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  1. IT and telecoms
  2. Leading individuals: information technology
  3. Leading individuals: telecoms

Leading individuals: information technology

Leading individuals: telecoms

Baker & McKenzie LLP is particularly recommended for cross-border matters, and ‘understands the European telecoms market’, with capabilities spanning regulatory, litigation, outsourcing and contractual matters. Peter Strivens heads the telecoms team, and provides ‘a solid, sensible view of the world based on deep experience’; and Harry Small and Christina Demetriades together head the IT and communications practice. Richard Pike acted for Hutchison 3G in mobile termination rate appeals, and Steve Holmes and Ben Allgrove advised cloud video gaming company OnLive on its UK launch. Other clients include Accenture, Google, Arqiva and Telefónica.

Bird & Bird is ‘at the forefront of the technology and telecoms industries’, and provides ‘hands-on commercial experience’ and ‘a co-ordinated international approach’. Highlights included advising Everything Everywhere on upgrading its 2G infrastructure, and advising the government on a national roll-out of smart energy meters. Communications head Graeme Maguire is appreciated for his ‘depth of knowledge and commercial understanding’ of the IT sector. For mobile telecoms, Dominic Cook is ‘extremely knowledgeable about the law, operationally savvy and unusually energetic in the pursuit of client goals’. Colin Long joined as of counsel from Olswang.

DLA Piper UK LLP’s clients include Barclays, Tata Communications, RBS, STC-Viva and HCL Technologies. Kit Burden leads on IT outsourcing matters for corporate and banking clients, while Richard Bonnar focuses on advising the public sector. In the telecoms group, Mike Conradi advised Hibernia Cable on contractual matters regarding the construction of a high-speed transatlantic cable. Richard Norman handles contentious matters.

Field Fisher Waterhouse LLP has a team ‘capable of proactively taking the firm’s reputation forward in these sectors’. It regularly advises the British government, and attracted serveral new clients including Vodafone, HCL and Tata Consulting. Simon Briskman acted for China Telecom Europe on regulatory matters, and also represents Vodafone, AT&T, Virgin, and Turks Telecom. John Worthy’s ‘drive and insight is precisely what is often necessary in transactional engagements’. He recently advised on satellite procurement and smart ticketing matters. IT disputes partner Andrew Dodd and Michael Chissick are also recommended.

‘Informed, knowledgeable and highly commercial’, Herbert Smith LLP is noted for its strength in regulatory and contentious matters. IT practice head Mark Turner advises on major systems development and procurement. Nick Pantlin is ‘very user friendly and makes everything look easy’, and recently acted for Man Group on a $200m global IT project and outsourcing arrangement. Telecoms head Nick Elverston, who is ‘very solution oriented and able to “think with the business”’, led advice to Telefónica on a UK joint venture with Everything Everywhere and Vodafone. Senior associate David Coulling is ‘a rising star’.

Olswang has ‘impressive industry knowledge’, with Clive Gringras leading the technology team, following the departure of Nigel Swycher. Gringas advised Pottermore books on the digitisation of the Harry Potter novels. Anthony Waller gives ‘consistent, high-quality, pragmatic advice’, and recently assisted NVIDIA in acquiring Icera for $367m. Telecoms head Rob Bratby successfully acted for major telecoms operators in Competition Appeal Tribunal hearings. Other clients include Yahoo!, Microsoft, Cable & Wireless and KPN. Marc Dautlich joined Pinsent Masons LLP, and Colin Long moved to Bird & Bird.

Pinsent Masons LLP handles a range of contentious and non-contentious commercial matters. It advised the government on the Broadband Delivery UK initiative, and has also been handling a number of IT disputes for public sector bodies. Other clients include AXA, Fujitsu Services and Centrica. Clive Seddon leads the team, with Simon Colvin experienced in IT projects, and David Isaac recommended for outsourcing transactions.

Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP advises clients such as Barclays, National Grid and Stagecoach on commercial and transactional matters. Mark Lewis is ‘an expert in outsourcing agreements and particularly good at finding solutions to difficult problems’. Practice head Richard Chapman acted for Tesco on a pan-European IT project, as well as assisting in relation to its telecoms operations and arrangements with suppliers. Craig Rattray focuses on IT transactions for the utilities and finance sectors.

Bristows has ‘deep technical expertise’, particularly in complex patent litigation and other contentious matters. The lawyers are ‘good to work with – they become part of the team, and are practical, straightforward and enjoy working on technology matters’. Toby Crick is ‘creative, flexible, proactive, and a very good negotiator’. Both Crick and practice head Mark Watts advised household name clients regarding online and IT product launches. Pat Treacy advises the telecoms sector on competition law matters. Myles Jelf is ‘a tenacious litigator who is committed to best serving client needs’, and is representing Samsung in the smartphone dispute with Apple. Other clients include Yell, Everything Everywhere and Hutchison 3G UK.

The team at CMS Cameron McKenna LLP combines ‘legal excellence and commercial understanding’, and is expert in competition law and other regulatory matters. Practice head John Armstrong has particular experience in large-scale outsourcing matters, and Chris Watson is noted for his telecoms expertise. Joanne Wheeler has ‘specialist knowledge of the satellite industry and all relevant regulatory and legal issues’.

Hogan Lovells International LLP gives ‘informative, practical and commercial advice’, and focuses on major outsourcings for corporate clients, along with litigation and regulatory matters. Quentin Archer has ‘in-depth experience’ in technology matters, including disputes. The ‘very commercial and very pragmatic’ Conor Ward leads on IT and telecoms outsourcing transactions. Mark Taylor was part of a team that advised Barclays on setting up its Pingit mobile banking application. Other clients include HTC, Royal Mail and Citi.

‘Very sensible, thorough and commercial’, Kemp Little LLP is ‘expert in all aspects of the highly complex and rapidly evolving field of ICT and telecoms law’. The practice recently handled global outsourcings, and also advised financial services sector clients. Team head Richard Kemp ‘always gives pragmatic views and solutions, and a good feel for what is current best industry practice’. Calum Murray, who ‘delivers a smart, personal service and is always on top of both commercial and legal issues’, acted for Expedia on contractual arrangements for telecoms and technology services. Outsourcing head Paul O’Hare ‘has lots of experience and a strong network, which he uses to maintain bang-up-to-date market information’.

Latham & Watkins LLP handles a range of transactional, outsourcing and contractual matters for clients including Telefónica, Commercial Bank of Qatar, and City Telecoms. Luke Grubb is recommended for outsourcing transactions. He and Andrew Moyle advised Mobile Telephone Networks SA on renegotiating an outsourcing agreement with IBM.

Linklaters LLP is ‘able to provide sensible, pragmatic advice with a view to getting the deal done’, with particular strength in high-value, cross-border transactions. Highlights included advising Vodafone on the sale of its share in mobile phone operator SFR to Vivendi. The team includes global head of TMT and IP John Crozier; Julian Cunningham-Day, who is recommended for outsourcing and procurement matters and is ‘solutions driven and consistently delivers a high-calibre service to clients, with a strong commercial focus’; and Richard Cumbley, who recently advised PwC on regulatory and contractual IT matters.

Mayer Brown International LLP’s head of corporate and telecoms Peter Dickinson handles transactional work, and recently advised Interoute Communications on acquiring the parent company of cloud services provider Quantix Group. IP and IT head Mark Prinsley focuses on projects and outsourcing matters, recently assisting EMI Music and London Metal Exchange with IT agreements. Stephen Beales is recommended for telecoms outsourcing matters. Other clients include Vodafone, Orange and Moody’s Investor Services.

Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP’s team, led by Laurence Jacobs, is ‘prepared to provide full service or ad hoc support as required’. It handles large-scale, high-value projects, and transactional and contentious matters. Recent work includes advising the NHS and Maxis on renegotiating IT services contracts. The group also acted for Vodafone and Barclays Bank on global projects, and acted for Top Up TV in an Ofcom investigation. Sean Keaton, on the transactional side, is ‘energetic, unstuffy and eager to get involved’. Litigator Julian Stait is ‘a good negotiator, strong technically and very pleasant to work with, and also has a strong team’. Senior associate Joel Harrison is also recommended.

Morrison & Foerster (UK) LLP’s technology transactions practice is led by Alistair Maughan, who, along with of counsels Tim Roughton and Anthony Nagle, ‘concentrates on finding the strategic issues and focuses on the commercial realities’ of outsourcing and procurement. Maughan advises public sector bodies such as HM Revenue and Customs and the UK Border Agency. Chris Coulter has particular expertise in digital cinema. Contentious expert Alan Owens is ‘resourceful’.

SNR Denton has ‘in-depth sector knowledge and handles IT and telecoms transactions with care, deliberation and speed’, and is notable for its experience advising clients in the energy and public sectors. Dan Burge led for EDF Energy on the national roll-out of its smart metering programme. Telecoms head Jan Willem van den Bos, who is ‘particularly personable, has a detailed knowledge of the broader context of a deal, and a strong sense of the commercial considerations’, is advising the Saudi Arabian telecoms regulator on reforming its framework. Catherine Bingham ‘combines an excellent legal brain with a pragmatic approach’, and recently advised the MoD on a major IT project. Amanda Lewis, who advises on IT contracts and also handles contentious matters, is ‘very bright, handles an enormous workload, and delivers on time’.

The team at Taylor Wessing LLP is ‘particularly proactive in creating innovative ideas to meet legal requirements’, and demonstrates ‘a thorough understanding of risks and contingencies’. It has recently advised in relation to e-commerce product launches, mobile applications development, and cross-border commercial contracts. Glyn Morgan heads the practice, and stands out for his experience in commercial IT matters and his ‘attention to the subject matter; he really gets under the skin of a deal’. In telecoms, Patrick Clark is ‘very experienced and dedicated, and has intimate knowledge of vendor issues’. Tracy Sheehan has expertise advising the public sector.

Addleshaw Goddard LLP’s IT practice acts for customers on outsourcing transactions and projects. Michael Lowry leads the technology team. Senior associate Marc Cropper advised Barclaycard on an agreement with Everything Everywhere to launch a mobile payments solution. Other key clients include J Sainsbury, Aviva, Tiscali, and The Home Office. Mark Deem joined Edwards Wildman Palmer LLP.

Allen & Overy LLP’s cross-departmental team has capabilities in transactional/M&A, litigation and anti-trust matters. Jane Finlayson-Brown handles procurement, outsourcing and projects, and Nicola Dagg leads on IP litigation.

Clifford Chance’s Jenine Hulsmann is recommended for telecoms regulatory and competition matters. Spencer Baylin handles M&A and finance work. Key clients include Deutsche Telecom, Immarsat, Saudi Telecom Company, and Anheuser-Busch.

At Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, TMT co-head Ben Spiers has acted for clients such as Vodafone and Hewlett-Packard on M&A and transactional matters; Natasha Good focuses on telecoms-related corporate deals; and Richard Lister leads on outsourcing arrangements.

Osborne Clarke is noted for its involvement in outsourcings and projects, including cross-border matters. Practice head Angus Finnegan advised P&O on a £15m outsourcing agreement with Getronics; and Simon Rendell acted for Everything Everywhere on a mobile payments joint venture with Vodafone and O2. Other highlights included advising Motorola on the UK aspects of the sale of its wireless network business to Nokia Siemens Networks. Dell, Acision, Vodafone and Virgin Media are also clients.

Slaughter and May ‘delivers clear, practical and commercial advice’ on transactions, and is ‘top quality’ for contentious work. Highlights included advising Carillion on its outsourcing arrangement with Accenture, and acting for DONG Energy on IT systems restructuring. IT and outsourcing head Rob Sumroy is ‘technically competent, personable, very pragmatic, and bright’.

Delivering ‘a responsive, cost-effective service’, Technology Law Alliance recently advised Capgemini, Crest Nicholson, F&C Asset Management and HP Enterprise Services on contract negotiations, and is also recommended for transactional work. Jeremy Newton’s ‘in-house experience means he understands the industry, is very flexible and is technically very good’. Gavin Wakefield has strong experience in outsourcing arrangements.

Highly recommended for international telecoms matters, Arnold & Porter (UK) LLP ‘understands business, technology and the law’, and is ‘a “weapon of choice” for complex, high-stakes contentious matters’. Clients include Telus Corp and AT&T. Practice head Michael Ryan has ‘vast experience and understanding of how the telecoms regulatory world actually works’.

Ashurst’s IT practice head Mark Lubbock advised WorldPay on new systems for online payment processing, and Visa Europe on procuring mobile technologies. Communications group head Dhana Doobay handles commercial, regulatory and litigation matters for clients such as Telefónica, Virgin Media and KCOM Group.

Charles Russell LLP gives ‘solid, commercially pragmatic advice’ on IT and telecoms matters, recently advising the government of the Bahamas on privatising its telecoms company, and online publisher Miniclip on e-commerce issues. Practice head Vincenzo Lanni has ‘vast experience’ in international matters. Mark Moncreiffe adopts ‘a calm yet authoritative stance in negotiations’.

Eversheds LLP has notable experience in handling software-related deals for financial services clients. New practice head Simon Gamlin has ‘an uncanny balance of legal expertise, industry knowledge and the ability to provide commercially astute, workable solutions’; and James Walsh has ‘really good overall telecoms business knowledge’. Clients include Cincinnati Bell, Wolseley and Anglo American. Gamlin took over from Rex Parry, who left to set up his own consultancy.

Jones Day’s Jonathon Little leads on transactional IT matters, and recently acted for Brit Insurance on outsourcing systems to Infosys. On the contentious side, the firm represented Apple in an EC investigation regarding the sale of e-books. Nicholas Cotter has experience in contentious telecoms regulatory matters.

Norton Rose LLP’s technology head Mike Rebeiro is ‘a skilled negotiator and builder of relationships, with knowledge and understanding on all aspects of outsourcing’. Highlights included acting for Friends Life on a £1.4bn-plus outsourcing, and advising Orange and Vodafone on acquisitions. The team also acted for Orange Holdings in contentious matters.

IP firm Powell Gilbert LLP has acted in IT and telecoms related patent disputes, including representing the defendants in Microsoft v Motorola and LG Electronics v Sony, and the claimant in HTC v Apple. Ari Laakkonen heads the department. Simon Ayrton and Alex Wilson have experience in technology contract disputes.

‘Specialist and expert in telecoms’, Preiskel & Co LLP provides ‘both value for money and high-quality strategic advice’. It recently advised Amazon EU on various agreements, and Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo on the European MVNO market. Daniel Preiskel is a ‘thorough and very knowledgeable’ regulatory expert, and Ronnie Preiskel is recommended for commercial contracts. Of counsel David Allen Green is ‘very good on litigation strategies’.

RPC is ‘sensible, commercially minded and solutions driven’, handling large-scale and cross-border outsourcings and projects as well as contentious matters. Jeremy Drew leads the team, and Andrew Sutherland is a ‘very sound commercial lawyer who understands technically complex issues’. Oliver Bray advised Saffron Digital on agreements with Samsung and Blockbuster to deliver video content on mobile phone devices. Commercial and regulatory expert Stephen Smith joined from Mayer Brown International LLP.

‘Responsive, flexible, and focused on the commercial workability of solutions’, Radiant Law has a modest-sized team but good depth. Recommended individuals include Alex Hamilton; Andrew Giverin, who is ‘exceptional’ in terms of ‘knowledge, advice and flexibility’; and David Skinner, who ‘asks the right questions’. Highlights included advising the LSE and BSkyB on contracts.

The team at SJ Berwin LLP is ‘very commercial’ and has ‘outstanding depth’ for IT transactions. It is co-led by Andrew Shindler, who is ‘hands-on and able to cope with anything’, and James Gill. Shindler acted for Ideaswork3D on software and commercial agreements regarding a financial investment by Activision. Gill focuses on the retail and finance sectors, where clients include City Credit Capital and MyTreasury (part of the ICAP group).

Simmons & Simmons LLP’s ‘proactive’, ‘very professional and competent’ team is led by Tom Wheadon, who ‘provides very strong advice’ on telecoms, e-commerce and online matters. Michael Sinclair advises on outsourcing and procurement, and Andrew McMillan handles corporate matters. Highlights included advising Virgin Media on the provision of services to joint venture group Mobile Broadband Network Limited. The team also advised OnLive on aspects of its launch in the UK and other European jurisdictions.

Waterfront Solicitors’ clients regard it ‘as part of the team running the business’. The group, which provides ‘City expertise’, includes practice head Carole Hailey, who is ‘a specialist in the IT and internet sectors’, and litigator Matthew Harris, who ‘provides the right advice on every occasion’. Highlights included advising software suppliers to the financial services sector, advising Ordnance Survey on procuring cloud-based technologies, and acting for Avanta Enterprise on outsourcings.

Watson, Farley & Williams LLP provides ‘trusted advice’ on telecoms regulatory and competition law matters. Emanuela Lecchi and Jason Logendra advise authorities and governments in emerging markets on legislative issues. Private sector clients include Tesco, and Cable & Wireless.

White & Case LLP’s telecoms head David Eisenberg is ‘a specialist in this area, with a focus on transactional and corporate work’, acting for clients such as HSBC, Orascom Telecom and Vodafone. Ashley Winton advises IT suppliers as well as leading finance and corporate sector clients on outsourcings and regulatory matters.

Wragge & Co LLP provides ‘good-quality advice at very reasonable rates’, recently advising Marks and Spencer plc on a high-value, e-commerce project and the Bahraini Ministry of Health on a £40m outsourcing contract. Department head Peter Hall focuses on IT transactions, and Sally Mewies is an expert in retail and telecoms projects.

Blake Lapthorn advises customers and suppliers on IT matters. Practice head Simon Stokes has ‘industry and legal knowledge, coupled with wisdom’. Nick Arnold handles contentious matters.

Covington & Burling LLP’s Lisa Peets handles online-related regulatory and enforcement matters. Daniel Pavin handles licensing and commercial agreements. Clients include Microsoft, O2 and CBS Interactive.

DAC Beachcroft LLP handles a range of contentious matters as well as outsourcing, projects and contracts for public and private sector clients. Tim Sewart heads the practice, which acts for clients such as Intellect and Surrey County Council.

Dundas & Wilson LLP provides ‘good, solid advice’. Practice head Paul Graham is ‘an excellent IT lawyer’, and is supported by senior associate Reg Dhanjal, who focuses on the telecoms sector. The team advised RBS, Everything Everywhere and BAE Systems on IT agreements.

Fasken Martineau LLP advises on a spread of transactional and contentious matters. Practice head Roger Loosley has wide-ranging expertise, and advises suppliers and customers. Bill Molloy, who joined from Teacher Stern LLP, advises on litigation, procurement, outsourcing and projects.

Fladgate LLP acts for clients such as CryptoCard, Sovereign Business Integration and Cambridge Assessment in IT transactions, providing ‘good, pragmatic advice at a competitive price’. Anthony Lee leads the team.

Harbottle & Lewis LLP’s Tony Ballard focuses on the satellite broadcasting sector, advising clients such as Telenor and ANO TV Novosti on contractual and regulatory matters.

Holman Fenwick Willan LLP’s Anthony Woolich is ‘experienced and business minded, and exercises good judgement’, and is known for his expertise in EU and competition matters. The team typically acts for IT purchasers, and recently advised a multinational on Europe-wide contract negotiations with Vodafone.

Lawrence Graham LLP’s Peter Brudenall is ‘knowledgeable, instils confidence, can rapidly understand objectives, and explains issues and solutions clearly without legal garble’. He now heads the practice, following Richard Marke’s departure to Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP. Clients include McDonald’s UK and NIIT Technologies.

Simon Morrissey heads Lewis Silkin LLP’s commercial technology practice, and acts for both suppliers and purchasers. Consultant Marcus O’Leary advises on transactional and contentious matters.

Macfarlanes LLP acts for financial sector clients on IT outsourcing, and recently advised ICAP on arrangements with investment banks for i-Swap, a new electronic trading platform. Rupert Casey heads the practice.

At Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, outsourcing specialist Ian Ferguson is recommended.

Reed Smith advises clients such as Broadcom, Siemens and Sony Network Entertainment on a broad range of commercial and transactional IT matters. Practice head Cynthia O’Donoghue acts for a broad cross-section of clients in life sciences, technology, telecoms, and financial services.

‘As good as the bigger, better-known IT outfits’, Salans provides ‘specialist advice and a very responsive service’ on transactions and regulatory matters. Tatiana Kruse is ‘very creative and technically very knowledgeable, with a no-nonsense approach’. The team focuses on advising the financial services industry; clients include the Electronic Payments Association.

Speechly Bircham LLP’s Alexander Carter-Silk continued to represent WPL in its copyright infringement dispute with SAS. Nathalie Moreno advises telecoms and IT operators on transactional and regulatory matters. Vinod Bange joined Taylor Wessing LLP.

Stephenson Harwood’s John Buyers has ‘deep industry knowledge’, and significant experience in IT outsourcing and other contract negotiations. Clients include KPMG, Capita and The Cloud Networks.

At Teacher Stern LLP, Martine Nathan leads on IT procurement, licensing, outsourcing and projects, while Colin Richman handles contentious matters. Bill Molloy joined Fasken Martineau LLP.

Towerhouse Consulting’s Paul Brisby leads on regulatory matters for the electronic communications sector, including contentious work for major broadcasters and suppliers. Clients include Fujitsu, TalkTalk Group, Verizon, and the UK Competitive Telecoms Association.

Travers Smith LLP’s Dan Reavill recently advised Brewin Dolphin on implementing a £16m IT system, and successfully represented Inoapps in a dispute. Other clients include HostelWorld.com, London Mining and Pret a Manger. Alistair Wilson is now a consultant with the firm.

Trowers & Hamlins LLP advises public sector customers and private sector suppliers on IT procurement matters. Riccardo Abbate is ‘personable and always approachable’.

Wedlake Bell LLP’s IT practice has a strong focus on contentious matters. Anna Cook recently joined Radiant Law.

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