News | Commerce & Technology

Monday 23rd July 2007

SJ Berwin LLP today announced the appointment of Stewart White, CEO of Stewart White Consulting, as a Consultant to its growing Communications, Media and Technology (“CMT”) practice with immediate effect.  Stewart, who is currently also a Senior Strategy Consultant with Bell Pottinger, was former Group Public Policy Director of Vodafone and was former Chairman of Bell Pottinger Public Affairs.

Stewart, described by Sir Christopher Gent as "Vodafone’s Foreign Minister" and cited by European Counsel magazine as “one of the best known lawyers at a global level”, has more than 25 years experience in the telecoms and media fields as well as other regulated industries.  He has a wealth of experience in managing large teams on multi-jurisdictional transactions having been directly involved in successfully completing some of the largest regulated and competitive transactions in history while at Vodafone (AirTouch and Mannesmann) and also has advised governments and their agencies over many years.

Stewart joins an established CMT group at SJ Berwin, which has recently been boosted by the arrival of Outsourcing head David Meredith at the start of this year, and in May, the promotion of commercial technology specialist James Gill to the partnership, and the arrival of Outsourcing senior associate Andrew Sutherland, from EDS.  The pan-European CMT group comprises 26 partners who advise on all aspects of contentious and non-contentious transactions and has worked on a number of high profile deals in the communications, media and technology sectors this year.  Clients include some of the leading players in the CMT field.

Stewart comments: “I am looking forward to working with SJ Berwin’s CMT group.  The team is full of well respected names in the sector and I am confident our combined understanding of the legal and regulatory issues that abound in this industry will be of real commercial and strategic value to the Firm’s clients”.

Tim Johnson CMT partner and Media and Communications specialist, adds “Having known Stewart for nearly 20 years, I am pleased that his appointment will provide a further dimension to our offering in a dynamic and growing sector, adding value for clients and enabling us to build our profile still further." 

For more information on Stewart White’s appointment, please contact:

Tim Johnson tim.johnson@sjberwin.com +44 (0)20 7111 2202
Michael Bywell michael.bywell@sjberwin.com +44 (0)20 7111 2375
David Meredith david.meredith@sjberwin.com +44 (0)20 7111 2353

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• Founded in 1982, SJ Berwin is a leading City corporate and commercial law firm with more than 1000 employees working across its offices in London, Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.
  
  
• Our pan-European Communications, Media and Technology practice (CMT) is a cross departmental  group comprising 26 partners from Broadcasting and Digital Media, CMT Litigation, Communications Regulation, Computer Games, Corporate, Digital Commerce, EU & Competition, Film and Television Production, Intellectual Property, Marketing, Sponsorship and Advertising, Media Asset Finance, Music, Outsourcing, Publishing, Software and services, Sport and Technology and Communications Infrastructure. 
  
  
• SJ Berwin was created and thrives as a leading-edge legal services business, focusing on the European and international market place.  Our clients are sophisticated buyers of legal services, principally entrepreneurial companies and financial institutions, whom we advise on a comprehensive range of services including Corporate Finance, Commercial, Real Estate, Banking, Reconstruction & Insolvency, Financial Services, Litigation, Employment & Pensions, EU & Competition and Tax.
  
  
• Our approach has resulted in the firm winning a number of recent awards including European Law Firm of the Year (EVCA) for the third consecutive year, Private Equity Law Firm of the Year (EVCJ) for the 4th consecutive year,  Best Law Firm (Fund Formation) (Private EquityOnline and Private Equity International) 2007 for the 6th consecutive year; Competition Team of the Year - Legal Business Awards 2006;  No 1 in Legal Week’s Law Firm Satisfaction Survey 2005; UK Firm of the Year - Legal Week Awards 2005;  Real Estate Team of the Year - Legal Business Awards 2005; Real Estate Team of the Year - The Lawyer Awards 2005; Stephen Kon awarded Best Achievement in Copyright Practice at the World Leaders European IP Awards 2005; Jonathan Blake named Global Private Funds Lawyer of the Year by The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers.