Liza Carver
Liza is a market leading competition law and regulatory partner with extensive experience in merger clearances, access and infrastructure regulation, and ACCC investigations, enforcement and cartels.
She was previously the Enforcement Commissioner with the ACCC where she chaired the enforcement committee, was chair and deputy chair of the mergers review committee, deputy chair of the infrastructure committee and a member of the energy and digital platform boards (2022-2025). Liza had a strategic leadership role in the direction of the ACCC enforcement program and the introduction of the new merger control regime, taking effect on 1 July 2025.
Liza brings deep competition law, merger control and regulatory insight when working with clients across a range of sectors, including energy, infrastructure, TMT, retail, transport, manufacturing, government and banks. She was Commissioner with the Australian Energy Markets between 2005 and 2008.
Liza has extensive experience in contentious merger matters including key Federal Court and Competition Tribunal cases. She also has a full range of contentious competition and consumer law, advising on cartels (including criminal cartels), misuse of market power, misleading and deceptive conduct, unfair contract terms, unconscionable conduct and complex merger clearance matters involving agreement with the ACCC on divestitures and remedies.
Experience & capabilities
Selected matters
- TPG in Federal Court proceedings against the ACCC relating to its merger with Vodafone Hutchison (valued at $15 billion)
- Google on the ACCC’s Digital Platforms Services Inquiry and the Australian Government’s News Media Bargaining Code
- Caltex/Ampol on various matters including ACCC approvals of acquisitions of retail fuel business and arrangements between Caltex, Woolworths and EG
- Brookfield as part of a consortium in the acquisition of Asciano
- AGL on applying to the Australian Competition Tribunal for authorisation to acquire the key assets of Macquarie Generation (value $1.5 billion)
- Optus, NBN Co, AGL, Bupa, Aveo and Alinta on Australian Consumer Law in relation to allegations and ACCC investigations concerning misleading and deceptive conduct and unconscionable conduct
- Citigroup in the landmark criminal cartel proceeding brought by the CDPP and the ACCC concerning a $2.5bn capital raising by ANZ. All of the CDPP’s charges were withdrawn
- Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy on the successful applications for merits review of price determinations by the Australian Energy Regulator
Background
Liza graduated from the University of Sydney with degrees in Economics, Law and a Master of Laws. Between 1993 and 1999 Liza was an Associate Commissioner with the Trade Practices Commission and the ACCC. Between 2005 and 2008 she was Commissioner with the Australian Energy Markets. Between 2022 and 2025 Liza was the Enforcement Commissioner of the ACCC, Chair of the ACCC’s Enforcement Committee as well as Chair and Deputy Chair of Merger review Committee.
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