Global recognition for Minter Ellison competition partner

April, 2012 - Sydney, New South Wales

Geoff Carter, who leads the Mergers Unit of Minter Ellison's Australasian Competition Group, has been named one of the world's top 40 young competition lawyers.

Mr Carter was the sole Australian included in Global Competition Review's "40 under 40" list – a list of the world's most talented young competition lawyers compiled by the respected antitrust law journal and news service.

Russell Miller AM, head of the firm's Australasian Competition Group, said the recognition confirmed Mr Carter's standing as one of the country's leading advisers in this area. "In a profession that generally values grey hair, this list gives due recognition to younger partners who are truly talented. Geoff has demonstrated the superior technical skill, practical judgement and commitment to the competition sector that mark him out as part of the next generation of antitrust leaders," Mr Miller said.

The 2012 "40 under 40" list, published in March by Global Competition Review, started off with 1,000 nominations received from hundreds of antitrust lawyers and in-house counsel. The list was then whittled down to 150 and finally to just 40 names following a poll of competition lawyers and economists. All lawyers included in the list are aged under 40.

Mr Carter has specialised in competition law for the past 12 years. His areas of expertise include merger clearances, authorisations and notifications, access issues, economic regulation, restrictive trade practices and consumer protection advice. He has extensive experience and knowledge of utility regulation in Australia, including cross-ownership and licensing regimes. He also regularly represents clients in dealings with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and other regulators.

He believes that the practice of antitrust law is becoming more complex, and clients and regulators more demanding. "Globalisation truly sums up how antirust law is developing in a national and international context," Mr Carter said. "These days, a competition lawyer needs to be across many facets of market conditions and have a sound understanding of economics too."

This recognition follows Global Competition Review's rating of Minter Ellison's Australasian Competition Group as one of the 'elite' competition practices in Australia for two years running.

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