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Telecommunications
As the telecommunications industry has diversified, consolidated and become increasingly global, Cleary Gottlieb has used its cross-border expertise to help clients move their business forward. With a network of 14 integrated offices on four continents, Cleary Gottlieb has a deep understanding of transactions involving multiple jurisdictions with differing regulatory requirements. Given the wide range of telecommunications work that we do, lawyers from all corporate transactional areas as well as from the intellectual property, restructuring and litigation practices regularly assist industry clients.
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Selected Experience
- Lead counsel to Nortel Networks and affiliates in their U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings, which are coordinated with proceedings in Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Israel. Also counsel to Nortel Networks in nearly $7.5 billion of asset sales, including the $4.5 billion sale of its residual patent assets to a consortium consisting of Apple, EMC, Ericsson, Microsoft, Research in Motion and Sony.
- Counsel to Google on multiple aspects of its acquisition of Motorola Mobility, a deal which included more than 17,000 patents and was named an “M&A Deal of the Year” by The Deal. Also counsel to Google in its acquisitions of other telecom, media and technology companies, including ITA Software, AdMob and Admeld.
- Counsel to Sony on its acquisition of Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB.
- Antitrust counsel to Deutsche Telekom in its proposed $39 billion sale of T-Mobile USA to AT&T, the largest merger deal announced in 2011.
- Counsel to Open Capital, a private equity group focused on investments in Russia and the CIS, in its acquisition of a minority stake in Professionali.ru, a Russian social business network.
- Counsel to América Móvil, the leading provider of wireless services in Latin America, in its acquisition of the Honduras operations of Digicel Group Limited and its affiliates, and subsequent sale of América Móvil’s Jamaica operations to Digicel. Also counsel to América Móvil in two concurrent exchange offers to acquire all the outstanding shares of Telmex Internacional and of Carso Global Telecom.
- Counsel to TPG Capital and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners in their $27.5 billion acquisition of Alltel—the largest-ever completed telecommunications buyout—and in the subsequent $28.1 billion sale of Alltel to Verizon Wireless.
- Counsel to a consortium of existing shareholders in the going-private transaction of Funtalk China Holdings Limited, a leading retailer and wholesale distributor of wireless communications devices, accessories, and content in 30 provinces in China.
- Counsel to IBM in a successful defense before the EU Commission against a series of high-profile antitrust complaints in the areas of mainframe emulation, mainframe pricing, and maintenance services for mainframes.
- Counsel to Weather Investments, the mobile telecommunications company controlled by Egyptian magnate Naguib Sawiris, in its merger with VimpelCom.
- Counsel to Tele2 AB in its SEK550 million acquisition of a 51% controlling stake in Mobile Telecom-Service (NEO) from Kazakhtelecom JSC.
- Counsel to Helios Investment Partners in the acquisition by Helios of a 22% stake in a joint venture vehicle established by Portugal Telecom to hold all of its telecommunications assets and interests in sub-Saharan Africa valued at $1.2 billion.
- Counsel to American Tower, a leading owner and operator of broadcast and wireless communications sites in North America and Mexico, in a series of debt offerings and financing transactions.
- Longstanding counsel to Deutsche Telekom in various matters, including a series of debt and equity financings.
America's M&A Deal of the Year,
M&A Deal of the Year
(Nortel’s patent auction)
International Financial Law Review (2012), The Deal (2012), Managing Intellectual Property (2011)
M&A Deal of the Year
(Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility)
The Deal (2012)
Best Corporate High-Grade Bond
(América Móvil’s dual-tranche offering)
LatinFinance (2012)
Standout Firm for Technology, Media and Telecoms
(Nortel Networks' patent auction)
Financial Times' U.S. Innovative Lawyers (2011)
Investment-Grade Corporate Bond of the Year
(América Movil's €2.5 billion bond)
International Financing Review (2011)
#2 in Asian Telecommunications M&A (Excluding Japan)
Thomson Reuters, 2011 Rankings (Announced, value)
Telecom Deal of the Year
(Nortel's asset sales)
Investment Dealers' Digest (2010)
Commended Firm for Restructuring
(Cross-border asset sale of Nortel Networks)
Financial Times' U.S. Innovative Lawyers (2010)
Telecom Deal of the Year
(TPG & GS Capital Partners' acquisition of Alltel)
Investment Dealers' Digest (2008)
“Technology and telecoms clients continue to benefit from this firm’s strong competition/EU law practice and its ability to handle complex regulatory matters. Belgium and Italy are the group’s strongholds in the European market, and it advises a range of eminent international names.”
Chambers Global (2012)
“This stellar TMT practice is renowned for its excellent telecoms practice…The dynamic team handles a raft of TMT issues including transactional, regulatory, antitrust and contentious work. ‘An all-round talented firm.’”
Chambers Europe (2012)
“The large TMT department at this U.S. heavyweight is best known for its competition expertise, but covers a diverse range of areas including M&A, licensing and distribution agreements, domain name disputes and data protection issues under EU and national laws. ... ‘Can handle a huge volume of work.’ ‘Particularly strong on competition issues.’”
Chambers Europe (2011)
“This firm is lauded in Europe for its technology and communications work in Italy and Belgium in particular. … The Brussels office is similarly expert in antitrust and other regulatory concerns, and in transactions. … [Sources describe the firm as] ‘a strong player in the market’ [and] ‘a good choice for a cross-border deal.’”
Chambers Global (2010)
“This firm is sought after for its premium competition and antitrust advice. The firm is proficient in both EU and local law, and boasts able litigators and an acclaimed corporate practice. Clients highlight the group's seamless work with the firm’s North American offices.”
“Symptomatic of its high-profile work in the sector and the expansion of its TMT team, Cleary climbs the rankings this year.”
Chambers Europe (2010)
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