Rob Bratby

Rob Bratby is the founder and Managing Partner of Bratby Law, a specialist English law firm advising on regulation and transactions across the Telecoms Regulation, Data Protection and Payments Regulation sectors. He has more than 30 years’ experience advising on complex legal, regulatory and commercial issues affecting communications networks, digital infrastructure, technology platforms, software businesses, data-driven organisations and payment services.

His practice combines regulatory depth, technical understanding and commercial judgement. He advises boards, investors, founders, in-house teams and product teams on matters that are strategically important, commercially sensitive or time-critical. His work also includes Transactions, including commercial contracts, infrastructure arrangements, joint ventures, acquisitions and sector-specific corporate work.

Experience and background

Rob has worked in private practice, in-house and at the UK telecoms regulator. He has advised in the UK, Europe and Asia, including from senior roles in London and Singapore. That mix of regulatory, private practice and in-house experience gives him a practical understanding of how businesses operate, how regulators think, and how legal advice needs to support decision-making in live commercial environments.

He leads Bratby Law’s work across telecoms, data and payments, and also supports clients through the firm’s three engagement models: Direct Legal Advice, Specialist Co-counsel and Fractional General Counsel.

What Rob advises on

Telecoms regulation

Rob advises telecoms operators, digital infrastructure providers and investors on UK and cross-border telecoms regulation. His work includes licensing and authorisation, the General Conditions, numbering, switching, interconnection, wholesale access, spectrum, telecoms security and resilience, enforcement risk and regulatory strategy. He also advises on engagement with Ofcom and on the application of UK telecoms legislation and policy to new products, network change and market entry.

See also: Telecoms Regulation.

Data protection

Rob advises on data protection, AI and data governance in regulated and technology-driven businesses. His work includes UK GDPR compliance, PECR, international data use issues, governance for AI-enabled products, accountability frameworks, DPIAs, data-sharing models and regulator engagement.

See also: Data Protection.

Payments regulation

Rob advises on payments regulation and related transactions, including payment services, open banking, scheme governance, regulatory perimeter issues and product design in regulated payment environments. This includes work relevant to payment institutions, e-money firms, banks, fintechs, infrastructure providers and investors.

See also: Payments Regulation.

Transactions

Rob advises on commercial contracts and corporate transactions across telecoms, data and payments. His work includes network-sharing arrangements, MVNO and wholesale agreements, digital infrastructure projects, cloud and SaaS contracts, data commercialisation, joint ventures, shareholder arrangements, acquisitions and disposals.

See also: Transactions.

How Rob works with clients

Rob advises clients directly on regulatory, commercial and transactional matters. He also works alongside law firms, consultancies and other professional advisers where specialist sector expertise is needed. In addition, he acts in a fractional general counsel capacity for selected clients that require ongoing senior legal and regulatory support.

This model is designed to give clients direct access to experienced, specialist advice without the layers and overhead of a larger firm. It also allows Bratby Law to support businesses in different ways depending on the nature of the issue, the internal legal resource available and the pace at which decisions need to be made.

Read more about Direct Legal Advice, Specialist Co-counsel and Fractional General Counsel.

Qualifications and training

Rob holds degrees in Natural Sciences and Law from Cambridge, an MBA from Henley, a Postgraduate Diploma in Intellectual Property Law and Practice from Bristol, and is a graduate of the INSEAD International Directors Programme. That combination of legal, technical, commercial and governance training supports work that sits at the intersection of regulation, technology, risk and strategy.

Why clients instruct Rob Bratby

Clients instruct Rob when they need clear and commercially grounded advice on specialist issues that matter to the business. They value his ability to analyse complex regulatory frameworks, understand technical and operational context, and translate legal issues into practical recommendations for senior decision-makers.

They also value direct access to a senior specialist, particularly on matters involving telecoms regulation, digital infrastructure, data protection, payments regulation, strategic contracts and cross-border risk.

See more

• Why choose Bratby Law?
• Services
• Telecoms Regulation
• Data Protection
• Payments Regulation
• Transactions
• Co-counsel
• Fractional General Counsel