Zoe Lonard
Special Counsel
Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Related services and key industries
Key industry sectors
Biography
Zoe Lonard is a competition/antitrust and regulatory lawyer based in Sydney. Zoe focuses on all aspects of competition law in Australia, guiding Australian and international clients on obtaining merger clearance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), joint ventures, industry collaborations, exclusive distribution arrangements, market power and anti-competitive conduct issues, including responding to ACCC investigations and litigation in the Federal Court of Australia.
Zoe also advises clients on the Australian Consumer Law, including misleading and deceptive conduct, unconscionable conduct, consumer guarantees and Australia’s unfair contract terms regime. Zoe works with clients in a range of sectors such as banking and financial services, consumer markets, life sciences and healthcare, technology, energy and resources.
Prior to joining Norton Rose Fulbright, Zoe held various roles at the ACCC in merger, competition, cartel and consumer protection investigations and litigation. Zoe also has experience as a legal adviser at the Competition & Markets Authority (CMA) in the United Kingdom.
Zoe has been recognized by Best Lawyers, ‘Ones to Watch’ for Competition Law 2023, and in Doyle’s Guide ‘Competition & Consumer Protection Law Rising Stars’ in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Professional experience
Collapse all- Graduate Certificate of Legal Practice, University of Technology, Sydney (2008)
- Bachelor of Laws, University of Technology, Sydney (2008)
- Bachelor of Business, University of Technology, Sydney (2006)
- High Court of Australia 2020
- Supreme Court of New South Wales 2008
- Cover-More – a subsidiary of Zurich Insurance, on the sale of its leading employee assistance program (EAP) and workplace wellbeing business, Benestar, to TELUS Corporation (2022).
- Forestry Corporation of NSW – on its application for merger clearance from the ACCC for its proposed acquisition of Hume Forests Ltd (2022).
- Connective Group Pty Ltd – one of Australia’s largest mortgage aggregators, in obtaining merger clearance from the ACCC for its AUD$200 million sale to a major competitor, Australian Finance Group Ltd (2020).
- Spotless Group Holdings Limited – on seeking merger clearance from the ACCC for the sale of its commercial laundries business to two bidders and major competitors, South Pacific Laundries and Alsco Pty Ltd (2020).
- Resource Management Service LLC – in obtaining merger clearance from the ACCC in relation to the sale of its Tasmanian hardwood plantation assets to Global Forest Partners LP (2019).
- Vodafone Hutchison Australia Pty Limited – in its application for merger clearance from the ACCC in relation to its AUD$15 billion proposed merger with TPG Telecom Limited (2019).
- Energizer Holdings, Inc. – in obtaining merger clearance from the ACCC for its acquisition of the Australian battery and portable lighting business of Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc, with an international deal value of US$2 billion (2019).
- ACCC –in various Australian Consumer Law civil proceedings brought by the ACCC in the Federal Court of Australia involving misleading and deceptive conduct by Airbnb Ireland UC; Google LLC; and Booktopia (2021-2023).
- Best Lawyers 'Ones to Watch' Competition Law (2023)
- Doyle's Guide 'Competition & Consumer Protection Law Rising Stars' (2019, 2020 & 2021)
- English