AOL halves Euro legal team in reshuffle
AOL has shed half of its 22-strong European legal team as it sells off the internet access side of its business to Neuf Cegetel in France, Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Telecom Italia in Germany.
January 25, 2007 at 06:57 AM
2 minute read
AOL has shed half of its 22-strong European legal team as it sells off the internet access side of its business to Neuf Cegetel in France, Carphone Warehouse in the UK and Telecom Italia in Germany.
Three members of the internet giant's UK legal team have joined Carphone Warehouse as part of the £370 million sale, including assistant general counsel Nicky Hadley. Two other senior lawyers – UK general counsel Phil Wall and assistant general counsel Bernard Tute – have taken on non-legal positions at other companies.
In France, AOL's legal function has been reduced from five lawyers to two, while the German team is expected to shrink from six to three.
European general counsel Tony Wales told Legal Week: "All our staff have been separated and those lawyers closest to the access side of the business have been transferred over to the new owners. I predict that as the content provision business develops, the legal team will grow."
The reshuffle comes just three months after former Polaroid head of legal Ira Parker was named worldwide general counsel at AOL and reflects the company's global strategy of shifting its focus away from providing access to advertising and audience services.
AOL is one of the largest internet providers in the UK and will continue to provide advertising and portal services in Europe through revenue-sharing agreements.
Its UK advisers include Herbert Smith, Pinsent Masons, Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Preston Gates Ellis, Field Fisher Waterhouse and Olswang, while Clifford Chance has acted for the group in France.
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