Stuart Blythe is a partner in our corporate practice. He is dual U.S./English law qualified and advises corporations and financial institutions on a wide range of corporate and commercial transactions in the Technology, Media and Telecoms (TMT) sector. Often of a global nature, Stuart focuses on high value commercial agreements, M&A, joint ventures, restructurings, debt financings and infrastructure projects. He has significant industry experience, having spent nearly ten years in general counsel roles for telecoms multinationals. Stuart has also advised on a number of material U.S. law transactions in the TMT sector.
Prior to joining Baker Botts (in January 2020), Stuart co-authored a multinational study on the deployment of 5G. He actively supports the telecoms industry as a serving director of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals (ITP) and as legal adviser to the SubOptic trade association.
Related Experience
Commercial
- MCI WorldCom (now Verizon) on numerous high value data connectivity transactions including the provision of Virtual Private Network services to the London Stock Exchange and Centrica plc
- Bouygues Telecom in connection with the negotiation of a MVNO agreement and related commercial arrangements
- Drafting standard terms of business (including for the procurement of software/hardware/contractors and the deployment of infrastructure) for use by the procurement division of Cable & Wireless; seconded for 6 months to support the Cable & Wireless procurement division
- MCI WorldCom (now Verizon) on its participation in the UK 3G spectrum license auctions
- A global financial institution on its proposed securitization of spectrum on behalf of a multinational communications provider
- A consortium (confidential) on its participation in the tender process for grant of a concession to deploy 4G and 5G communications networks in the London Underground (and related facilities) including advising as to proposed commercial arrangements with the concession provider
- Cityfibre on its agreement with Vodafone for the deployment of fibre to the home (FTTH) to up to 5 million premises in the UK
- Equinix on its standard terms and conditions for colocation and hosting services
- Various communications companies on high value capacity and IRU (indefeasible right of use) sales
Corporate
- NASDAQ listed multinational operator on proposed acquisition of French/German listed telecommunications operators (aggregate sale value of USD 3bn), including advising on registration rights/dual listing issues relating to proposed use of U.S. stock as consideration*
- A U.S. investment bank on proposed sale of multinational telecommunications operator by way of auction process*
- Irish corporation on its sale of pan-European communications operator to NYSE listed multinational operator*
- A target company and institutional investor shareholders on proposed sale of multinational telecommunications operator including coordination of advice in nine jurisdictions*
- Multinational communications operator on its acquisition of communications network assets in The Netherlands and Sweden*
- A multinational telecommunications operator on separation, by way of asset/business sale, of the company's retail and network activities*
- A UK listed company on the sale of an electronic alarm business*
- A UK listed telecommunications operator with respect to the establishment of a joint venture for the development and marketing of interactive information telephones*
- A multinational corporation on a "going-private" transaction (implemented by way of reverse stock split) to terminate the company's status as an SEC registrant*
- A Danish multinational on its sale of wind energy projects*
- Boards on numerous corporate governance issues including as to obligations as a U.S. "foreign private issuer"*
Infrastructure & Projects
- Liquid Telecom on its proposed deployment of a subsea fibre cable between Jordan and South Africa with multiple landing points in the Middle East and Africa
- SSE Telecom (part of the SSE plc energy utility) on its participation in a tripartite fibre network build with the MNOs, O2 and Three
- A multinational telecommunications operator on the sale of one half of its network assets along a network route of approximately 5,000km; the sale involved the negotiation of an ongoing operational agreement allowing the joint operation of pan-European network infrastructure and the acquisition of metro telecommunications networks in 7 European cities*
- Separate joint ventures to operate fixed-line telephony businesses in Singapore and Italy*
- Operating and landing agreements in connection with the "Gemini" transatlantic cable system*
- The construction of submarine cable system between Finland and Germany*
- Rights of way/wayleaves with both private and public landowners, including the UK Crown Estate*
- French legal proceedings relating to alleged overcharging for right of way fees; amount in dispute exceeded EUR 13m*
- The roll-out of pan-European, national backbone and metro telecommunications networks including negotiation of joint construction agreements*
- A Board Director of a construction company involved in the construction of infrastructure networks throughout Europe and Asia Pacific*
- NASDAQ listed multinational communications operator on its participation in the Southern Cross subsea cable system linking Australasia and the United States – at the time the largest ever project-financed subsea cable transaction*
- Infrastructure investment fund on its investment in a transatlantic subsea cable system*
- Open access network operator on its construction of a network in central London*
- Leading UK outsourcing and energy services company on data centre developments, including arrangements with local authorities to provide energy as a by-product of the data centre operation*
* Prior to Joining Baker Botts
Awards & Community
Recommended in Chambers UK for Telecommunications, 2022, 2023 & 2024
News
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Financing sub-sea cables
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WIOCC and TEXAF’s Shareholder Agreement for the Operation of OADC Kinshasa
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WIOCC's $30 Million Equity Investment
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Baker Botts-Stuart Blythe
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Thought Leadership
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Subsea Networks
Speeches & PresentationsUK M&A and National Security - the Government's Proposed New Screening Powers
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WebinarDirector's Duties and Liabilities Amidst the COVID - 19 Pandemic
Client UpdatesCOVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Submarine Cables As Critical Infrastructure
External ArticleTotal Telecom