A recent focus for competition authorities is to target markets which are perceived not to be operating in the best interests of consumers. Our clients understand that the best defence is offense, and our Consumer protection specialists work closely with them to ensure compliance with consumer protection regulation.
As of 1 January 2011, Australia has a single, national consumer law: Australian Consumer Law (ACL). This law has encouraged the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to overhaul its procedures to adapt to its new powers. Understanding the new procedures is where King & Wood Mallesons excels for our clients.
Recognised for our experience with consumer protection issues, our team’s experience extends across many industries. As such, we are well versed in industry trends and are in a position to share compliance best practice.
We advise on unfair terms, advertising campaigns and claims, and marketing and sales practices in order to help our clients avoid breaches of trade practices and privacy laws. This includes responding to urgent interlocutory advertising matters brought by competitors or regulators in relation to advertising, and instituting actions on behalf of our clients.
Our expertise extends to advising on privacy and spam compliance, which are both critical in today’s advertising environment.
We have also assisted on a number of national and world-wide product recalls, including drafting notifications to the relevant authorities and developing and implementing a recall strategy.