Tech, Media & Telecoms

Clients and work in this area include:

• Advised Accenture on a variety of technology outsourcing, software development and IT consultancy deals, including provision of call centre services to Virgin Telecoms and supply of a core banking system to the Alliance & Leicester.
• Advised AMEC on the technology aspects of the disposal of several divisions of its business.
• Advised Apple on customer facing matters, including its Genius Bar.
• Advised Bessemer Venture Partners on their investment in the WiMAX national network operator Enforta.
• Advised Blackbay on the supply of a real time mobile data capture solution for Royal Mail Group's postal workers. Blackbay is a leading provider of solutions for mobile workers.
• Advised Canonical the commercial sponsor of market-leading Linux distribution Ubuntu, on open source issues, software licensing and technology agreements.
• Advising COLT telecommunications on commercial telecoms and employment matters.
• Advised a leading internet software and e-cash service provider, on its flotation on the London Stock Exchange.
• Advised Dell on numerous IT outsourcing agreements, including a global outsourcing deal with UBS.
• Advised Dell Inc. on their acquisition of, software and computer resale business ASAP.
• Advised DQ Entertainment on its negotiations with Great Ormond Street Hospital on rights in Peter Pan for a proposed new film and television series. 
• Advised the Endemol Group in relation to a number of investments and UK corporate matters as well as on dispute resolution and new media issues.
• Advised Endemol UK in relation to its arrangements with Gamesys Limited in connection with the development of a 3D platform for internet gaming and for the playing of electronic games through social networking sites.
• Advised music social networking site Fanshake.com on its technology infrastructure, content licensing deals and customer terms.
• Advised The Financial Times on a wide variety of technology matters including its global content management systems and complex web development matters.
• Advised FIS on the implementation of policy management systems for a number of insurance companies, including one in Russia.
• Advised Greater London Authority on the electronic voting system for the 2008 elections.
• Advised Guardian News & Media on matters to support its online business including on creation of its web archive, data centre arrangements, its own content reseller agreements and numerous development projects for new publishing channels. 
• Advised the UK’s leading road traffic telematics company ITIS on contracts for the collection of mobile positioning data, the aggregation and distribution of mobile telephony data and the licensing of IT systems to enable the broadcasting of road traffic data generated from mobile data. We have also advised on joint ventures and other commercial arrangements with vehicle manufacturers and navigation device manufacturers.
• Advised Kingfisher (formerly Air Deccan, one of India’s leading budget airlines) on agreement for the supply and hosting of a new customer reservations system. 
• Advised Lonely Planet one of the world’s largest travel content providers on online liability issues and content licensing across multiple platforms.
• Advised major international publisher Macmillan on distribution, agency and web development issues and on licensing for ebooks.
• Advised Marconi regarding the Russian legislation and practice relating to the sale by Marconi of its telecommunications equipment and international service divisions to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson for £1.2bn.
• Advised Mid Europa Partners on the acquisition of the Bulgarian direct-to-home satellite pay TV operator Interactivni Tehnologii AD (ITV).
• Advised Newspaper Licensing Agency, the joint venture of UK national newspapers, on new online services including licensing, contract and copyright issues.
• Advised Nudge Social Media on development and exploitation of Facebook applications, including those used in marketing campaigns for leading consumer brands.
• Advised Orange on licensing of mobile handset applications, content licensing, customer contracts and IPTV matters.
• Advised Panavision Inc on its agreement to acquire the AFM Group, including its lighting, camera and studio rental operations.
• Advised citizen paparazzi site Papture.com on website compliance, customer terms and data protection issues.
• Advised Penguin, Dorling Kindersley and Rough Guides on digital warehousing arrangements to distribute and supply ebooks and audio books globally, including in relation to online fulfilment.
• Advised Peel Media, the owners of Salford’s Media City, the new home for the BBC in the North and Britain’s second largest development after the Olympics, on operational contracts for its broadcast services and on a joint venture arrangement.
• Advised Playtech on its technology licence to William Hill Online (as part of advising on the Playtech/William Hill joint venture).
• Advised PRS for Music, the UK’s major music royalty collecting society, on various technology and licensing projects including on its long-term licence with BBC.
• Advised RTL Group on the sale of the broadcast facilities services company, the London Playout Centre, to Ascent Media Group Inc.
• Supported a major Russian mobile communications operator on aspects of interaction between operators (roaming, network connections, communications channel analysis, etc.).
• Advised one of Russia’s biggest companies in the communications sphere on matters relating to development of new contractual arrangements with local operators throughout Russia.
• Advised Stagecoach on two technology projects helping bring 21st century technology to rail and bus travel.
• Advised Tata on large applications development and maintenance framework agreements with the UK Financial Services Authority and Corus.
• Advised Technicolor Network Services on its supply of technology-driven broadcast services to its clients including long-term contracts with ITV, BBC Worldwide and NBC Universal and associated technology procurement and build projects. 
• Advised Tesco on hundreds of technology deals, including enterprise-wide software licensing arrangements, the development of software to operate Tesco’s automated distribution centres, and support agreement for Tesco’s datacentres.
• Advised Tesco on the technology and regulatory aspects of many of its new channel launches including Tesco Direct, Tesco Property Market and Tesco Mobile.
• Most recently advised Tesco on all aspects of its Tesco Digital service, a telecoms/media convergence project.  Our role spanned advising on the web platform, the carriage across telecoms networks of entertainment content to customer’s PCs and negotiating digital licenses with major record companies and studios for their digital entertainment content.
• Tesco Mobile is a fast growing joint venture between Tesco and O2.  Advising Tesco on joint venture arrangements and Tesco Mobile on its day to day commercial matters.
• Advised Tesco on commercial and technology matters relating to its home phone, broadband and internet phone product portfolio.
• Advised Thomson on its relationship with BBC Worldwide for the transmission of IPTV channels in Asia and the associated development of a Singapore broadcast facility.
• Acted for VimpelCom in a dispute with the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service of Russia over accusations of concerted actions on the part of mobile communications operators.
• Managed a group of international lawyers from our preferred firms network advising Vodafone on its multi-jurisdictional review of roaming services and associated contractual and regulatory issues.
• Advised on the acquisition of radio broadcast network facilities and services for VT Communications.  VT Communications designs, builds and operates specialist communication networks and systems in the broadcast, defence and national security markets.
• Advised West Ham United FC on the purchase of a smart card based ticketing system.