Sarah Benbow is a partner with Herbert Smith Freehills based in their Melbourne office. She has more than 14 years’ experience advising on Australian, UK and European competition and consumer law matters. This includes representing clients subject to investigations, enforcement action and litigation and negotiating settlements with the ACCC. During her time in HSF’s London office, Sarah Benbow was a key competition law and regulatory adviser to Virgin Atlantic Airways, including in respect of its joint venture with Delta Airlines and the ground breaking securitisation of its regulated slot portfolio at Heathrow Airport. Sarah has advised a broad range of companies on the Australian consumer law, including ACCC enforcement action relating to misleading and deceptive conduct, breaches of the consumer guarantee provisions and unfair contract terms. She has particular expertise in relation to financial services matters including advising on cartel conduct relating to foreign exchange trading, precious metals trading and other financial services activities.Sarah has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics from Murdoch University and a Master of Competition Law from New York University. Having a Post-Graduate Diploma in European Competition Law from Kings College and spending 3 years on secondment in London, Sarah has intimate knowledge of the EU competition landscape. Sarah Benbow originates from Western Australia but is currently based in our Melbourne office. She advises clients across both Victoria and Western Australia.
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has proposed radical changes to the way mergers are regulated in Australia recommending the introduction of a mandatory and suspensory merger review process with limited merits review by the Australian Competition Tribunal. Key (...)
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The Full Federal Court has dismissed the ACCC’s appeal in respect of its case against Pacific National and Aurizon. In dismissing the ACCC’s appeal, the Full Federal Court confirmed the test to be applied when assessing whether a firm’s conduct will be likely to have the effect of (...)
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recently commenced an inquiry into the water trading market in the Murray-Darling Basin. IN BRIEF The ACCC has commenced an inquiry into the tradeable water rights market in the Murray-Darling Basin at the direction of the Federal (...)
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The ACCC is at the forefront of the global debate on the implications and consequences of digital platforms for competition and consumers. In its final report, the ACCC has approached the challenges and opportunities presented by digital platforms by adopting a holistic approach that takes (...)
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On 27 June 2019, the ACCC announced that it has lodged an appeal to the Full Federal Court against the Federal Court’s decision. The ACCC stated that its appeal will focus on the ability of courts to accept undertakings given the ACCC’s concerns about the ability of access undertakings to (...)
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Competition and anti-competitive behaviour in financial services is a continuing focus of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and competition regulators worldwide. The European Commission, on 5 April 2019, published a long-awaited thematic review on loan syndication and (...)
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The Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia has dismissed an appeal by the ACCC against an earlier judgment in relation to pharmaceutical company Pfizer. While the Full Court upheld the single judge decision that Pfizer had not misused its market power or engaged in prohibited (...)
