Charlotte van Beek

Special Counsel Norton Rose Fulbright Australia

Sydney +61 2 9330 8520

Charlotte van Beek

Charlotte van Beek is a senior competition, consumer and regulatory lawyer based in Sydney.

Charlotte has a particular focus on regulated industries and is closely involved in the firm's energy and resources practice. She advises major Australian and global market players at all levels of the energy supply chain (including generators, networks, retailers, energy users and governments) to optimise their market participation within the complex regulatory frameworks, increasingly in the context of renewables and emerging technologies as part of the energy transition.

Charlotte deals with a range of regulators, and delivers consistently positive outcomes for clients. Her experience includes acting for clients during regulatory investigations, defending ACCC and AER prosecutions, obtaining ACCC clearance for mergers and acquisitions, obtaining ACCC authorisation for prohibited conduct and structuring other ventures and initiatives to comply with competition law and regulatory requirements. She has also advised regulators themselves.

Charlotte also advises clients on consumer law issues including compliance aspects of new product launches as well as supporting clients facing regulatory investigations on the consumer side.

Charlotte has strong commercial sense and is experienced in contract drafting and negotiation to optimise commercial positions for clients.

Clients have identified Charlotte's particular strength as her ability to distill complex energy regulatory processes and difficult legal knots in a practical and clear way, providing clear options and presenting commercial solutions.

Professional experience

Representative experience

Close regulatory and commercial advisor to NSW network service provider Essential Energy over the past 10 years on all aspects of its regulatory and network operations including structuring new initiatives, supporting the navigation of regulatory frameworks, revenue regulation, regulator engagement, major projects and disputes.
Acting for Macquarie Group in an investigation and prosecution by the ACCC in relation to an attempted price fixing cartel in the Federal Court of Australia, and achieving a negotiated settlement.
Acting for energy retailer 1st Energy on energy regulatory and compliance matters, including supporting various regulator investigations. At the end of 2020, we successfully assisted 1st Energy to avoid court action and agree an enforceable undertaking with the ACCC for consumer law contraventions. We continue to advise 1st Energy on a range of issues relating to energy sales and marketing.
Major global mining client – identifying and advising on key competition law risks associated with dealings and information sharing between wholly-owned company mines and mines owned jointly with competitors, including risks of concerted practices, cartel conduct and the application of the joint venture exception. Charlotte developed practical, business-friendly tools and protocols to effectively manage these complex risks by guiding information flows and staff interactions within the corporate group.
Danfoss – obtaining ACCC merger clearance for a merger of two global hydraulics majors, Danfoss Power Solutions and Eaton Hydraulics. Charlotte led the drafting of the merger clearance submission which involved a detailed competition assessment of several highly complex and overlapping product markets. Clearance was achieved within three months.
Major electricity generator – advising on compliance obligations under the National Electricity Rules and competition law and developing practical compliance protocols and guides for operational and business teams.