Olswang Boosts International TMT Offering with New Partner
18th March 2014
18 March 2014
International TMT law firm Olswang strengthens its TMT offering with the arrival of new partner Sylvie Rousseau. Sylvie will enhance Olswang's Telecoms, IT, Outsourcing and Data Protection cross-border offering and extend it to Africa, thanks to her considerable experience in Telecoms transactions in the continent. Sylvie is registered at both the Brussels and the Paris bar and will operate from both the firm's Brussels and Paris offices.
Previously at Linklaters, Sylvie builds on more than ten years of international practice to support Olswang in the development of a combined regulatory and commercial offering. Sylvie's expertise in advising multinational companies spans many sectors: Technology and Telecommunications, as well as Banking, Leisure and Life Sciences. She has developed a solid cross-border experience in TMT matters, with a focus on providing regulatory and transactional advice to telecoms operators and tower companies, as well as on advising global technology companies on data protection, outsourcing and IT service agreements. Her work also includes supporting clients on e-business and internet-related legal issues, such as the validity of online contracts, online advertising, IT security and e-signatures.
Over the years Sylvie has developed a strong network and close relationships with various industry bodies and European institutions, including the European Commission's Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, as well as local regulators, such as the Belgian Privacy Commission and the French CNIL. She also often deals with local telecom regulators in African jurisdictions, mainly with respect to infrastructure sharing transactions or transfer of licences issues.
Her track-record includes advising the Nigerian-based telecommunications infrastructure provider IHS Holding Limited on their purchase of MTN's mobile network towers in Ivory Coast and Cameroon, which was voted Telecom Finance Africa Telecom deal of the year in 2012.
David Stewart, Chief Executive at Olswang, commented: "Sylvie's appointment is designed to support the continual growth of our truly international TMT practice at Olswang. With data protection grabbing headlines and the prospect of major infrastructure sharing deals in the telecom sector, global organisations need legal professionals who can navigate the intricacies of national regulations, understand the political landscape and deliver forward-thinking advice. With Sylvie working between Brussels and Paris we will be able to extend our capability not only to French-speaking jurisdictions in Europe, but also to francophone Africa. Ultimately, Paris is the hub for francophone Africa TMT transactions, so Sylvie's input will be a major boost for Olswang to be able to make the most of the growth potential in that region."
