Gurinda Sandhu

Gurinda focuses her practice on the communications, media and technology sectors, particularly in the areas of advising on complex contractual documentation and regulatory issues in the telecommunications sector.  Her experience includes acting for both users and suppliers on a broad range of communications issues and she works extensively with international clients, including fixed-line, mobile and satellite service providers, on a broad range of regulatory and transactional matters including licensing and access arrangements, interconnection, electronic surveillance, data security, ecommerce, mobile content distribution arrangements and reseller issues. She has previously worked as in-house legal counsel for Vodafone Group Legal.

Relevant experience

Telecoms Regulatory

• Representing a US satellite operator on licensing arrangements before regulatory authorities
• Advising Spanish operator on proposed launch of a pan-European satellite radio broadcasting service
• Advising UK mobile operator on entering into MVNO arrangements with various third parties UK voice and data service provider on interconnection and access arrangements 
• Advising a European voice and data service provider on interconnection and access arrangements in the UK
• Advising an Icelandic mobile operator on EC competition law issues and potential courses of action against the National Regulatory Authority 
• Advising a Middle Eastern network services provider on the potential acquisition of a push-to-talk operator  
• Advising on an appeal before the Competition Appeal Tribunal on pricing for non-geographic numbers.
• Advising a UK directory enquiries company on number portability issues 
• Advising a leading US fixed-line operator on data retention obligations across 30 jurisdictions  
• Advice to multi-national technology, oil and gas companies on regulatory and licensing matters in relation to encryption export licensing matters in the UK, US and Middle East 
• Various companies on interception of communications issues, including electronic surveillance, employee monitoring and data privacy 
• Advice to numerous domestic and international telecoms companies on data privacy issues, including cross-border transfers of data, and advising on Safe Harbor Principles and data processing arrangements

 Commercial/Transactional Telecoms

• Major mobile operator on global procurement arrangements, involving infrastructure and handset devices, with companies including Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Hewlett Packard, Alcatel and HTC
• Embedding 3G/GPRS PC card and software bundle into notepad devices developed in conjunction with major technology companies, including Dell, Hewlett Packard and IBM.
• Advice on a strategic collaboration with Cisco for the development of a 2G/3G WLAN router and Ethernet and drafting all relevant agreements. 
• Negotiating a 3G/GPRS PC card video telephony software development agreement with a US software provider
• Drafting and advising on content acquisition and licensing for a mobile services provider
• Intellectual property matters, including advice on various exclusive handset development projects with Motorola and Sharp and trade mark licensing of brands including Ferrari and McLaren for use on products and marketing material
• Advice on full range of commercial matters, including access arrangements, reseller agreements and sales contracts for the supply of network services
• Advice on various interconnection agreements with BT
• Advice on a framework agreement for a global content management solution with an Israeli technology provider 
• Advising a UK telecoms operator on a managed services agreement with Siemens
• Apple on third party activation services of iTunes pre-paid cards arrangements across Europe
• Arrangement with AT&T for the provision of pre-paid calling cards and provision of associated support services worldwide
• Global agreements for the supply of voice and data services to multi-national corporations
  

Professional Memberships

• European Competitiveness Telecommunications Association 
• Internet Telephony Services Providers’ Association
• Internet Services Providers' Association
• Society for Computers and Law

Professional Affiliation

Member, Supreme Court of England and Wales