Stuart Blythe

Partner

[email protected]

London

P: +44.20.7726.3682
F: +44.20.7726.3582
Stuart Blythe

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

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