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Discover the latest news, insights and views from Trenches Law.
As the new year fast approaches, we’re recapping our standout highlights from 2024. From turnover growth to awards recognition, delve deeper into our best bits.
Meet Rosana Lee, head of legal at Trenches Law. With 17 years of experience, she’s at the helm of some of our most complex and high-value transactions, particularly in the tech and telecom sectors. Learn how she drives innovation, tackles legal challenges, and winds down out of office.
With the EU AI Act now in force, any business operating in the EU and selling AI-related products or services must navigate new compliance requirements. But what do these look for tech resellers and telecom operators? Here, we unpack the key regulations, insight from industry leaders, and practical steps to help organisations prepare.
As the new year fast approaches, we’re recapping our standout highlights from 2024. From turnover growth to awards recognition, delve deeper into our best bits.
Meet Rosana Lee, head of legal at Trenches Law. With 17 years of experience, she’s at the helm of some of our most complex and high-value transactions, particularly in the tech and telecom sectors. Learn how she drives innovation, tackles legal challenges, and winds down out of office.
With the EU AI Act now in force, any business operating in the EU and selling AI-related products or services must navigate new compliance requirements. But what do these look for tech resellers and telecom operators? Here, we unpack the key regulations, insight from industry leaders, and practical steps to help organisations prepare.
With a 37% increase in turnover and a 16% uptick in partnerships, the last financial year has been a great success for Trenches Law. Our trusted expertise in the tech, telecoms, EV, and commercial law markets has seen a breadth of new clients (including international names) seek support from our specialists. So, how do we keep up with this demand? With a duo of new employees, of course. Rosana Lee has joined the senior team as head of legal and Caroline Ford as solicitor, both breathing fresh insight into our growing operations.
From overlooked wayleave agreements to a volatile investment climate, the EV industry is victim to many of the same bottlenecks seen during the full fibre roll-out. So, when will key players sit up and listen? Here, we talk through some of the biggest challenges hindering progress and explore how to overcome them.
Given the difficult build environment, MDUs and MBUs have long been left out of EV charging installations, causing a major bottleneck in the move to green transportation. Instead of avoiding the gap, Ocean Charge is committed to plugging it. Keep reading to learn more about the business’ mission, and how Trenches Law’s wayleave expertise has helped streamline negotiations for frictionless installations.
Whether you’re new to the market or an established channel reseller, understanding the key facets of telecommunications law is key. Discover which rules and regulations will help you navigate compliance, avoid legal pitfalls, and ensure your business operates smoothly.
Backed by decades of collective experience in the tech and telecoms industries, Trenches Law is adept at navigating even the most complex regulatory challenges on behalf of resellers. This seasoned expertise, coupled with a glowing reputation among industry peers, is exactly what set the team apart for growing ISP, Backbone Connect. Discover how our suite of legal services are reducing project headaches, curbing costs, and boosting compliance to aid the firm’s growth.
From consolidated expertise and more cost-effective legal counsel to greater speed and accessibility of services, read how Trenches Law’s recent restructuring ensures better outcomes for our clients.
A master service agreement, or MSA, is not just a tick-box legal document. For organisations at any stage of growth, these strategic documents enable you to operate efficiently, manage risks, and build enduring partnerships for long-term success. Discover how to navigate them with confidence and deliver mutual benefit for all parties.
For an operator entering into a wayleave agreement, it’s very likely that they’ll cover the legal — and often surveyor — fees for the landowner. This is perfectly reasonable because, in most cases, a landowner shouldn’t be ‘out of pocket’. However, the issue then arises not from an operator paying these fees, but in the amount that some law firms are charging to negotiate the contract.
This month, on 28 June, Trenches Law is proud to mark its seventh birthday. Founded in 2017 with a mission to provide straight-talking, business-changing legal support, the company has built an enviable reputation as the go-to expert for telecom operators, tech start-ups, and others. Now, when taking stock of the strides it has made to date, the team celebrates its relentless pursuit for innovation, seasoned expertise, and customer-first approach that has made reaching this milestone possible.
The UK’s EV charging network has undergone seismic changes, since the first major round of installations in 2013. But as today’s government targets pivot, charging companies are under greater scrutiny to ensure infrastructure keeps pace — not least when it comes to the commercial EV chargers powering some of the UK’s most ambitious businesses. Terry Daniell, operations director and commercial EV sector specialist, explores how inviting a bolt-on legal partner from the outset can curb financial, operational, and environmental challenges.
Whether you’ve recently become a telecoms reseller or are an established industry player, legal support safeguards reputation and manages risk. Sharon McDermott, co-founder and managing director, shares more…
The Queen’s Tower Rooms at Imperial College, London, welcomed the 2024 Learning Excellence Awards nominees on 16 April. Originally in the running for a duo of categories — ‘Digital Learning’ and ‘Legal & Paralegal’ — Trenches Law is proud to have secured the top spot for the latter. Here’s more about the esteemed title, and why our wayleave training team was recognised by the judging panel…
Terry Daniell, operations director, recently shared more about our 2024 focus in an interview with Fibre Provider. If you missed the original write-up, you can catch up on the Trenches Law blog…
Not just acting at the helm of Trenches Law but a key voice on the UK WISPA advisory board, Sharon McDermott is a true ambassador for women in law and telecoms. It's therefore an honour to see the likes of The Successful Founder feature her in their International Women's Day Female Founder Spotlight — uncovering her route to success, plans for the future, tips for entrepreneurial triumph, and more. Here’s the full interview…
When it comes to bringing lightning-fast full fibre broadband to their citizens, both the United Kingdom and the United States face common hurdles, yet differ significantly in their legislative approaches and the challenges encountered during planning and installation. Sharon McDermott, our co-founder and managing director, delved deeper in a recent article with Total Telecom…
Boasting over 20 years experience in roles spanning sales, procurement, wholesale, retail and the public sector, Sharon McDermott boasts a vast and varied career portfolio. In her recent interview with The Law Society Gazette, she reveals more about the steps that led to her success as co-founder and managing director of Trenches Law. Here’s the full write-up, in case you missed the original…
At Trenches Law, we're always striving to stay at the forefront of our industry, ensuring our team has the skills and experience to offer clients the best advice. That's why we're excited to share the latest achievement of our wayleave officer, Claire Oram – the ABBE Level 3 Award in Intermediate Passive Fire Protection.
Discover how our tailored wayleave training empowered Zzoomm with the legal knowledge and confidence to push on with complex wayleave applications.
At Trenches Law, we’re delighted to announce that we‘ve been shortlisted as finalists for three prestigious awards that recognise our commitment to excellence and innovation in both the legal and learning sectors. These nominations are a testament to the hard work, dedication, and expertise of our team, as well as our ongoing mission to provide exceptional service to our clients.
As we bid farewell to 2023, Trenches Law takes a moment to reflect on the milestones and successes that have defined our journey over the past year. From empowering the next generation to advancing in legal consultation, to new appointments, industry recognition, and fostering community connections, join us as we revisit some of the key moments that have shaped our path.
In the pursuit of the UK government's ambitious goal to provide gigabit broadband to every corner of the nation by 2030, the significance of wayleave agreements can’t be overstated. And in the commercial sphere, facilitating future-fit connectivity is more important than ever.
Trenches Wayleave Ltd (Trenches Law), specialist in wayleave agreements for electronic communications networks, has been granted Code powers from Ofcom under section 106(4)(b) of the Communications Act 2003 (the Act).
The move to becoming a nation of electric vehicles is no longer a case of if, but when — and with the government set to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035, this looks to be sooner rather than later.
Learn more about how we're helping to bridge the UK's digital divide, and access our FREE guide to delivering high-speed broadband to multi-dwelling units (MDUs).
In a world where learning shows no bounds, the notion that academia ends with school has never felt so outdated. Today, exploring new horizons and building a career that truly inspires and fulfils you is actively encouraged by many. Alex Lawrence, paralegal at Trenches Law, stands as an inspiring example that it’s never too late to pivot.
Leading telecoms law specialist Trenches Law has announced the strategic hire of a new non-executive director, as the firm furthers its ambitions to bridge the UK’s digital divide in Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs). The news of the significant addition to the business’ leadership team comes just days after its Code powers consultation with Ofcom was released.
In a digital age where seamless connectivity is crucial for work, communication, and progress, there's a segment of the population that continues to be underserved: Multi-Dwelling Units (MDUs). Recognising this gap, we’ve taken a significant step to help bridge the divide by requesting Code powers from Ofcom. And now, our fate lies in the hands of our Ofcom consultation — live as of 5 September 2023.
From transatlantic insights to local initiatives, join us as we break down the developments that have made waves throughout the telecoms arena in the first half (and a bit!) of 2023.
At Trenches Law, we’re a progressive organisation with a team of employees possessing a range of extremely varied skills. So, we decided to let some of our staff fill you in on what their typical working day looks like. Next up is wayleave officer, Kelly Hope…
Exploring the pervasive issue of jargon in the broadband industry, Louise Elliott, chief customer and operations officer at Digital Infrastructure and BeFibre, emphasises how the excessive use of technical terminology creates confusion for alternative network providers (altnets), infrastructure operators, internet service providers (ISPs), and customers, ultimately hindering the adoption of Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) services. Here, she advocates for a more straight-talking, accessible approach to empower progress in the full fibre roll-out.
Multi-layered and increasingly complex to navigate, even the savviest of UK altnets don’t utilise the full potential of their Code powers — hindering their ability to negotiate effectively and overcome obstacles hampering network deployment. Explore how our personalised wayleave training and legal counsel enabled community-led altnet Lightning Fibre to overcome challenges with unresponsive landlords and accelerate their full fibre installations in MDUs with ease…
Proud to be at the forefront of the ever-evolving telecoms industry, it’s always a delight to welcome next-generation talent through our doors at Trenches Law. From German exchange students to local further and higher education pupils, we’ve offered a variety of young talent a deep dive into the intricate worlds of commercial and telecoms law over the years. And last month, we helped another duo from Salesian College explore their horizons. See what they got up to at HQ…
If you know anything about Trenches, it’s that we don’t do things by halves. And this year, hot on the heels of celebrating our sixth anniversary, we followed our usual suit of gathering for a weekend of fun, frolics, and awards to finish off the excitement. Here’s a quick round-up of what we got up to at Trenches Fest, earlier this month…
In our latest employee spotlight, we’re putting wayleave officer Debra Rowberry in the hotseat — learning more about her role at Trenches Law, dream client, sector inspiration, and how she switches off when she’s ‘out of office’.
It's a time of celebration here at Trenches Law, as we mark our sixth year in the telecoms law industry. While we reflect on the milestones we've achieved, the exceptional talent we've brought on board, and the valuable partnerships we've formed, we are filled with gratitude for the journey so far, and eager anticipation for what’s to come.
Dean Checkley, CEO of Flomatik, explores why reframing the so-called 'talent shortage' in the telecoms sector will be key to progressing the UK roll-out.
Family is a term that’s thrown around in the modern workplace. Many employers claim to treat their teams like a family, but this may fit a traditional mould that’s not in keeping with today’s society.
Following Royal Assent in December 2022, the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Act has now been passed. Further updates were made in April this year, which will have key impacts on telecoms operators, landlords and occupiers.
Get to know more about Rebecca Short, one of our wayleave officers here at Trenches Law — including her highlights at the business, how she loves going for walks with her dog Geoffrey, and why building relationships with managing agents and freeholders makes her feel so fulfilled.
We’ve had a busy first quarter of 2023 — including notable client achievements, a presence at critical industry events, and a trip to the USA for the inaugural Connected America expo.
But earlier in the year, we also marked a milestone achievement in collaboration with Building Digital UK, National Parks England, and Openreach.
It’s a time to mark milestones here at Trenches Law this month, as we celebrate one year of Phill Stockdale-Woodhead’s expertise. Phill joined the team in April 2022 and has since made huge strides as our business partner for HR and learning.
As the UK Government continues to push towards net zero by 2050, we turn our attention towards infrastructure. Playing a pivotal role in our green future is the rise of electric vehicles (EVs). According to OFGEM, the demand for EVs is going to increase by 24% between now and 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic shone a light on Britain’s universal need for broadband connectivity. As more of us worked from home and subscribed to online streaming services, demand shot up significantly.
In this month's employee spotlight, we're learning more about one of our wayleave officers, Sonja Momchilovikj — who currently operates overseas in Macedonia.
Sharon McDermott — the founder and managing director of Trenches Law — has been appointed as a non-exec on the advisory board of WISPA (Wireless Internet Service Providers’ Association).
Recently, our managing director and co-founder Sharon McDermott was interviewed by TechBlast - where she explored how a lifetime of breaking glass ceilings and challenging misconceptions has helped build her character, and her business. If you missed the original article, or simply fancy a catch-up, just keep reading…
When ambitious network provider Digital Infrastructure emerged in the connectivity market, the team sought the legal counsel of a partner with the same level of drive and experience as them. Aware of our reputation in the telecoms industry, they came to Trenches Law…
From what it takes to scale a tech start-up and how the business continues to evolve, to favourite client projects, partnering with Trenches Law, and more, we're learning more about DevOps and digital transformation consultancy, Adroit Cloud Consulting...
While EV adoption is picking up pace across the UK, the public charger roll out is not keeping the same momentum. And with an ambitious government target on the horizon for 2030, it won’t be long before new petrol and diesel cars will be removed from the market altogether.
The trouble is, it’s not just about fast-tracking approvals of EV infrastructure. What operators often don’t realise, is that strategies need to be more streamlined from the outset. And all too often, we’re seeing how legal oversights in the early stages of planning are creating significant stalls on EV charge point installations.
Here, Georgina Rudak – Head of Legal at Trenches Law – delves deeper into the importance of wayleaves in building an EV future, and offers some food-for-thought on other emerging market insights.
Adroit Cloud Consulting is a DevOps and digital transformation consultancy, built and run by experts in the field to help leverage the complexities of cloud computing. Founded in 2020 by ex-BP engineers, Pavneet Khural and Thomas Hudson, the company has gone from strength to strength – particularly with the support of the legal counsel of Trenches Law.
To celebrate the annual National Apprenticeship Week campaign, we’re shining a light on finance manager and recently-appointed apprentice, Lisa Hearn.
Sharing more on her career path and skills progression to-date, as well as insight into what being an apprentice at Trenches Law entails, she offers some crucial perspective on the topic of self-development…
Tim Mercer — CEO of cloud-first technology firm, Vapour — joins Trenches Law for the second instalment of our barriers busting series. Penning some thoughts on the underlying challenges brought by innovation, he shares some crucial perspective on how taking a more holistic view of tech and infrastructure needs — with a closer eye on ROI — could help boost progress in the telecoms sector.
At Trenches Law, we want to see more rural communities staying connected, which is why we team up with companies such as leading internet company, Ogi. Find out more about our involvement in its multi-million pound full fibre roll-out taking place right across south Wales.
Exploring more about her role and the part she plays in Trenches Law's success, musing over her dream client, and sharing how she switches off when she's 'out of office', we're learning more about Wayleave Officer, Amy Marshman.
At Trenches Law, we’re committed to unlocking the benefits of high-speed connectivity across the UK. That’s why we leverage our wayleave expertise to work with telecoms companies such as WightFibre. They chose our expertise to help them roll out an ambitious £110 million fibre-optic broadband project on the Isle of Wight.
Besides much-talked about concerns such as range anxiety and high cost, progress in today's electric vehicle (EV) roll-out is being largely hindered by lack of charging infrastructure. Without wayleave agreements in place, charge points simply can't be installed. So, why is the market not talking about this?
As another year draws to a close, we’re still finding it hard to believe that 2023 is just weeks away! It goes without saying that the past twelve months haven’t been without challenge and uncertainty for most businesses and individuals. But in more generous measure, we’ve faced a significant number of opportunities, and achieved some monumental successes too.
Our wayleave automation system has been making waves since disrupting the market in 2020.
In our three-step guide for telecoms operators, we’re sharing just how crucial technological innovation is in rolling out complex builds at pace.
Our Operations Director Terry Daniell was one of five panellists to take to the stage for a straight-talking debate at the INCA Conference in Liverpool last week.
Every person in the Trenches Law family is important to us, which is why we’ve decided to introduce you to a different member of the team each month – so you can learn more about them.
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Chester Walsh, one of our Wayleave Officers. Discover more about his role, career highlights, and hopes for the future of the business.
Gita Sorensen is the Founder and Managing Director of GOS Consulting – a specialised regulatory, economics, and strategy consultancy, with deep-rooted expertise in the electronic communications sector.
Trenches Law is drawing on our network of experts from across the tech and telecoms landscape, to deliver the latest news and views surrounding the biggest barriers to connectivity.
Trenches Law – the legal specialist for the electronic communications industry – has launched a new service to further breakdown the barriers to gigabit-capable connectivity in the UK.
Every person in the Trenches Law family is important to us, which is why we’ve decided to introduce you to a different member of the team each month – so you can learn more about them.
In this Q&A, we’re delving deeper into the mind of our Wayleave Officer, Lucy Anderson. If you’re keen to learn more about everything from her day-to-day responsibilities to what she loves the most about working at Trenches Law, you’re in just the right place…
Every person in the Trenches Law family is important to us, which is why we’ve decided to introduce you to a different member of the team each month – so you can learn more about them.
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Kevin Broome, our Client Services Manager. Responsible for ensuring the quality and efficiency of our services, he plays a key role in our day-to-day operations…
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Alex Baker, our Business Development Manager. Discover more about her hopes for Trenches Law, career highlights to date, and what she loves most about her role…
In less than one month’s time, the Trenches Law team will take to the stand at the UK’s most renowned connectivity event, sharing insight into the crucial role of wayleaves in streamlining full fibre projects.
Following the announcement at our most recent Trenches Fest event, we’d like to publicly share that the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) will be our nominated Charity of the Year.
Passionate about defending vulnerable child victims, the IWF removes hundreds of thousands of harmful online images, as well as helps governments shape new laws to create better protection on the web, and run public campaigns to share learnings. Here’s more about our partnership…
Trenches Law is supporting Internet Service Provider, WightFibre, in its mission to roll-out ultrafast broadband to around 80,0000 homes on the Isle of Wight. Here, the firm's CEO, John Irvine, explains why swift wayleave agreements have been critical to keeping the project on track.
Telecoms law specialist, Trenches Law, recently welcomed two new recruits to bolster its wayleave expertise and upskill colleagues through professional learning and development.
In this blog, Head of Legal at Trenches Law, Georgina Rudak, elaborates on the work we’ve achieved together with BeFibre, to highlight the importance of collaboration in the broadband industry.
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Colin, one of our Wayleave Officers. Discover more about his role, how he would describe Trenches Law and which colleague he would nominate to win an award…
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Joanne, one of our Wayleave Officers. Discover more about her role, how she would describe Trenches Law, and her favourite part of working here so far…
As we’re now fully immersed in the summer of 2022, for Trenches Law that means we’re celebrating another special milestone. This time it’s our five-year anniversary!
Facing challenges head-on and creating a wave of exciting opportunities, what has our organisation gone through during the last 12 months? We asked Co-founder and Managing Director, Sharon McDermott, to tell us more…
Establishing long-term relationships with some of the UK’s largest telecoms operators is something we pride ourselves on here at Trenches Law.
So, when a progressive organisation such as Virtual1 approached us to help support them on various projects, we’ve enjoyed building a trusted partnership with the team ever since.
By 2030 the UK will require 300,000 public chargers in place. However, only 30,000 public chargers are currently online. So, how prepared are we for a greener, EV future? Hélène Maillet-Vioud, from Geldards law firm, provides further insight in our latest guest blog…
As more organisations look to a variety of ways to stay connected, there has been an increase over the years in demand for dark fibre and how it can benefit businesses moving forward.
In April 2017, the Government introduced a five-year holiday period on business rates for new fibre optic broadband infrastructure (FTTP).
So, what do business leaders have to consider, and how do they claim rates relief before the deadline? We questioned Phil Ray, Director of business rates at Altus Group, to provide this guidance…
Award-winning, tech-first telco challenger brand, Virtual1, has been built from the ground up to become the biggest, most advanced wholesale-only network in the UK. Existing to accelerate business through innovations in cloud, connectivity and security, the London-headquartered firm is the chosen partner of six of the top 10 global network carriers, as well as resellers and system integrators.
Just weeks after lifting a Federation of Small Business accolade for the South East region, we were thrilled to hear our name announced as a national winner too!
As the nationwide roll-out of Fibre-To-The-Premise (FTTP) continues apace to drive the UK towards gigabit coverage, homes and businesses are being connected with the promise of having faster broadband speeds, improved upload and download times, and much more.
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Claire Oram, one of our Wayleave Officers. Discover more on her favourite part of the role, how she would describe Trenches Law and the most satisfying moment of her time here so far…
Our wayleave automation solution has won the Business and Product Innovation category in the South East’s ‘FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards’!
Following the passing of the Telecoms Security Bill in December 2021, the legislation states that non-compliance can result in hefty penalties of up to £100,000 per day for network providers. So, what does this mean for you as a telecoms operator?
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Mike Thompson, our Client Services Manager. Discover more about his role, how he would describe Trenches Law, and the most satisfying part of his time with the team so far…
Recently, co-founder of Trenches Law, Terry Daniell, was interviewed by Fibre Provider on the topic of wayleave issues currently being faced. If you missed the article, catch it in full here...
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Alex Lawrence, our Paralegal. Discover more about his role, how he would describe Trenches Law and why he couldn’t pick just one colleague for an award win…
Wayleave services for electric vehicle (EV) charging points are currently in high demand at Trenches Law. So, for our latest guest blog, we invited Oliver Shaw – Chief Executive of decision-making platform, Kalibrate – into the hot seat. He is no stranger to retail pricing and location planning – not least in the EV sector. But is the UK truly ready for the EV revolution?
Spearheading the recent rebrand and website project, Anna Hagglund, our Head of Brand and Marketing, delves into the reasons why our new look and feel is another vital step towards our ongoing expansion…
Whether logging on for a video call, sending an email, or replying to an instant message, the requirement for reliable connectivity has never been more vital for businesses who want to communicate effectively. Recently, our managing director and co-founder, Sharon McDermott, spoke to We Are Tech Women about this very topic. If you missed the article, catch it in full here…
At Trenches Law, we’re a progressive organisation with a team of employees possessing a range of extremely varied skills. So, we decided to let some of our staff fill you in on what their typical working day looks like – next up is Colin Mapleson, one of our Wayleave Officers…
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Niall Carey, our Wayleave Officer. Discover more about him – including what his role entails and the most satisfying moment of his time at Trenches so far…
We're excited to be recruiting 30 more new team members this year to help meet growing demand for our wayleave, commercial legal services and Code powers expertise .
With the ISDN switch-off anticipated to happen in 2025, and the withdrawal of copper-based services occurring a year later, these two phases alone mean everyone will have to revisit their connectivity in one shape or form.
In this Q&A, we’re finding out more about Sarah Dale, our Client Service Manager. Discover more about her role, how her colleagues would describe her, and the most satisfying moment of her Trenches Law journey so far…
As the UK continues its drive towards a greener outlook – with electric vehicles (EV) leading the way – there’s still a lot to achieve if we’re to enjoy a net zero future.
Full fibre broadband provider Ogi has appointed telecoms specialist Trenches Law to manage its entire wayleave process, as the company rolls-out a £200 million full fibre project throughout South Wales.