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Telecommunications

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Expertise

"Above any other top-tier corporate firm, we choose this team for their proven industry experience, legal knowledge and, above all else, their commercial acumen and ability to deliver advice that is understandable and digestible by the business."  The Legal 500, 2022

For many years, Matheson has consistently worked on the most complex and high-profile Irish telecoms matters and we take pride in being the ‘go-to’ experts in the key sector of the Irish economy.

Matheson's Telecoms Group is consistently recognised by international legal directories as a leading advisor to telecoms operators in Ireland. Having acted on all major transactions, regulatory approval applications, Court cases and regulatory investigations / adjudication processes involving Irish telecoms operators for many years, the Group offers clients legal advice of the highest calibre which is informed by deep industry expertise.

Our cross-departmental team is the largest in Ireland. We have specialists in every practice area who frequently work on telecoms matters and therefore we offer industry expertise as well as practice area expertise to telecoms clients.

Our Team

Experience Highlights

Advice on Compliance with Regulatory Obligations

  • Advising Three, Ireland's largest mobile operator, on ensuring compliance with regulatory obligations.
  • Advising Sky, a leading broadband provider and mobile operator, on ensuring compliance with regulatory obligations.
  • Advising Virgin Media / Liberty Global, a leading broadband and mobile operator, on ensuring compliance with regulatory obligations.
  • Advising Speed Fibre Group, operator of a State-sponsored fibre network and commercial wholesale and retail broadband businesses, on ensuring compliance with regulatory obligations.
  • Advising a spacecraft manufacturer on the Irish, EU and US regulatory and licencing requirements surrounding the launch of its latest satellite constellation as well as advising on the launch of its satellite broadband services in Ireland and elsewhere in the EU.
  • Advising manufacturers of high-performance luxury cars on all its telecoms and infrastructure projects in Ireland including innovative in-built vehicle technologies and products such as emergency calling services and electronic SIM cards.
  • Advising all clients on the implementation and implications of fundamentally important EU laws including the Roaming Regulation, the European Electronic Communications Code and the Network and Information Systems 2.0 Directive.
  • Advising all clients on interacting with the licensing regime in Ireland, including in respect of regulatory obligations under ComReg's General Authorisation (GA), Fixed Wireless Access Local Area (FWALA), Premium Rate Service (PRS) and other sector specific licences.

Regulatory Appeals and Enforcement

  • Advising Three on its Court challenge of ComReg's 5G spectrum auction rules (which ComReg remarked as being "the most important decision it has ever made"), including obtaining a Court ordered halt ('stay') to the auction process.
  • Advising Sky and Vodafone as notice parties in an appeal of ComReg's most recent wholesale broadband access price control decision, including successfully resisting an application to 'stay' the regulatory decision being challenged pending determination of the appeal.
  • Advising Virgin Media on its defence of ComReg's High Court litigation and other enforcement actions relating to its terms and conditions for contract cancellation.

Transactions

  • Advising Cellnex on the sale of its Irish towers business to Phoenix, involving a Phase 2 review by the Irish competition authority.
  • Advising AMP Capital on its acquisition of enet in a two-stage process involving separate transactions.
  • Advising the Speed Fibre Group on the acquisition of Magnet+ and the restructuring of the group.
  • Advising Three on its acquisition of communications provider Telefónica Ireland / O2 Ireland, following a Phase 2 competition law investigation by the European Commission.
  • Fibre Roll-Out Joint Ventures: Advising a number of bidders on the joint venture acquisition of eir's fibre business and the successful bidder in the acquisition of National Broadband Ireland.
  • Telecoms Towers Spin-Outs: Advising Three on the sale of its Irish towers business and on putting in place commercial agreements with the new owner; advising bidders for the Vantage Towers Irish business; advising bidders and sellers of the Towercom Irish towers business.
  • Advising MVNOs, including Postfone, on putting in place MVNO agreements with network operators.
  • Advising Sky and ViacomCBS on obtaining Irish media merger approval for the joint venture launch of Paramount+ in Europe.
Accolades
"Matheson's advice is always commercial and pragmatic. The team understands our business model, priorities and risk tolerance and provides advice to us accordingly."
Telecommunications: Chambers Europe 2025

"The Matheson team is very responsive, quick, easy to work with and very knowledgeable."
Telecommunications: Chambers Europe 2025

“The lawyers I work with at Matheson are, first and foremost, really lovely people. I enjoy their company and look forward to working on new projects with them.
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2024

“Expert advice while also being very practical and commercially focused. Understand the needs of the business and the challenging environment in which we operate.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2024

“They understand the in-house role and managing internal stakeholders.
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2024

“The commercial knowledge of the industry and sector is exceptional. The Matheson team knows the telecoms sector in Ireland and provides great insight and commercially astute advice.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2024

“I enjoy working with the Matheson Telecoms team. In particular, I appreciate their responsiveness and their pragmatism. They are willing to make judgment calls and advise a course of action to short deadlines.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2024

“Matheson is an excellent team to work with, they are extremely smart and give clients what we need in terms of advice.”
Telecommunications: Chambers Europe 2024

“They are excellent at tackling complex and sophisticated matters.”
Telecommunications: Chambers Europe 2024

“The team is comprised of top lawyers who are strategic and really know their client's businesses.”
Telecommunications: Chambers Europe 2024

“Matheson has a good capacity to handle complex matters and is strong in the sector.”
Telecommunications : Chambers Europe 2024

“An excellent team – consistently impresses both in terms of quality of legal advice and in its delivery. The team understand the commercial and business practicalities faced by telecoms and tailor their advice to meet clients” needs. Their ways of working are top quality and always available, even on short notice to assist with legal /regulatory queries. They are flexible and practical and demonstrate excellent commercial and telecoms industry knowledge. They are very responsive to emails and calls and offer great support.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“Kate McKenna and Simon Shinkwin are stand-out lawyers and have proven expert awareness of the telecoms industry and the challenges facing its clients in this industry. In particular, Simon Shinkwin is extremely responsive and impressive in delivering solutions-orientated advice and support to a very fast-paced business.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The team in Matheson is well-resourced, very responsive and sharp. When necessary, they work seamlessly and actively manage the cases.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The individuals in Matheson bring a broad range of skills and experience and are equally approachable. Kate McKenna is a master of her practice area and is equally comfortable giving technical and strategic advice.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The team very quickly takes briefings, listens patiently, asks pertinent questions, and builds a key team in response to specific legal issues that are outstandingly tailored to the client's business. Matheson offers incredible insight into the inner workings of the market, including the politics, contentions and key people. The team is fully invested in dilemmas and determined to construct the very best legal responses and strategies entirely suited to clients” reality.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The wonderful team at Matheson brings something specific to the table, and the team grew organically according to the client's unique needs and is highly customised to those needs. Matheson has proved outstanding in providing just the right level of resources, which is often a challenge. Kate McKenna”s initial guidance is substantive and sound. She is fantastic at contextualising a fast-changing issue in terms of general regulation and specific technical-legal realities. Simon Shinkwin has a similar ability to digest significant amounts of information, interpret a variety of data, listen carefully to clients” questions and opinions, provide highly trustworthy feedback on those questions and opinions, and collate various documents and resources to our strategic advantage.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The team at Matheson is always available at short notice and have a great understanding of time pressures. From a client perspective, the advice is always clear, succinct and addresses the points fully.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2023

“The telecoms team have supported our business on a number of large and complex transactions and have proven that they have the knowledge and the resources to deliver quality results on time and to a high standard in time-critical situations. Kate McKenna and Simon Shinkwin are always available to discuss complex regulatory issues that may arise; they approach these issues in a solution-focused manner and are not afraid to be creative and innovative in their advice. Above any other top-tier corporate firm, we choose this team for their proven industry experience, legal knowledge and, above all else, their commercial acumen and ability to deliver advice that is understandable and digestible by the business.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2022

“Kate McKenna is an excellent lawyer and relationship partner. She is reliable and always responsive. She approaches all queries in a pragmatic and commercially focused manner. Simon Shinkwin is also excellent. He has shown very strong technical ability and in-depth knowledge of the law and of the telecoms industry. He is approachable and a safe pair of hands even in the most complex matters. Kate and Simon are always available at the end of the phone or by email to advise on issues that may arise on a day-to-day basis and adopt a reasonable and pragmatic approach to billing.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2022

“Apart from their depth of knowledge and experience, Matheson's telecoms team bring a high degree of emotional intelligence to their work. I cannot recommend them highly enough.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2022

“They deliver commercially focussed and pratical advice on a timely basis “
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2021

“Matheson are very experienced in dealing with the regulator in Ireland and know their way around the applicable legislation. They have a very practical approach, and you always feel that they add value through strategic and tactical advice.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2020
“The team are very adaptive and good at anticipating issues ahead of time.”
Telecoms: The European Legal 500 2020