Organisations operating in the telecoms, payments, digital infrastructure, technology and data-driven sectors need advice that is technically right and commercially usable. Bratby Law provides senior-level regulatory and transactional support across telecoms regulation, data protection, payments regulation, digital regulation and technology contracting. Direct legal advice is the model for a specific matter: defined scope, a clear fee, and a partner doing the work inside your project team.

Who is direct legal advice for

Direct legal advice is for businesses and in-house teams that need specialist telecoms, data protection or payments regulation input on a discrete matter, with a defined scope and clear fee structure.

• In-house legal teams seeking specialist support on UK telecoms, data, payments or technology matters
• Regulatory teams preparing for Ofcom, FCA, PSR or ICO engagement
• Commercial teams negotiating sector-specific agreements
• Technology companies, platforms and infrastructure providers requiring subject-matter expertise
• Investors and financial institutions assessing regulatory or contractual risk
• International businesses needing guidance on UK regulatory frameworks

Our direct legal advice services

What clients ask

Clients instruct Bratby Law for direct legal advice when they need clarity on questions such as:

• Are we subject to UK telecoms regulation and what authorisations do we require?
• How do the General Conditions or the Telecommunications Security Act apply?
• Do we need FCA authorisation as a payment service provider, and what are the ongoing compliance requirements?
• What are our obligations under PSRs 2017, and how does the FCA safeguarding regime affect our operations?
• What is our risk exposure under the UK GDPR and how do we mitigate it?
• How should we structure telecoms, payments or technology agreements?
• What are the regulatory or commercial risks on a transaction or investment?

How we help

Direct legal advice provides focused, senior specialist support on a per-matter basis, including:

• Interpretation of telecoms, data protection and payments regulatory frameworks
• Guidance on compliance with Ofcom, FCA, PSR, ICO and relevant sector regulators
• Advisory support on the General Conditions, security obligations and operational compliance
• Data protection advice, including DPIAs, controller and processor frameworks, international transfers, and data protection for AI-enabled products
• Commercial and technology contracting, including SaaS, platform agreements, network-sharing and wholesale arrangements
• Transactional support, including M&A, digital infrastructure projects and regulatory due diligence
• Engagement with regulators, including responses to consultations, investigations and enforcement activity

Advice reflects commercial reality and board priorities: the point is to manage regulatory and contractual risk without getting in the way of the product or the deal.

Value and deliverables from direct legal advice

Clients using this model receive:

• Senior, partner-level advice throughout the instruction
• Clear written analysis a board can act on
• Practical compliance frameworks and operational guidance
• Negotiation support and risk allocation on commercial arrangements
• Works inside your project timetable and governance
• Predictable scoping and transparent pricing

To support matter-specific instructions, this page links into all our core Practice Areas:

• Telecoms Regulation: licensing, conditions, security, numbering, spectrum and enforcement
• Data Protection: UK GDPR, DPIAs, international transfers, AI-enabled products, ICO engagement
• Payments Regulation: PSRs 2017, FCA authorisation, open banking, cVRPs, scheme governance
• Transactions: commercial contracts, infrastructure projects, M&A and network arrangements

Client use cases

Typical direct legal advice instructions include:

• Advising a telecoms operator on General Conditions compliance for a new product launch
• Supporting a technology company on data governance and transparency requirements
• Advising an investor on regulatory exposure in a digital infrastructure acquisition
• Drafting and negotiating an MVNO agreement, interconnection framework or SaaS contract
• Responding to Ofcom or ICO investigations and compliance notices

Representative experience

Recent and representative matters include:

• Advised a mobile operator on whether its new IoT connectivity product required separate regulatory authorisation, resolving the regulatory classification within two weeks of instruction.
• Advised a wireless network operator on its response to an Ofcom provisional decision in an enforcement matter.
• Provided compliance advice to a SaaS platform on international data transfers following the UK adequacy decision review, restructuring transfer mechanisms across 12 jurisdictions.
• Acted for communications providers in the partial private circuits interconnection dispute, in which Ofcom determinations requiring BT to repay significant overcharges were upheld by the Competition Appeal Tribunal and the Court of Appeal.
• Advised technology companies on international data transfers, putting in place standard contractual clauses and transfer risk assessments with customers and suppliers.

Frequently asked questions

How is direct legal advice scoped and priced?

Each instruction is scoped at the outset with a clear description of the work, deliverables and timeline. Pricing is typically fixed fee or capped, agreed before work begins. If the scope changes, we discuss the implications before incurring additional cost.

What types of matter does direct legal advice cover?

Discrete regulatory questions, compliance assessments, enforcement responses, regulatory due diligence, and contract drafting and negotiation. The common feature is a defined scope and a clear end point. Where a matter needs ongoing support, we say so and suggest whether fractional general counsel is the better model.

How quickly can you start?

Most instructions can be picked up within 48 hours. For urgent enforcement or investigation responses, we can mobilise on the same day. We will confirm availability and a realistic timeline before accepting the instruction.

Do I need to be in a regulated sector to use this service?

No. Many instructions come from businesses that are not themselves regulated but need advice on how telecoms, data protection or payments regulation affects their operations, products or transactions. Regulatory perimeter analysis is one of the most common direct legal advice instructions.

What is the difference between direct legal advice and your other engagement models?

Direct legal advice is matter-specific with a defined scope and end point. Specialist co-counsel is for law firms that need our regulatory expertise on their matter. Fractional general counsel is an ongoing, part-time relationship covering the full range of legal and regulatory work. The right model depends on the nature and duration of the work.

Can you advise on matters that span telecoms, data protection and payments?

Yes. Many matters cross two or more regulatory regimes. A connected device product may raise both telecoms regulatory and data protection compliance questions. A payments product may require FCA authorisation analysis alongside UK GDPR assessment. We cover all three pillars without needing to instruct separate advisers.

Independent directory rankings

Our specialist expertise is recognised in major independent legal directories:

• Chambers & Partners: Rob Bratby is ranked as a Band 2 lawyer in the UK Guide 2026 in the “Telecommunications” category: Chambers
• The Legal 500: Rob Bratby is listed as a Leading Partner for Telecoms in London (TMT: IT and Telecoms). The Legal 500
• Lexology: Rob Bratby is recognised in the Lexology Index as a Global Elite Thought Leader for telecoms and media, and as a Thought Leader for data privacy and protection: Lexology