Most Highly Regarded Firms: Regulatory Communications 2009
Our research has revealed 268 legal experts in 47 jurisdictions practicing in the field of regulatory communications, some of whom are profiled here.
International
Having recently expanded its telecoms practice with the hire of Tim Schwarz as a partner, Bird & Bird is the best represented firm in the current edition, with nine lawyers from six jurisdictions making the list. Schwarz joined the firm from Linklaters LLP earlier this year and is based in the London office, where his primary focus is building the firm’s telecoms practice in emerging markets. David Kerr is the firm’s CEO and heads the international communications group from the London office. Alongside his regulatory advice work Kerr is extensively involved in international corporate transactions in the communications sector. Graeme Maguire’s practice focuses on complex outsourcing projects for communications and technology clients as well as multi-jurisdictional regulatory matters relating to satellites, undersea cables, e-commerce and data protection. Rhys Williams completes the firm’s UK listings and was described as “excellent” by peers, who admired his work with innovative new mobile and internet technologies and complex outsourcings.
Frédérique Dupuis-Toubol is “a big name” in Bird & Bird’s Paris office. She focuses on regulatory procedures for TV cable and telecoms operators, obtaining transmission and broadcasting rights and handling communications dispute resolution alongside a strong contractual and commercial practice. Frankfurt-based Sven-Erik Huen has specialised in telecoms, e-commerce and IT since the first deregulation of the German communications markets in 1989 and counts network operators and service providers as well as strategic investors in the telecoms sector among his clients. Marjolein Geus is joint managing partner of the firm’s Dutch office and chairman of the Dutch management team, and peers hailed her as a “leading light”. As head of the communications group for the Stockholm office, Johan Tydén has extensive experience of providing legal and commercial advice to clients in the IT and telecoms fields, and was described as “invaluable” for his knowledge of digital convergence between the IT, telecoms and media sectors. Stephen Kines heads Bird & Bird’s Central European practice and keeps offices in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Kines was noted for his work advising multinationals on corporate and commercial investments in Central Europe’s rapidly expanding TMT market.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP is also home to considerable European talent, with seven professionals from four offices throughout the EU placing highly in our research. Laurent Garzaniti specialises in competition matters relating to media, communications and technology as well as energy and transport issues, and has advised public and private clients on EC and Belgian regulations. Thomas Janssens also focuses on TMT-related merger control, abuse of dominance and cartel investigations before the EC and national competition authorities.
Two lawyers are listed from the firm’s Vienna office: Bertram Burtscher and Stefan Köck. A former expert advisor to the United Nations Special Commission in Iraq, Burtscher and specialises in telecoms, outsourcing, media IP and IT law. Köck focuses his practice on matters relating to employment law, encompassing M&A, corporate restructurings and public takeovers alongside telecoms regulatory issues. Cologne-based Norbert Nolte is co-head of the firm’s global TMT sector group and has represented a number of international telecoms operators before the regulator, the EC and the courts. Thomas Tschentscher represents the Düsseldorf office and also has extensive experience representing clients before telecoms authorities. Tschentscher is also recognised as a leading adviser to strategic and financial investors in national and cross-border transactions involving strategic operations matters such as network infrastructure, frequency allocation, tariff regulation and commercial agreements. Alongside her regulatory expertise, Natasha Good of the London office was recommended for her work in technology and communications M&A transactions and joint ventures, recent examples of which include Hutchison 3G’s network sharing joint venture in the UK and other network sharing arrangements in emerging markets, and Cosmote’s proposed acquisition of Zapp.
Seven Simmons & Simmons lawyers are listed from offices in Europe, Asia and the Middle East. In London, Alexander Brown is noted for his commercial contract and regulatory work, encompassing large-scale outsourcings, procurement contacts and privacy compliance. The “superb” Tom Wheadon also places highly in London and has acted for Ericsson, TeCom, China Mobile and Telco Global in recent matters.
Florence Guthfreund-Roland is a “prominent name” at the Paris office, where she specialises in telecoms regulation and policy alongside public and private-sector outsourcing transactions. High-tech “expert” Filippo Fioretti divides his time between the Rome, Milan and Padua offices and is noted for his competition and commercial law work. Octávio Castelo Paulo is responsible for the corporate and commercial practice in the Lisbon office of Sociedade Rebelo de Sousa in association with Simmons & Simmons, focusing on transactional and regulatory matters for domestic and international clients.
Alexander Shepherd is head of Simmons’ Middle East TMT group and keeps offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha. A “leading name” in the region, Shepherd counts Qtel and Dubai Holding among his clients. Damien Bailey joined the Hong Kong office in 2008 and has handled numerous high-profile joint ventures and acquisitions for the likes of Broadcast Australia, Brunswick New Technologies and PCCW.
The Americas
Andrew Lipman leads the TMT practice at Bingham McCutchen LLP and is one of the world’s leading practitioners in this discipline. Lipman represents public and private-sector clients including carriers, internet service providers, satellite and broadcasting services and telecommunications equipment manufacturers and has managed carrier privatisations in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Jean Kiddoo and Axel Spies join Lipman in our listings at the firm’s Washington, DC office.
Wiley Rein LLP also fields three representatives including communications practice head, founding partner and ex-Federal Communications Commission chairman Richard Wiley. Wiley has acted for Verizon, AT&T, Motorola and Viacom/CBS and is described as “exceptional” while Henry Rivera and telecoms practice head Michael Senkowski also rank highly.
Henry Goldberg is a founding partner of DC-based communications law boutique Goldberg Godles Wiener & Wright. Goldberg is a former general of the Office of Telecommunications Policy and was praised for his “first-class” work. Covington & Burling LLP senior counsel Jonathan Blake is also considered “a dean” in the US capital, combining strong transactional and trial experience for clients such as the Open Mobile Video Coalition and the NFL. Morrison & Foerster LLP’s “excellent” communications chair Cheryl Tritt counts T-Mobile, DOCOMO USA, Alltel Corporation and the Alfred Mann Foundation among her clients.
In Canada, McCarthy Tétrault LLP has a “very strong practice” in this discipline, with three of its partners listed here. Hank Intven is a member of the government of Canada’s Telecommunications Policy Review Panel and is recognised as a “high-quality” advisor to companies, governments and regulators. Lorne Salzman is noted for his competition and foreign investment work in contentious and non-contentious matters and was described as a “top pick” alongside Grant Buchanan, who counselled Goldman Sachs in its investment with CanWest Global for the acquisition of Alliance Atlantis Communications and SIRIUS Canada in a consolidated rate-setting case before the Copyright Board of Canada.
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP is similarly well recognised in Canada. Stephen Whitehead advises clients on the procurement of telecoms facilities and services and the domestic, foreign and international regulation of satellite systems and services. Laurence Dunbar joined Fasken in 2007 and brings extensive communications, competition and public law expertise to the table in his role as leader of the firm’s communications practice group. Counsel Robert Buchan also joined the firm in 2007 and is recognised as a broadcasting expert.
Pinheiro Neto Advogados “has an excellent reputation” in Brazil, with Esther Donio B Nunes and Raphael de Cunto both ranking highly. Nunes regularly provides advisory services to the US and Canadian consulates and has extensive experience in technology transfer, IP licensing and computer regulatory issues, while de Cunto has a strong transactional focus. Fabio Ferreira Kujawski and Ricardo Barretto Ferreira da Silva are “leading lights” in the São Paulo office of Barretto Ferreira Kujawski Brancher e Gonçalves (BKBG), with clients including Telmex, Embratel and Telenor Group.
M & M Bomchil is the best represented firm in Argentina with three lawyers listed. Francisco M Gutiérrez is the partner in charge of the firm’s telecommunications practice and frequently advises national and international telecoms authorities. Néstor José Belgrano brings significant financial services experience to bear, having assisted several telecoms companies in the negotiation of syndicated loans and project finance. Prior to joining the firm, Héctor María Huici spent several years at Argentina’s National Telecommunications Commission, where he acted both as general counsel and counsel to the president and he has since developed an “excellent reputation” for his work in private practice.
Europe
A five-time recipient of the regulatory communications lawyer of the year award in The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, Bernard Amory of Jones Day is once again the leading name in this practice area. Amory oversees the firm’s antitrust and competition practice in Europe and acted in the O2/T-Mobile infrastructure sharing and national roaming case on behalf of O2 as well as representing the notifying party in such mergers as BT/MCI and BT/AT&T. Alexandre Verheyden also focuses on competition and merger work having represented BT in various mergers since the mid 1990s, including MCI, AT&T, Infonet and Radianz.
Dirk Van Liedekerke is managing partner of the Brussels office of Olswang and specialises in EU competition law alongside telecommunications. London-based Colin Long is of counsel to the media, communications and technology group and head of telecommunications at the firm. Long’s telecoms work encompases corporate and commercial transactions, regulatory disputes and challenges and competition work relating to fixed, mobile, wireless and satellite technology services, and peers describe him as a “world leader”. Corporate and commercial specialist Robert Bratby and head of broadcasting Selina Potter also receive prominent listings.
Christopher Watson is head of telecoms at CMS Cameron McKenna and focuses his practice on commercial law and competition issues and on EU law in connection with cross-border telecoms transactions. In Rome, Marco Dalla Vedova of Dalla Vedova Studio Legale Associato is also recognised for his commercial and EU law expertise alongside a strong arbitration practice. Stéphan Le Goueff is the founding partner of LG@vocats in Luxembourg and has developed an “excellent reputation” for his contracts, M&A, private equity and finance work within the high-tech sector. Le Goueff’s telecoms work encompasses infrastructure agreements, licensing, and interconnection.
Asia Pacific
Four lawyers are listed from Gilbert + Tobin in Australia including Peter Leonard, whose experience in media and technology acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and licensing contracts has earned him a reputation as a “leading light”. Peter Waters divides his time between the Sydney and Hong Kong offices and counts Optus communications, HongKong Telecom and CLEAR among his clients.
J Sagar Associates fields two representatives in India. Jyoti Sagar is recognised for his commercial expertise while Sajai Singh is recommended for his background in corporate and financial law and focuses on investment as well as regulatory work. Another prominent name in India is the “excellent” Anand Desai of DSK Legal, who advises clients on policy, investment and transactional issues.