Practices

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.

Practice Highlights

What Others Say About Our Practice

Selected Experience

Lead counsel to Nortel Networks Inc. and affiliates in their U.S. Chapter 11 proceedings, which are closely coordinated with proceedings in Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Israel. Cleary Gottlieb is also representing Nortel on nine related material asset sales, generating over $7.5 billion in proceeds and named “Telecommunications Deal of the Year” by Investment Dealers’ Digest.
Counsel to Sony on its acquisition of Ericsson’s 50 percent stake in Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB.
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 Weather Investments, the mobile telecommunications company controlled by Egyptian magnate Naguib Sawiris, in its merger with VimpelCom.
Counsel to Goldman Sachs, as financial advisor to Global Crossing, in the $3 billion sale of Global Crossing to Level 3 Communications.
Counsel to Tele2 AB in its SEK550 million acquisition of a 51% controlling stake in Mobile Telecom-Service (NEO) from Kazakhtelecom JSC.
Counsel to E.T.I. Euro Telecom International in an ICSID arbitration (now an UNCITRAL proceeding) against the Plurinational State of Bolivia for breach of the Netherlands-Bolivia bilateral investment treaty.
Counsel to Atlantic Tele-Network in its successful defense against multiple injunctions sought by Verizon Wireless in connection with a claim of misappropriation relating to its hiring of a former Verizon Wireless employee.
Counsel to Grupo Iusacell, S.A. de C.V. and its subsidiaries, Grupo Iusacell Celular, S.A. de C.V. and Iusacell Infraestructura, S.A. de C.V., in an $800 million debt restructuring through two exchange offers and consent solicitations and two concurso mercantil (bankruptcy) proceedings in Mexico.
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.
Counsel to Telecom Italia in several litigation matters, including landmark victories against Vodafone in both the Court of Rome and in Milan Arbitration Court, preventing Vodafone from providing fixed-to-mobile number portability to customers.

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)

Best Local Currency Deal
(América Móvil's 8 billion peso 2036 Offering)
LatinFinance (2007)

Domestic M&A Deal of the Year
(Embratel's acquisition of Telmex Do Brasil and stake in Net Serviços de Comunição)
Latin Finance (2006)

“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)

“With Belgian and EU capability, this impressive US firm advises a variety of high-profile communications and technology clients on competition, regulatory and data protection issues, as well as litigation and M&A matters. Clients say its ‘astute lawyers provide thorough analyses of the issues’ and are ‘excellent for complicated and strategic cases.’”
Chambers Global (2009)

“‘The lawyers know how the competition business works inside-out’ explained one client, ‘and they also really understand highly technical matters in complicated industries such as the software sector.’”
Chambers Europe (2009)

Telecommunications

Selected Experience

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