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Bristows’ Telecommunications practice is large, highly skilled and growing fast.
Our telecoms team includes PhD level scientists, former regulators and lawyers who spent large periods of time working in-house in the telecoms sector. As such our inter-disciplinary teams bring a deep understanding of the underlying technologies and, crucially, the commercial and regulatory environment within which everyone in the telecoms sector operates.

We work with our clients on the full range of Telecoms projects, including:

  • Advising significant fixed line, satelite and mobile operators (both MNO and MVNO) in the UK and around the world on their M&A, commercial and regulatory requirements.
  • Advising on regulatory compliance (including where telecoms regulation intersects with privacy and consumer protection laws) and advising on regulatory investigations and appeals. Our strength in this area is underpinned by our work for the regulators themselves, working on matters as diverse as spectrum clearance and licence awards as well regulatory enforcement and day to day operational matters.
  • Working on complex infrastructure projects ranging from under-sea cable contracts, network procurement, network builds and the myriad disputes that arise in relation to these projects.
  • Working with a number of “alt-nets” on network roll outs, M&A, JVs, regulatory disputes and commercial disputes.
  • Working with network equipment manufacturers on their contracts to supply the equipment that allows networks to operate.
  • Advising “over the top” providers of communication solutions on everything from establishing themselves in the UK to consumer, privacy, advertising and telecoms regulatory issues in the UK, the EU and beyond.
  • Undertaking complex, cross-border M&A, merger filings and commercial disputes for telecoms operators, equipment and technology providers and OTT service providers.
  • Advising on the technologies underpinning the networks that the whole world relies on, including litigating the patents and licensing these essential technologies.
  • Applying our specialist knowledge of the sector to help our clients on a range of broader legal issues encompassing branding and advertising, consumer protection law and data privacy and security law.
  • Advising end-users on their contracts with network and OTT providers including complex network services outsourcings and rollouts of new technologies.

Toby Crick

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Anna Cook

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Stephen Smith

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Experience

Advising a market leading independent provider of fibre to the premises (FTTP) networks in the UK.

We have continued to support our client as it builds out its wholesale network and engages with leading ISPs on various corporate, commercial, competition and regulatory matters, including in respect of potential acquisitions and strategic issues before Ofcom. In particular, we assisted our client on the market wide Competition Act complaint against BT Openreach and worked on responses to Ofcom’s consultation on BT Openreach’s ‘Equinox 2’ wholesale pricing offer.

Working with an incumbent fixed line and mobile operator active in multiple markets around the globe on various telecommunications, data protection, and commercial work.

Key projects we have assisted on include:

  • The merger (and subsequent merger control negotiations) related to our client’s acquisition of a competitor network in a ground breaking 3 to 2 merger.
  • Updating our client’s General Ts&Cs to ensure best practice with UK and EU consumer protection and privacy laws.
  • Various cloud and hosting contracts (both inbound, outbound and reseller).
  • Infrastructure deals including mast sharing agreements, under-sea cable agreements, network swap and network procurement deals.
  • An MVNO agreement.
  • International wholesale roaming agreements and global roaming discount agreements, with major mobile network providers around the world (such as Telefonica/O2, France Telecom/Orange, AT&T and H3G).

Acting in SEP FRAND disputes for more than a decade for both SEP holders and implementers at first instance, appeal and the Supreme Court.  

We have built on our decades long experience in the interplay of patent and competition law issues relating to standards and our unparalleled strength and depth in scientific as well as legal training to Introduce innovative strategies on anti-suits, jurisdiction, FRAND, damages and design arounds, and assist our clients to leverage UK litigation to achieve global solutions.

We have been routinely instructed by one of the world’s leading international mobile messaging platform operator. 

Our client’s technology streamlines the mobile journey for over 1000 customers including some of the world’s biggest brands (and of course millions of mobile users) by providing solutions for verification, authentication, and engagement, as well as monetisation opportunities for operators

Over the past year, we have advised on:

  • Collaboration agreements with national telecommunication carriers across North and South America, North Africa, Europe and Asia.
  • Customer service agreements (and amendments to such agreements) with global brands.
  • Customer-facing template agreements, guiding them through the legal stages of their customers’ journey.
  • Our client’s rights and obligations under existing contracts with national telecommunication carriers and assisting Tyntec to negotiate more favourable terms due to changing market conditions.

The impact of our advice has resulted in the client having more robust contractual protection in its customer-facing contracts. In a fluid market, the client has also been able to negotiate better terms with large telecommunication carriers, as opposed to having to engage on less favourable (and often “take it or leave it”) terms with major players in the market.

Working with a leading MVNO as it builds out its operations to become a Full MVNO. Our advice includes counselling on telecoms regulatory, data privacy, security, roaming, brand protection and commercial agreements.

Our ability to offer both a “full service” legal team’s advice in combination with deep sector and technical expertise means our client has steadily ramped up the range and complexity of the advice it seeks from us as, in turn, its operations have expanded in scope and risk.

What others say

“The firm is very responsive and flexible in order to adapt to client priorities.”

Chambers & Partners 2025

“Bristows is our go-to firm for complex and sophisticated matters. It has first-rate capability across the board.”

Chambers & Partners 2025

“The lawyers have a deep knowledge of the technology market and can handle complex matters confidently and with an ability to communicate simply with a range of stakeholders.”

Chambers & Partners 2025

“Pragmatic approach to support the client needs.”

Legal 500 2025

“They don’t simply bill for the hours they’ve worked. Instead, they evaluate whether those hours were reasonable and whether we, as their client, have derived sufficient value from them. If they feel that the value delivered doesn’t align with the hours billed, they’re more than willing to adjust the fee to ensure our satisfaction.”

Legal 500 2025

“They possess an excellent understanding of our industry, and technology in particular, which sets them apart. While being a full-service law firm, they also embody the personalised attention and specialised expertise typically associated with boutique firms.”

Legal 500 2025

“Highly responsive, with deep expertise in AI and the multiple complex product areas that intersect in counselling AI products.”

Legal 500 2025

“Professional, always available, knowledgeable, and skilled.”

Legal 500 2025

“The team have both the resources and skills necessary to manage substantial litigation and arbitration, approaching such disputes with good humour, hard work, and creativity.”

Legal 500 2025

“Their IT and telecoms team is a market leader. Their market experience is exceptional across the board, everyone’s input is encouraged and valued such that clients feel involved, but looked after.”

Legal 500 2025

“They have a clear understanding of what our business wants to achieve and that underpins all their advice. They know when to involve the business stakeholders and are able to tailor their approach to that audience and suggest solutions that take key business drivers into account.”

Chambers and Partners 2024

“Bristows has a comprehensive IT practice with powerful resources for major commercial transactions and complex litigation. It advises many of the world’s leading technology companies, and also sophisticated blue-chip buyers of IT services. It is especially adept at providing counsel on the most current and cutting-edge issues in the technology space. Bristows houses experienced advisers on digital advertising and cloud computing matters.”

Chambers and Partners 2024

“Bristows is our go-to firm for any complex or high-value technology work. The team is accessible, responsive and incredibly knowledgeable and a pleasure to work with.”

Legal 500 2024

“Excellent legal skills, combined with a good sector knowledge and a hands-on approach, make Bristows a very useful resource.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“Commercial awareness is definitely one of Bristows’ strong points. Team members’ prior in-house experience shows. It is great to receive advice that is commercially balanced and easily understood by all functions of our business.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“Even in the event the requests were a bit outside of telecom regulations, the firm were able to assist with providing an exhaustive response to all enquiries. They always responded within the quoted review time and usually exceeded expectations.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“All team members have very deep experience in different fields of expertise. They understand what kind of level of response a client needs before wasting money on long reports, which is very much appreciated. On top of this, they provide updates on UK case law that are very helpful.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“Their advice is always practical, realistic and adaptable.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“Bristows have an incredible depth and breadth of experience.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“Bristows has a comprehensive IT practice with powerful resources for major commercial transactions and complex litigation. It advises many of the world’s leading technology companies, and also sophisticated blue-chip buyers of IT services. It is especially adept at providing counsel on the most current and cutting-edge issues in the technology space.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“They are technically very strong, giving us great confidence in their advice.”

Chambers and Partners 2023

“The Bristows reputation management team is small but experienced and has the advantage of being able to offer cross-expertise to other Bristows specialist departments such as data protection, copyright and IT generally. In the internet age that is very valuable.”

 

Legal 500 2023

“Exceptional practice, well motivated, and proactive.”

Legal 500 2023

“Excellent knowledge in the life sciences and technology space. The team is reliable and strong at all levels. I enjoy working with the team.”

Legal 500 2023

“Bristows LLP’s ‘excellent knowledge of the life sciences and technology space’ attracts a high-profile roster of clients including Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca and Facebook.”

Legal 500 2023

“They’re incredibly practical, contextually astute and do an excellent job educating and thinking about complicated legal situations in a way that allows for forward momentum.”

Chambers and Partners 2022

“Bristows are a class act through and through, a quality firm providing in-depth coverage.”

Chambers and Partners 2022

“We like to be able to take them into complex situations where they can be practical, and we like that they’re adaptable.”

Chambers and Partners 2022

“Their sector experience is really broad and deep.”

Chambers and Partners 2022

“I feel like we get a very personal service from them, they reach out to me and they always provide all the information.”

Chambers and Partners 2022

Recent rankings and awards

Telecommunications - Band 4

IT and Telecoms - Tier 1

Technology, Media and Telecoms - Tier 1