Jovana Nedeljkov

Senior Associate

Jovana is an accomplished regulatory lawyer who advises on competition (anti-trust), consumer law and regulated industry matters.

Advising clients on a broad range of issues, Jovana provides strategic guidance on merger control, assists with the preparation of formal and informal merger notifications to the Commerce Commission and advises businesses on the Commerce Act aspects of commercial arrangements. Additionally, she regularly reviews draft advertising, promotions, and terms and conditions for compliance with the Fair Trading Act’s prohibitions on false and misleading conduct in trade and unsubstantiated representations.

Jovana’s expertise also extends to regulated industries, where she has recently assisted local fibre companies in responding to a deregulation review and helped grocery sector clients adapt to the new regulatory regime established by the Grocery Industry Competition Act.

Jovana works closely with clients to ensure that her advice is technically accurate, practical, and actionable, balancing commercial common sense and legal risk.

Joining MinterEllisonRuddWatts in early 2023, Jovana brought a wealth of experience from her previous role at the office of the Crown Solicitor in Auckland where she acted as external counsel for the Commerce Commission in investigations, enforcement actions, and litigation under the Fair Trading Act and Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. She draws on the invaluable insights gained to provide her clients with pragmatic advice in navigating interactions with the Commerce Commission.

Career highlights

Advising L’Oréal Groupe on the New Zealand-related aspects of its acquisition of Aesop, the Australian luxury beauty brand.

Assisting local fibre companies in responding to the Commerce Commission’s call for submissions on the deregulation review framework under Part 6 of the Telecommunications Act 2001.

Assisting commercial clients in navigating Commerce Commission investigations, including in relation to allegations of cartel conduct, anti-competitive agreements and breaches of the Fair Trading Act.

Assisting commercial clients with understanding the scope of the new regulatory regime under the Grocery Industry Competition Act 2023 and the new mandatory requirements for grocery supply agreements under the Grocery Supply Code.

Achievements and recognition
  • Tier 1 team, Competition Law, The Legal 500 Asia-Pacific