The telecoms sector involves a wide variety of players, including providers of fixed line, mobile, cable, satellite and other infrastructure services, as well as ISPs and data network operators.
Telecoms companies are constantly evolving, expanding and seeking new markets. As new enabling technologies and applications are developed and regulations evolve, telecoms companies need new business models to exploit fully the opportunities, and to fend off competitors in this highly competitive market. The sector is increasingly global, driven by the determination of operators to expand their market share, increase margins and service the global needs of their multinational customers. In addition, cost saving measures such as leveraging low cost centres for off-shoring telecom functions and infrastructure sharing are becoming increasingly important to telecoms companies, as well as debt restructuring or refinancing.
Linklaters provides a full service to its telecoms clients such as Vodafone, AT&T and Zain, including advising on strategic M&A activity, complex, cross-border regulatory issues and major commercial contracts with customers and suppliers. Linklaters also advises both lenders and borrowers in the major telecoms markets, including on secured and unsecured syndicated loans, high yield bonds, lease finance, vendor finance, leveraged facilities and acquisition finance. The global sector team advises clients across the major European telecom markets, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
The firm’s telecoms lawyers include experts from across Linklaters’ market leading corporate M&A, TMT, commercial and financial practices as well as regulatory experts. Working closely with industry regulators, government bodies and opinion-formers means that the team has exceptional insight into the complexities of the commercial and regulatory environment in which telecoms companies operate.
Contact us
To discuss legal issues with Linklaters’ global telecoms team, please contact sector leaders, Roger Barron, Tanguy Van Overstraeten, Scott Campbell or Julian Cunningham-Day.
You can find out more about Linklaters’ telecoms capabilities from sector manager Devonee Welch (44 20) 7456 5771.
Recent telecoms transactions include advising:
- Vodafone on the sale of its 44% stake in SFR to Vivendi
- Zain on the sale of its African mobile telecommunications business in 15 jurisdictions to Bharti Airtel Limited for an enterprise value of US$10.7 billion
- Schlumberger Oilfield on the disposal of its global satellite communications business to Harris Corporation for US$397.5m
- Turk Telecom on the acquisition of the international wholesale business of Invitel International Holdings for an enterprise value of €221m
- Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation on their £2.1bn offer to acquire Dimension Data Holdings
- China Mobile on the acquisition of Far East One Telecoms in Taiwan
- Harbinger Capital Partners on its £409.5bn sale of a portion of holdings in Inmarsat
- Millicom on the sale of a number of telecoms operations in South East Asia
- SES Astra on a joint venture for the acquisition and commercialisation of satellite transponder capacity in the Middle East between SES and Yahsat
- Aegis Limited on its US$2bn outsourcing partnership with Saudi Telecom
- on the financial restructuring of Italian telecommunication company Tiscali Group
- on the restructuring of the Hellas Group, one of the largest telecom operators in Greece
- A major international Telecoms company on a variety of regulatory projects, including in relation to the impact of the new EU telecoms framework on its European business, as well as regulatory advice on many emerging markets telecoms regimes
