Osborne Clarke advises Vodafone on acquisition

International law firm Osborne Clarke has provided legal expertise to Vodafone Romania S.A. in its acquisition of Telekom Romania Mobile Communications S.A. from Hellenic Telecommunications Organization S.A. This strategic move will enable Vodafone to obtain Telekom's post-paid customer base, additional spectrum, and extra towers, significantly bolstering its presence in the Romanian telecoms landscape. In a related development, Digi Romania S.A. has committed to purchasing Telekom's pre-paid customer business, showcasing a competitive shift in the market.

The Osborne Clarke team leading the effort was directed by partner Mark Wesker, and included notable contributions from Richard Porter, James Mackay, Hannah Maidment, and John Annan in corporate matters. The commercial side saw support from Hannah Drew, Matt Suter, and Greg Barton, while tax advice was supplied by James Meakin and Edward Aves. The firm engaged with Romanian law advisors Țuca Zbârcea & Asociații to navigate local regulations effectively.

Mark Wesker expressed optimism regarding the transaction, stating “Advising Vodafone on this strategically significant transaction highlights both the pace of change in the European telecoms market and the strength of Vodafone’s ambition in Romania. It also showcases the breadth of Osborne Clarke’s cross-border M&A capability. This was a complex, multi-faceted deal and it was rewarding to see our team’s expertise across practice areas come together to support its progress.”

Osborne Clarke boasts a robust corporate practice, featuring over 250 corporate lawyers working globally. In addition to Vodafone's acquisition, the firm recently facilitated other significant transactions, including a $1 billion secondary private equity deal for comms business Focus with Hg Capital, and assisted 4Com in its merger with Daisy Group, which later combined with Virgin Media/O2, underscoring its expertise in high-stakes legal solutions within the telecommunications sector.