Olswang has made a further senior TMT lateral on the Continent, boosting its Brussels and Paris practices with the hire of former Linklaters TMT head Sylvie Rousseau.
Having left Linklaters last spring, Rousseau, who is registered at both the Brussels and the Paris bar, has been brought in to enhance Olswang’s telecoms, IT, outsourcing and data protection cross-border offering and extend its reach into Africa, where she is said to have significant experience.
Her track-record includes advising the Nigerian-based telecommunications infrastructure provider IHS Holding Limited on their purchase of MTN’s mobile network towers in Ivory Coast and Cameroon.
She also has established a strong network and close relationships with various industry bodies and European institutions, including the European Commission’s Article 29 Data Protection Working Party, as well as local regulators, such as the Belgian Privacy Commission and the French CNIL.
This is the latest of a series of lateral hires from the top 35 UK firm, including in January taking on Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe’s IP/IT head Andrea Splittgerber to boost its German European data protection and sourcing practice.
David Stewart, chief executive at Olswang, said: ‘Sylvie’s appointment is designed to support the continual growth of our truly international TMT practice at Olswang. With data protection grabbing headlines and the prospect of major infrastructure sharing deals in the telecom sector, global organisations need legal professionals who can navigate the intricacies of national regulations, understand the political landscape and deliver forward-thinking advice.
‘With Sylvie working between Brussels and Paris we will be able to extend our capability not only to French-speaking jurisdictions in Europe, but also to francophone Africa. Ultimately, Paris is the hub for francophone Africa TMT transactions, so Sylvie’s input will be a major boost for Olswang to be able to make the most of the growth potential in that region.’
francesca.fanshawe@legalease.co.uk
