Lawyers / Professionals

Mr. Rees is a partner and a member of the firm's technology, outsourcing and intellectual property practice groups in London. He advises on outsourcing, technology, media, telecommunications, intellectual property and sport matters, with particular emphasis on European regulatory issues, including data protection and data security, cross-border data transfers, privacy, encryption, export controls, technology and EU public procurement regulations.

He has extensive experience of technology transfer and technology regulation in the banking and financial markets sectors, advising on wholesale and retail bank payment system platforms, e-money and exchange platform issues together with card technology and e-commerce arrangements.

Mr. Rees heads these practice sectors in London and has over 25 years of experience in advising in these areas, both as a partner in international practice and formerly as Citigroup's Senior Technology Counsel in Europe.

In outsourcing and complex sourcing, supply chain and infrastructure projects, he advises financial institutions, central government, telecoms service providers and multinationals on IT, Business Process, HR outsourcing and infrastructure management projects. Specific projects include life and pensions administration BPO, e-commerce portals and platforms and MVNO arrangements.

His intellectual property experience includes both litigation and commercial matters, advising on IP protection strategies, IP portfolio audits, due diligence and valuations. He advises on cross-border licensing arrangements with particular emphasis on European anti-trust regulation. He also advises on joint venture, distribution, franchise and agency arrangements.

He frequently provides strategic and policy advice to clients on pricing and risk management issues in sourcing contract structures and intellectual property portfolio management.

In the data protection/privacy area, he has advised global banking institutions and multinationals for over 20 years, including Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Mitsui on data compliance issues, work has included: data transfer and breach advices, safe harbor and Binding Corporate Rules structures. He also has extensive data regulatory compliance experience in the health/clinical trials and government sectors. His work on data transfer issues in the financial services sector has included representations to the EC Article 29 Data Protection Working Party.

Mr. Rees has also advised a number of US headquartered corporations on export control and encryption policies in conjunction with data transfer arrangements.

His telecommunications experience covers 20 years of work in network build out and operations covering fixed and mobile environments, (including operator agreements, co-location, interconnection and MVNO arrangements). He has advised on a range of regulatory issues including 3G licensing arrangements.

In the media, sports and marketing arena he has considerable experience of brand/advertising clearance work including regulatory advice (ASA, OFT, Trading Standards). He has advised on sponsorship, broadcast, on-line and pay per view licensing arrangements for a range of major sporting events and associated e-gaming/betting activities. He has also advised on global and pan-European marketing campaigns, in particular concerning music, theatre, motor racing, rugby and football events and tournaments. He also provides constitutional and policy advice to major sporting unions and bodies.