ACLA Master Class in Competition Law
In conjunction with the Australian Corporate Lawyers Association, the Melbourne Law School offers an annual Master Class in Competition Law for in-house counsel (not limited to members of ACLA). The Master Class provides in-house counsel with an understanding of the ‘essentials' of competition law. It entails an overview of the relevant parts of the Trade Practices Act, covering the underlying economic policy and concepts, the substantive prohibitions on anti-competitive conduct and a range of enforcement and compliance issues.
The Master Class is tailored to in-house lawyers, recognising that these practitioners are required to be familiar with a wide range of legal areas. It enables in-house lawyers to ‘spot' competition law issues in transactions and dealings with competitors, customers and suppliers and, to the extent necessary, brief external lawyers in a timely fashion. It also canvasses approaches to compliance, with a view to ensuring such issues do not arise, and enforcement, should enforcement action be threatened or taken. Practical aspects of advising on competition law issues are canvassed from a practitioner perspective.
The Master Class is led by Associate Professor Caron Beaton-Wells. Members of the Freehills competition law team contribute to the presentation of the Master Class, and in 2010, a session on enforcement was given by a senior member of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Participants are provided with a set of printed materials and a detailed slide presentation is made available at each session. The Master Class also provides an opportunity for questions and discussion.
In 2010 the Master Class was run in Melbourne and Sydney and in 2009, in Melbourne. The Master Class takes place at the offices of Freehills.
The Master Class may be credited towards mandatory continuing legal education (MCLE) or continuing professional development (CPD) requirements.
For more information about the ACLA Master Class in Competition Law, visit its website or contact Associate Professor Caron Beaton-Wells.