Creeping-acquisition laws 'step in the right direction,' top New Zealand official says
By James Panichi and Saloni Sinha ( October 30, 2025, 06:49 GMT | Insight) -- The proposed merger-law changes in New Zealand are “a step in the right direction” given the growing problem of “creeping” or serial acquisitions, in which companies gain market power through a series of small deals, the country’s antitrust regulator has said. In an interview with MLex on the sidelines of a conference on Thursday, New Zealand Commerce Commission Chair John Small also backed the government’s proposal to adopt behavioral undertakings for merger reviews — something that the existing regime doesn’t allow. The proposed merger-law changes in New Zealand are “a step in the right direction” given the growing problem of “creeping” or serial acquisitions, in which companies gain market power through a series of small deals, the country’s antitrust regulator has said....
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