ROUNDTABLE The International Whos Who of Regulatory Communications - PDF document

ROUNDTABLE www.whoswholegal.com 2 THE INTERNATIONAL WHO’S WHO OF REGULATORY COMMUNICATIONS LAWYERS ROUNDTABLE The International Who’s Who of Regulatory Communications Lawyers has brought together four of the leading practitioners in the world to discuss key issues facing lawyers today. DEVELOPING MARKETS to contribute to the building or development of their communications infrastructures and Who’s Who Legal: A number of networks. the lawyers we spoke to in developed markets noted the continuing Andrew D Lipman: Having gone through premium placed on their services some three decades of profound regulatory change in the US telecoms market, US-based by governments, regulatory bodies telecoms attorneys are ideal repositories of and private clients in developing experience and lore for governments, regulatory Mike Conradi jurisdictions. Is this the case in bodies and private clients in developing DLA Piper UK LLP your experience? Which emerging jurisdictions. Many developing countries find England themselves trying to “cut to the chase”, and jurisdictions are particularly active at to achieve rapidly a regulatory and market the moment? And what effect is the environment conducive to today’s technology influx of foreign legal professionals and conditions. By working with US experts, having on the local bar? they can arrive at a deeper understanding of the areas in which US policy has succeeded in Stefano Macchi di Cellere: It is true that fostering technological innovation and universal lawyers that have gained in the US or Europe a service, but avoid making some of the mistakes deep understanding of the telecoms sector since that happened along the way in the US. its early liberalisation phase are better equipped At the same time, of course, no developing Andrew D Lipman to provide to governments, operators and jurisdiction faces exactly the same problems that Bingham McCutchen LLP investors in emerging jurisdictions the cutting- the US has faced. Thus, sensitivity is needed USA, DC edge advice they are now seeking to support among US practitioners to adapt their advice the development of their local market. Yet, to individual circumstances faced by their while having a good knowledge of established clients abroad, be they governments, regulators, telecom regulation frameworks is fundamental, providers or buyers of services. This requires a strong experience on the field is a necessary being attuned to pre-existing local regulatory requirement to offer proper advice, as there are conditions, market structures, entrepreneurial enormous differences among what are nowadays players and user needs. defined as “emerging markets”: countries in the US practitioners can be seen not so much as Middle East, for example, present challenges competing with the local bar in these countries and opportunities that are often different from as providing the opportunity to work together those found in Asia, or Africa, which indeed to interface US experience with local needs and Stefano Macchi di Cellere are composed of neighbouring jurisdictions conditions though constructive give and take. We Jones Day that are particularly active at this moment, but value our ability both to listen and contribute to Italy stand at different mobile teledensity levels and these partnerships. With this approach in mind, population average wealth (such as South Africa we have not found that there is a strict divide and Nigeria). Therefore, whatever the lawyer’s between those jurisdictions that are and are experience, there is no one-size-fits-all premium not amenable to this kind of cooperation. But to be offered. jurisdictions that are taking particular advantage In the emerging jurisdictions, India has of this opportunity include Brazil, Russia, China, historically been hostile to foreign lawyers in South Africa and Mexico. general, and no exception is made today to legal experts bringing a particular know-how Mike Conradi: In our experience there is less in TMT regulations. Other governments, like call for telecoms regulatory expertise in the Peter Waters those within the MEA region, instead very developed economies of the European Union Gilbert + Tobin much welcome foreign firms, which are invited (except in the very largest of cases) but there is Australia E ditorial policy and sElEction critEria : n ominEEs havE bEEn sElEctEd basEd upon comprEhEnsivE , indEpEndEnt survEy work with both gEnEral counsEl and rEgulatory communications lawyErs in privatE practicE worldwidE . o nly spEcialists who havE mEt indEpEndEnt intErnational rEsEarch critEria arE listEd .