ACCC stuck in the Middleton: The Asia-Pacific Tipline for 6 March 2020

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has conceded defeat a week before the deadline to file an appeal against the Federal Court’s decision to allow the TPG Telecom/Vodafone Hutchison merger to go forward. While the ACCC maintains that the court made a mistake, the watchdog said it lacks grounds for an appeal, which would have to be rooted in an error of law. ACCC chair Rod Sims has been outspoken about his willingness to take on tough cases, and he is unlikely to be deterred by the court’s ruling.