About John Yiannakou
John is a competition and consumer law specialist.
He has extensive experience across contentious ACCC merger clearances, complex regulatory investigations, market inquiries, and competition and consumer law compliance programs.
John works with clients from a broad range of industries, including energy, telecommunications, banking, healthcare, automotive, retail and mining. He has a particular interest in financial services, and before becoming a lawyer, he worked for a number of years in compliance and client advisory roles in asset management and private wealth.
John's experience includes advising:
- TPG Telecom: on ACCC merger clearance for the sale of its enterprise, government and wholesale fixed line business to Vocus Group Limited for an enterprise value of $5.25 billion.
- Brookfield & MidOcean Energy: on securing ACCC authorisation for the $18.7 billion proposed acquisition of Origin Energy.
- NAB: on its strategic partnership with fintech lender Plenti to launch co-branded automotive and electric vehicle lending.
- Westpac: on the competition and consumer law aspects of its acquisition of MoneyBrilliant.
- Bendigo Bank: on its strategic alliance with Tyro in relation to merchant acquiring services.
- Australian Energy Market Operator: in securing ACCC authorisation to enable industry cooperation to manage energy outage risks in the National Electricity Market.
- Quantium: in relation to the formation of a new data and AI joint venture with Telstra.
- Pfizer: in securing ACCC merger clearance for the combination of its branded and generic off-patent division Upjohn Inc with Mylan to form Viatris.
- Australian renewable energy company: in securing ACCC merger clearance for the acquisition of a portfolio of renewable generation assets.
- Shareholders in Horizon Roads: on the competition law aspects of the sale of a group of shareholders' interests in Horizon Roads (Eastlink).
- Royal Commission: on responding to the Victorian Royal Commission as to the suitability of Crown Melbourne Limited to hold a casino licence.
- Rio Tinto: on various matters related to its international and Australian iron ore projects.
- BP: on its proposed acquisition of Woolworths' nationwide service station network, and in securing ACCC authorisation for the establishment of a BP / Woolworths retail convenience, fuel and loyalty partnership.
- Australian banks and other lenders: in relation to uplifting consumer-facing product terms to comply with unfair contract terms and consumer protection laws.
- Major automotive companies: in a range of competition and consumer law-related matters, including compliance with the consumer guarantees regime.
- ACCC market inquiries: a range of clients in responding to the ACCC's Digital Platforms Inquiry, Ad Tech Inquiry, Home Loan Inquiry and Foreign Exchange Inquiry.