The judge overseeing Vodafone’s court battle with the competition regulator over a proposed merger with TPG questioned TPG founder David Teoh when the billionaire boss told a courtroom Thursday mobile technology was rapidly evolving, a remark seemingly at odds with the teleco’s claim that it had no viable option in the next five years for resuming a stalled network rollout.
The reclusive head of TPG Telecom, David Teoh, faced the spotlight on Wednesday to give evidence in a case over the company’s planned $15 billion merger with Vodafone, telling a court under questioning that his company had not budgeted for a 5G network when it first made plans to enter the retail mobile network market.
The competition regulator’s opposition to the proposed $15 billion merger of telecommunications companies Vodafone and TPG was based on “mere possibilities” and was “chock full of speculation”, the Federal Court heard Tuesday.
A judge has consolidated two concurrent cases against the former directors and auditors of collapsed construction company Forge Group, after warning the overlapping actions needed to be carefully managed to avoid it becoming an “unrideable bull”.
The competition regulator is opposing a deal to combine two of Australia’s largest manufacturers of chilled ready meals, and fired a warning shot to companies and administrators who fail to ensure the watchdog is notified of deals with close competitiors.
Insurance company Watchstone Group, which is facing a lawsuit by Slater & Gordon UK over a botched acquisition that brought the law firm to its knees, has secured approval to file a counterclaim alleging auditor PricewaterhouseCoopers engaged in “secret meetings” with the firm’s corporate finance adviser to gain leverage leading up to the deal.
A judge has sent insolvency firm Ferrier Hodgson back to the drawing board to redraft its pleadings against the former directors and auditors of collapsed construction company Forge Group, warning that the overlapping actions were at risk of becoming an “unrideable bull”.
US cold storage giant Emergent Cold’s proposed takeover of rival Australian company AB Oxford faces scrutiny by the competition regulator, which has raised preliminary concerns that the deal would hike up prices and bring down service.
The competition regulator has raised concerns about Bis Industries’ proposed acquisition of Cougar Mining Group, saying the threat of new competitors appeared unlikely to significantly constrain the combined company.
The former partner of Westpac-backed venture capital firm Reinventure Group has been ordered to appoint an independent valuer to clarify the claimed loss against her former employer before the parties enter mediation.