David specialises in advising clients on competition and regulatory law.

His experience includes advising on the competition implications of mergers and acquisitions and restrictive trade practices, and Commerce Commission investigations into market conduct. David also advises clients in the telecommunications and energy sectors on both general and sector specific competition and regulatory law. He regularly represents clients before competition bodies such as the Commerce Commission.

David has a strong economics background having completed a first class honours degree in economics at Victoria University. He is the co-author of the New Zealand chapter in Cambridge University Press' Merger Control Worldwide and Anti-Cartel Enforcement Worldwide and is a contributing author to Gault on Commercial Law, Competition Law (Regulated Goods and Services).

Qualifications

LLB, BCA(Hons, Economics), Victoria University of Wellington

Admitted

2002 New Zealand

Publications

Contact

Email: David Blacktop

DDI: 64 4 915 6531

Mobile: 64 21 663 059

Download Vcard: Vcard for David Blacktop

Areas of Expertise

Recent Work

Cavalier Wool Holdings
Advised Cavalier Wool Holdings in relation to its successful application for authorisation to acquire the wool scouring assets of Wool Services International.

Air New Zealand
Acted for Air New Zealand in relation to its Trans Tasman alliance with Virgin Blue. Authorisation gained from regulators, New Zealand's Ministry of Transport and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Air New Zealand
Acted for Air New Zealand in relation to its acquisition of a minority stake in Virgin Blue.

Credit card proceedings
Advised ANZ National Bank in proceedings brought by the Commerce Commission under the Commerce Act against all the major banks, Visa and Mastercard concerning price-fixing of multilateral interchange fees. A settlement was reached in October 2009.

Woolworths' acquisition of the Warehouse
Advising Woolworths Limited in its application to the Commerce Commission for clearance to acquire the Warehouse Group Limited and in its subsequent, successful appeal to the High Court over the Commission's decision to decline that application.