facing industries being in the spotlight and half of all red light SOIs being withdrawn.