In brief: Wilde Sapte takes on telecoms solicitor

Wilde Sapte has recruited telecommunications lawyer Gerald Wakefield to its major projects group. Australian-qualified Wakefield was until the end of last August head of Charles Russell's telecommunications group. He left, initially to join a telecommunications regulatory body, but ended up working on a consultancy basis for intellectual property firm Rouse & Co. He said: "At Charles Russell I was doing purely transactional work. I came from the metallurgical industry before moving to the law and I prefer to be involved in big projects." Wakefield has consultant status at Wilde Sape, since he is not qualified in English law. He said he would now requalify with a view to becoming a partner.