Charles Coorey

Biography

Charles is a partner in our Competition, Consumer and Market Regulation group. 

He has over 20 years’ experience in advising on: 

  • all aspects of competition law including merger clearances, joint ventures, misuse of market power, cartel matters and distribution arrangements

  • all aspects of the Australian Consumer Law including product liability and product recalls, the consumer guarantees, misleading or deceptive conduct and unconscionable conduct

  • access to infrastructure under Part IIIA of the Competition and Consumer Act including declaration applications and access undertakings 

  • the Franchising Code of Conduct. 

Charles acts for clients in a wide range of industries, but has particular expertise in: 

  • advising private equity clients and their management teams on the whole life-cycle of investment, including initial due-diligence, ACCC merger clearances for bolt-on acquisitions and strategic exits, as well as any regulatory issues or investigations that may arise for the portfolio company

  • advising retail clients and healthcare and life sciences clients on contentions and non-contentious matters including dealing with competitors, distributors, suppliers and consumers, as well as online sales and product safety issues. 

Experience

Charles’ recent experience includes advising:

  • Afterpay on the competition and regulatory aspects of its $39 billion acquisition by Square - the largest public M&A deal in Australia’s history.

  • Grays eCommerce Group in Federal Court proceedings commenced by the ACCC

  • iNova Pharmaceuticals (a portfolio company of TPG Capital) on obtaining ACCC merger clearance for its $810 million global acquisition of Mundipharma’s consumer healthcare business.

  • Coca-Cola Europacific Partners in responding to the ACCC’s supermarket inquiry and the inquiry by the Senate Select Committee on Supermarket Prices.

  • HealthEngine in first-of-its-kind ACCC proceedings regarding the collection and use of consumer data and misleading and deceptive reviews.

  • TEG in the ACCC’s investigation into TEG’s marketing of the USA Men’s Basketball Team Tour.

  • A multinational pharmaceutical company in the successful defence of a 2.5-year cartel investigation by the ACCC.

  • Virgin Australia on various matters, including successfully defending the first 'drip pricing' misleading and deceptive conduct proceedings brought by the ACCC, as well as its acquisition of Tiger Airways.

  • Affinity Education in its response to the ACCC’s inquiry into the supply and cost of childcare services in Australia.

  • Quadrant Private Equity, Pacific Equity Partners, KKR, TPG Capital, Crescent Capital Partners, CPE Capital, Five V and Affinity Equity Partners on the competition and regulatory aspects of various transactions.

  • Leading brands in the automotive, food, FMCG, white goods, electrical goods and pet industries on various competition, consumer and product liability matters.

Awards and Recognition

  • Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024

    Recognised for Competition Law

  • The Best Lawyers in Australia 2025

    Recognised for Competition Law, Health and Aged Care Law and Regulatory Practice

  • The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024

    Leading Individual for Competition and Trade

  • Who’s Who Legal 2024

    Recognised for Competition Law

  • Winner Lexology Client Choice Awards 2022

    Winner of the Competition Law category for Australia, Current finalist for 2024

  • Winner Global Competition Review’s 2014 Merger Control Matter of the Year

    Led Gilbert + Tobin’s team in obtaining unconditional ACCC merger clearance for Virgin Australia’s acquisition of a 60% interest in Tiger Airways Australia and the creation of an Australian joint venture

  • International Bar Association

    Member of the International Bar Association’s Unilateral Conduct Working Group Former Chair of the IBA’s Data Working Group

  • American Bar Association

    Previous co-author of the Australia and New Zealand chapter of the American Bar Association’s International Development Summaries for consumer protection law