Technology, Media and Telecommunications

vodafone

Slaughters and Travers among firms advising on Vodafone’s €8bn Italian sale

Slaughter and May has represented long-time client Vodafone on the telecommunications giant’s latest sale of its Italian business to Swisscom. The Slaughters team was steered by corporate partners Victoria MacDuff and James Cook, along with associates Serena Hopkins, Anika Sethy and Iain Meiklejohn. The firm also fielded a sizeable team of tax, commercial and employment […]

Zaffrin O’Sullivan

ITN secures new GC from Virgin Media

Production company ITN has hired Zaffrin O’Sullivan as its new general counsel, as its longstanding incumbent steps down after nearly three decades. O’Sullivan will join in February from Virgin Media O2, where she currently holds the role of legal director. ITN’s current GC James Scorer is due to retire from ITN after 27 years at […]

Sumroy-Rob

Slaughters debuts new tech group for clients

Slaughter and May has appointed new co-heads for its financial institutions and technology practices amid an internal practice leadership reshuffle. Highlighting the importance of technology advice across all sectors, the firm has established a technology cross-stream practice, which will be helmed by corporate partner James Cook, competition partner Jordan Ellison and tech expert Rob Sumroy. […]

BT tower

BT sets tech challenge for firms in panel retender

Firms are pitching to retain – or win a place – on BT Group’s roster, as the telecoms giant pledges to reappoint the team that delivers the greatest technology efficiencies. The guaranteed reappointment follows BT’s last panel review in which the corporate said it would automatically rehire its most diverse legal adviser. As a result, […]

BT tower

BT names new global legal director

BT has promoted a new global legal director after Dave Hart left his role at the communications provider earlier this week. Hart said in a LinkedIn post: “After eight wonderful years at BT, I’m taking a breather for a few months. “I’ve been lucky enough to work under two amazing group GCs Dan Fitz and […]

Telecoms company Arqiva hires new GC

Another senior in-houser from aerospace giant Meggitt has taken on a new role following the acquisition of the business by Parker Hannifin last year. Arqiva, which provides infrastructure, broadcast transmission and smart meter facilities in the UK, has recruited Nicola Phillips as its chief legal officer. Phillips was previously Meggitt’s deputy general counsel for UK […]

Shoreditch

Taylor Wessing’s Shoreditch exit marks end of Tech City dream

The launch of Taylor Wessing’s second London home in Shoreditch over a decade ago was a bold move to attract the tech community. But since then, tech has gone global, and a local solution isn’t fit for purpose. So, last September, Taylor Wessing decided to cut ties with its co-working space at Second Home in […]

vodafone

Slaughters and Linklaters lead on Vodafone-Three merger

The UK operations of Vodafone and Three are merging in the latest bumper tie-up in the telecoms sector. A team from Linklaters represented CK Hutchison Holdings and the Three UK Group on the combination. Partners Robert Cleaver and Hugo Stolkin led for the firm in London, alongside managing associates Sam Kember and Matthew Halliday, associates […]

BT tower

BT’s panel firms gain extra year on roster

BT is extending its legal panel until 2024, with its 15 law firms remaining on the roster for another year. The panel was meant to be reviewed this year, but will now remain in place until March 2024. The telecoms giant previously trimmed down firms from 37 to just 15 in 2020, with the likes […]

chip manufacturing

Arm finalises its legal trio for bumper IPO

Three firms have been selected to work on chipmaker Arm’s highly anticipated IPO, The Lawyer can reveal. A team from Morrison & Foerster will be working on the issuing side in the US, with Slaughter and May allocated to the UK component. Davis Polk & Wardwell has landed the mandate on the underwriting side for the […]

Microsoft

Weil on course for victory as CMA greenlights Microsoft’s $69bn merger

The Competition & Markets Authority has relaxed its stance on Microsoft’s proposed takeover of Activision Blizzard for nearly $69bn, in what will be welcome news for the IT giant’s antitrust lawyers at Weil Gotshal & Manges. Last month, the UK regulator said that the deal raised competition concerns in relation to both console gaming and […]