Claire Forster

Partner
Norton Rose Fulbright Australia

Sydney
Australia
T:+61 2 9330 8168
Sydney
Australia
T:+61 2 9330 8168
Claire Forster

Claire Forster

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Biography

Claire Forster is a competition, consumer, energy and regulatory lawyer based in Sydney.

Claire Co-Heads the Energy practice in Australia. She advises major Australian and global market players at all levels of the energy supply chain (including generators, networks, retailers, energy users and governments). She works with these clients to optimise their market participation within the complex regulatory frameworks, increasingly in the context of renewables and emerging technologies (both grid scale and retail).

Holding a masters degree in competition law, Claire advises on all aspects of competition law and access, counselling on strategic joint ventures, mergers and market dominance issues in concentrated sectors. She also has a highly sought-after skillset in monopoly regulation and access.

Claire is accustomed to dealing with regulators (including the ACCC, AER and State-based fair-trading offices and energy regulators). Described by clients as "capable and diligent", her strong advocacy and solutions-based approach has led to great outcomes in adversarial and cooperative contexts across cartels, mergers, exclusive dealing, joint ventures, consumer law and energy. She has worked on many regulatory investigations and cases, advised on and obtained merger clearances for domestic and cross-border transactions, and secured authorisations from the ACCC.

Claire is recognised in The Best Lawyers Australia for Competition Law, Energy Law and Regulatory Practice. She is also a Thomson Reuters Stand-Out Lawyer and a Legal 500 Next Generation Competition & Trade Lawyer.


Professional experience

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  • Master of Laws (Competition Law focus), University of Melbourne (2013)
  • Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing), University of New South Wales (2005)
  • Bachelor of Laws, University of New South Wales (2005)
  • High Court of Australia 2007
  • Supreme Court of New South Wales 2006
  • Legal 500 - Next Generation Partner, Competition and Trade
  • Thomson Reuters - Stand Out Lawyer (2024)
  • Best Lawyers - Competition Law
  • Best Lawyers - Regulatory Law
  • Best Lawyers - Energy Law
  • Special Counsel of the Year, Lawyers Weekly Women in Law Awards (2015)