Specialist Co-counsel

Specialist Co-counsel for Telecoms, Data and Payments matters

Introduction

Bratby Law provides specialist co-counsel support to UK and international law firms, consultancies and advisory practices requiring deep expertise in telecoms regulation, data governance, data protection and digital-infrastructure matters. The service strengthens wider client delivery by supplying focused, senior-level legal input on issues where English-law analysis, UK-regulatory interpretation or specialist telecoms, data protection, payments and digital-infrastructure regulatory expertise is required..

We integrate effectively into cross-border advisory teams, supporting transactions, investigations, policy projects, market studies, legislative reform and digital-sector consultancy work.

Who this is for

Specialist co-counsel support is used where a project, transaction or advisory mandate requires English-law input or UK-sector expertise that complements the instructing firm’s core capabilities. The examples below illustrate typical profiles of organisations that instruct Bratby Law.

Corporate and commercial law firms

Firms acting on transactions, joint ventures or complex commercial arrangements requiring telecoms, digital, data or payments regulatory expertise, including English-law risk allocation and specialist drafting.


International firms acting on English-law governed cross-border matters

Overseas practices undertaking M&A, private equity, financing or infrastructure transactions governed by English law and requiring UK telecoms, data protection, payments or digital regulatory interpretation, risk allocation, drafting and sign-off.

Consultancies and advisory firms

Economic, strategic and technical consultancies delivering market studies, policy reviews, legislative drafting, institutional reforms, spectrum auctions, digital transformation programmes and competitive assessments requiring specialist legal input grounded in UK and English-law practice.

Our specialist co-counsel support

We operate as an extension of your team, providing targeted English-law and UK-regulatory advice across telecoms, digital infrastructure, Data protection and emerging technologies. Our involvement ensures legal accuracy, regulatory integrity and commercial realism across complex assignments, whether the work is undertaken openly or on a white-label basis.

Our specialist co-counsel support, is delivered directly by a senior English solicitor with more than 30 years’ experience in global telecoms and technology markets, including extensive work on multi-jurisdictional transactions, regulatory reforms and infrastructure projects.

How we help

Specialist co-counsel for telecoms and technology transactions

We support law firms undertaking M&A, private equity, infrastructure, financing and strategic transactions in the telecoms, digital infrastructure, technology and data sectors. Our role is to provide the specialist English law and UK regulatory input required to scope, negotiate and deliver transactions effectively.

Typical instructions include:

  • Reviewing UK and international telecoms and digital regulatory frameworks to identify risks and strategic considerations
  • Conducting specialist due diligence on networks, spectrum, infrastructure, licences, data governance and regulatory compliance
  • Supporting negotiation of warranties, indemnities and covenants concerning telecoms regulation, security, data protection and regulatory risk
  • Advising on approvals, licensing implications, notifications and market-access requirements under English law
  • Providing concise, commercially relevant input on transaction structuring, risk allocation and integration planning

Legal support to consultancies

We work with economic, technical and strategic consultancies delivering international projects in telecoms, digital markets, data governance and compliance. Our work covers the full cycle of policy design, legal drafting and implementation support.

Typical instructions include:

  • Drafting or reviewing laws, regulations, licences, authorisation frameworks and institutional reform proposals
  • Designing or assessing spectrum auctions, allocation rules, tender processes and regulatory instruments
  • Preparing legal input to market studies, policy assessments, sector diagnostics and digital transformation programmes
  • Providing English-law analysis to ensure integrity and coherence of deliverables requiring legal content
  • Supporting cross-border consultancy teams that need UK regulatory or English law elements integrated into wider advisory work

English-law local counsel

We act as English-law specialists local counsel for foreign law firms and advisory practices delivering projects where the governing law is English law or where UK regulatory considerations arise within broader cross-border mandates.

Typical instructions include:

  • English-law analysis of telecoms, digital, data protection and online-safety obligations
  • English-law review and drafting of sector-specific provisions in international contracts
  • English-law summaries and sign-off on due-diligence findings and regulatory reports
  • Identifying UK-specific risks, approvals, licensing requirements and compliance obligations
  • Supporting market-entry, licensing and infrastructure projects involving the UK regulatory environment
  • Integrating English-law analysis into multi-jurisdictional project teams across EMEA, APAC and the Americas

What we deliver

Our specialist co-counsel support provides:

  • Due diligence and transaction support
  • Analysis and assistance with regulatory approvals
  • English-law interpretation across telecoms, data protection, payments and security regimes
  • Regulatory analysis of General Conditions, SMP obligations, Code Powers, numbering, spectrum and security requirements
  • Specialist drafting and review of telecoms, digital and data-related provisions in English-law governed contracts
  • Expert input to disputes, regulatory appeals, enforcement matters and investigations
  • Preparation of UK-regulatory content for policies, legislation, licences, auction rules and institutional reform
  • English-law summaries and sign-off for international due diligence, investor memoranda and regulatory reports
  • Coordination of regulatory workstreams on complex multi-jurisdictional assignments

An end-to-end regulatory perspective

Rob Bratby’s experience spans three perspectives that are seldom combined in a single advisor:

The Regulator’s Perspective

Work at Oftel, the predecessor to Ofcom, provides first-hand experience of how UK communications regulation is developed, interpreted and enforced. This includes leadership of the project to liberalise the UK’s international telecoms infrastructure market (subsea cables and satellite), and a detailed understanding of regulatory intent and enforcement dynamics.

The Operator’s Perspective

Senior in-house roles at COLT and embedded general-counsel roles within industry-wide joint ventures and operator-side businesses provide practical insight into how businesses are run, where risks arise, how compliance is operationalised and how commercial and regulatory decisions are made inside carriers, fintechs and infrastructure operators.

The Advisor’s Perspective

Senior partnership and management roles at international US and UK law firms in both London and Singapore provide a deep understanding of how high quality legal advice is delivered and translated into commercial and regulatory decisions at board level.


This combination enables advice that is legally rigorous, commercially aligned and technically grounded.

Related practice areas

Other client engagement models

Independent directory rankings

Our specialist expertise is recognised in major independent legal directories:

  • Chambers & Partners: Rob Bratby is ranked in the UK Guide 2026 in the “Telecommunications” category: Chambers
  • The Legal 500: Rob Bratby is listed as a “Leading Partner – Telecoms” in London (TMT – IT & Telecoms): The Legal 500
  • Lexology: Rob Bratby is featured on Lexology’s expert profiles (Global Elite Thought Leader): Lexology
Chambers and Partners accreditation
Legal 500 accreditation

Conclusion

Bratby Law provides specialist co-counsel, senior-level support that strengthens your capability, protects your client relationships and delivers clear, commercially grounded outcomes. Our co-counsel model gives you reliable, sector-specific expertise precisely when you need it, enabling you to progress complex assignments with confidence.

To discuss specialist co-counsel support, please contact the firm to arrange a confidential conversation.

Schedule a discussion

What clients say about Bratby Law:

  • “…one of those rare lawyers who really does understand the business imperatives behind the legal situations businesses find themselves in.”

    “I worked with Rob over many years whilst I was at Orange. He is one of those rare lawyers who really does understand the business imperatives behind the legal situations businesses find themselves in. Most notably he provided first class support to me and my team on a high profile / high value joint venture network sharing deal. His ability to see both the detail and the bigger strategic picture were enormously helpful.”
    Amanda Doyle
    (Former) General Counsel, Orange UK

  • “I would highly recommend Rob and his team.”

    “I have had the pleasure of working with Rob now on a number of occasions and engagements with clients. Rob is one of the most knowledgeable people I have come across in the Telecommunications industry, both in his comprehensive understanding of the law for various countries and in the application of this law and what it means for Operators. This is complemented by his generosity with sharing his knowledge, and the friendly style with which he works. I would highly recommend Rob and his team.”
    Nick White
    (Former) Deloitte

  • “I would recommend Rob for any major Telecoms project”

    “I worked with Rob to introduce One Touch Switching for broadband and fixed voice, which launched successfully with almost two million customers using the service to date. Rob is a first class Legal Counsel with exceptional legal and regulatory knowledge enabling him to give insightful strategic guidance to the ExCo and the Board. He is highly trusted by Directors and easy to work with. I would recommend Rob for any major Telecoms project.”
    Toby Lovell
    (Former) Chief of Staff, The One Touch Switching Company

Frequently asked questions

Specialist Co-counsel

Specialist Co-counsel

Specialist English law regulatory expertise integrated effectively into your team