In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan meet with Alyssa Philips, Partner in the Ashurst Competition Team, to discuss how the new Australian merger clearance regime is functioning in practice.

What's been catching people out, how is the ACCC managing the volume of applications, and what changes might we expect to see in the future?

Watch all of our episodes in the Ahead of the Deal series here. For more information about our global corporate practice, visit our Corporate and M&A page.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

In this episode,&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.ashurst.com/en/people/tony-damian/">Tony Damian</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.ashurst.com/en/people/amelia-morgan/">Amelia Morgan</a>&nbsp;meet with&nbsp;<a href="https://cms.ashurst.com/en/people/alyssa-phillips/">Alyssa Philips</a>, Partner in the Ashurst Competition Team, to discuss how the new Australian merger clearance regime is functioning in practice.
What's been catching people out, how is the ACCC managing the volume of applications, and what changes might we expect to see in the future?
Watch all of our episodes in the Ahead of the Deal series <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/insights/ahead-of-the-deal-australian-m-and-a-briefing/vodcast/">here</a>. For more information about our global corporate practice, visit our <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/what-we-do/services/ashurst-legal/corporate-and-ma/">Corporate and M&amp;A page</a>.
The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

The commercial world is always changing and the legal landscape never stands still. Keeping pace with all those changes, and knowing how they affect your organisation, is a big responsibility and a challenging task. Ashurst Legal Outlook will keep you at the forefront of the most pressing legal issues, offering insights from legal experts across our international network.

The commercial world is always changing and the legal landscape never stands still. Keeping pace with all those changes, and knowing how they affect your organisation, is a big responsibility and a challenging task. Ashurst Legal Outlook will keep you at the forefront of the most pressing legal issues, offering insights from legal experts across our international network.

A podcast series that will keep you across the global trends and local issues that are shaping the legal landscape and impacting organisations.

Ashurst Legal Outlook Podcast

Ashurst Legal Outlook

Competition partner Alyssa Phillips unpacks Australia's new mandatory merger control regime and what deal-makers need to know ahead of the 1 April changes.

Ahead of the Deal: The new ACCC merger regime

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the most transformative shift in UK employment law in a generation. For boards of organisations with UK employees, there’s a lot to get to grips with.

In this episode, host Will Chalk is joined by Ashurst colleagues Crowley Woodford and Ruth Buchanan to unpack what the Employment Rights Act means in practice.

Crowley certainly doesn’t sugarcoat the scale of the impact: “It's no exaggeration that the Employment Rights Act is probably the most fundamental change in employment rights since the Thatcher era”. With that in mind, this episode covers a lot of ground in a short space of time.

Crowley pinpoints the changes to unfair dismissal as hugely significant, and outlines two changes of particular note for boards. In particular, he says that boards should consider preparing themselves for greater litigation risks when terminating highly paid employees. And he suggests some steps to mitigate these risks.

The Act also presents new corporate obligations in relation to sexual harassment. Ruth highlights governance issues for boards, as the compliance bar rises for organisations: “Employers are going to have to take the steps that are going to be specified in the regulations, but also take all other preventative steps that are reasonable in the circumstances.” Ruth suggests steps such as conducting risk assessments, publishing relevant policies and plans, establishing reporting mechanisms, and ensuring robust, proper complaints-handling procedures, etc.

And the big changes don’t stop there!

In short: this episode is an absolute must-listen for directors of organisations with UK employees. It will be 20 minutes very well spent.

To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes in our governance mini-series, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurst.com/podcasts.

To receive updates and alerts on the issues raised in this podcast mini-series, subscribe to Ashurst’s regular Governance and Compliance Updates.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions. Please note that this episode was recorded before the King's Speech was delivered on 13 May 2026 which, contrary to all predictions, did not contain legislation to take forward disability end ethnicity pay gap reporting legislation.

 

 

 

The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the most transformative shift in UK employment law in a generation. For boards of organisations with UK employees, there&rsquo;s a lot to get to grips with.
In this episode, host <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/will-chalk/">Will Chalk</a> is joined by Ashurst colleagues <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/crowley-woodford/">Crowley Woodford</a> and <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/ruth-buchanan/">Ruth Buchanan </a>to unpack what the Employment Rights Act means in practice.
Crowley certainly doesn&rsquo;t sugarcoat the scale of the impact: &ldquo;It's no exaggeration that the Employment Rights Act is probably the most fundamental change in employment rights since the Thatcher era&rdquo;. With that in mind, this episode covers a lot of ground in a short space of time.
Crowley pinpoints the changes to unfair dismissal as hugely significant, and outlines two changes of particular note for boards. In particular, he says that boards should consider preparing themselves for greater litigation risks when terminating highly paid employees. And he suggests some steps to mitigate these risks.
The Act also presents new corporate obligations in relation to sexual harassment. Ruth highlights governance issues for boards, as the compliance bar rises for organisations: &ldquo;Employers are going to have to take the steps that are going to be specified in the regulations, but also take all other preventative steps that are reasonable in the circumstances.&rdquo; Ruth suggests steps such as conducting risk assessments, publishing relevant policies and plans, establishing reporting mechanisms, and ensuring robust, proper complaints-handling procedures, etc.
And the big changes don&rsquo;t stop there!
In short: this episode is an absolute must-listen for directors of organisations with UK employees. It will be 20 minutes very well spent.
To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes in our governance mini-series, search for &ldquo;Ashurst Legal Outlook&rdquo; on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/podcasts">ashurst.com/podcasts</a>.
To receive updates and alerts on the issues raised in this podcast mini-series, subscribe to Ashurst&rsquo;s regular <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/insights/ashurst-governance-compliance-update-issue-79/">Governance and Compliance Updates</a>.
The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions. Please note that this episode was recorded before the King's Speech was delivered on 13 May 2026 which, contrary to all predictions, did not contain legislation to take forward disability end ethnicity pay gap reporting legislation.
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The Employment Rights Act 2025 is the most transformative shift in UK employment law in a generation. For boards of organisations with UK employees, there’s a lot to get to grips with. 

Governance & Compliance 13: Employment Rights Act reshapes risk and governance

In this episode, Tony Damian and Amelia Morgan are joined by special guest Emma Rapaport, Co-Editor of the Australian Financial Review's famed (and feared) Street Talk column.

Emma reflects on Street Talk's reputation and influence in the Australian market, the unique role it plays, and the responsibility that comes with it.

She unpacks a day in the life of a Street Talk journalist - including how sources and stories are managed on a daily basis.

Finally, Emma offers some observations on where the market is at, some brights spots to keep an eye on and the importance of sentiment in driving market activity more generally.

Watch all of our episodes in the Ahead of the Deal series here. For more information about our global corporate practice, visit our Corporate and M&A page.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

In this episode,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/tony-damian/">Tony Damian</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/amelia-morgan/">Amelia Morgan</a>&nbsp;are joined by special guest Emma Rapaport, Co-Editor of the Australian Financial Review's famed (and feared) Street Talk column. Emma reflects on Street Talk's reputation and influence in the Australian market, the unique role it plays, and the responsibility that comes with it. She unpacks a day in the life of a Street Talk journalist - including how sources and stories are managed on a daily basis. Finally, Emma offers some observations on where the market is at, some brights spots to keep an eye on and the importance of sentiment in driving market activity more generally.
Watch all of our episodes in the Ahead of the Deal series <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/insights/ahead-of-the-deal-australian-m-and-a-briefing/vodcast/">here</a>. For more information about our global corporate practice, visit our <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/what-we-do/services/ashurst-legal/corporate-and-ma/">Corporate and M&amp;A page</a>.
The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

Emma Rapaport, journalist behind the Australian Financial Review's influential Street Talk deals column, joins Ahead of the Deal. She reveals how the column operates to the quirky ways tips arrive, plus her outlook on the 2026 deal market.

Ahead of the Deal: Emma Rapaport, Street Talk

Setting (and delivering) a climate transition plan is about more than regulatory box-ticking or PR spin. Credible plans are fast becoming a key facilitator for any company seeking to raise capital. In this episode, we discuss what investors want and where companies could be falling short.

In this episode, host Will Chalk is joined by Ashurst colleague and climate transition expert Becky Clissmann, as well as special guest Jo Richardson from Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, who helps investors to align their portfolios with climate and sustainability goals.

Drawing on a new report published by Ashurst with communications consultancy Radley Yeldar, the discussion highlights the disconnect between what some companies disclose in their transition plans – and what investors actually need.

Will, Becky and Jo highlight some of the stand-out attributes of a credible climate transition plan. They explain the importance of costing the decarbonisation roadmap and explain why fixed income investors are uniquely positioned to influence corporate behaviour. And they discuss why investors can spot greenwashing a mile away.

Will hits the nail on the head when he says, “transition plans have really moved beyond corporate virtue signalling and are increasingly important for companies seeking corporate finance.”

To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes in our governance mini-series, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at ashurst.com/podcasts.

To receive updates and alerts on the issues raised in this podcast mini-series, subscribe to Ashurst’s regular Governance and Compliance Updates.

The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

Setting (and delivering) a climate transition plan is about more than regulatory box-ticking or PR spin. Credible plans are fast becoming a key facilitator for any company seeking to raise capital. In this episode, we discuss what investors want and where companies could be falling short.
In this episode, host <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/will-chalk/">Will Chalk</a> is joined by Ashurst colleague and climate transition expert <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/people/becky-clissmann/">Becky Clissmann</a>, as well as special guest <a href="https://anthropocenefii.org/team/josephine-richardson">Jo Richardson</a> from <a href="https://anthropocenefii.org/">Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute</a>, who helps investors to align their portfolios with climate and sustainability goals.
Drawing on <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/what-we-do/services/integrated-solutions/climate-transition-plan-assessment-solution/transition-plan-report/">a new report</a> published by Ashurst with communications consultancy Radley Yeldar, the discussion highlights the disconnect between what some companies disclose in their transition plans &ndash; and what investors actually need.
Will, Becky and Jo highlight some of the stand-out attributes of a credible climate transition plan. They explain the importance of costing the decarbonisation roadmap and explain why fixed income investors are uniquely positioned to influence corporate behaviour. And they discuss why investors can spot greenwashing a mile away.
Will hits the nail on the head when he says, &ldquo;transition plans have really moved beyond corporate virtue signalling and are increasingly important for companies seeking corporate finance.&rdquo;
To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes in our governance mini-series, search for &ldquo;Ashurst Legal Outlook&rdquo; on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favourite podcast player. You can also find out more about the full range of Ashurst podcasts at <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/podcasts">ashurst.com/podcasts</a>.
To receive updates and alerts on the issues raised in this podcast mini-series, subscribe to Ashurst&rsquo;s regular <a href="https://www.ashurst.com/en/insights/ashurst-governance-compliance-update-issue-79/">Governance and Compliance Updates</a>.
The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.

Setting (and delivering) a climate transition plan is about more than regulatory box-ticking or PR spin. Credible plans are fast becoming a key facilitator for any company seeking to raise capital. In this episode, we discuss what investors want and where companies could be falling short.

Ahead of the Deal: The new ACCC merger regime

Ashurst Legal Outlook Podcast

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