As head of telecommunications within the Firm's Communications and Media Practice Group, which functions as part of a broader utilities practice, David Eisenberg specializes in both regulatory and transactional work.

In the area of telecommunications, Mr. Eisenberg has advised governments in relation to privatization and regulatory reform, including licensing and spectrum allocation, as well as strategic investors in relation to the privatization of the state-owned telecommunications company. Other privatization experience involving utilities includes work relating to airports, electricity, gas and water, especially in emerging markets.

He routinely advises telecommunications companies in relation to carrier service agreements, equipment supply and managed services agreements, IRU agreements and other telecommunications specific agreements.

Mr. Eisenberg’s recent transactional experience includes work for issuers and underwriters in relation to several initial public offerings by technology and telecommunications companies. He also works frequently on acquisitions and joint ventures on behalf of media, technology and telecommunications companies, as well as project financings on behalf of lenders and sponsors.

Examples of his recent experience include representing:

• Central European Media Enterprises in relation to its acquisition of Kanal A in Slovenia.
• Etihad Etisalat (Mobily) in relation to its $2.875 million Islamic financing, the largest-ever syndicated Islamic loan, for the expansion of its network in Saudi Arabia.
• HBO Central Europe in relation to the sale of Spectrum, its documentary TV channel, to Chellomedia, the content division of Liberty Global.
• HSBC Principal Investments in relation to its investment, alongside Google and Liberty Global, in 03B Networks, which plans to deploy multiple satellites to provide high-speed, low-cost Internet connectivity to emerging markets in Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
• Invitel Holdings A/S with regard to the €197 million sale of Invitel International to Türk Telekom.
• NDTV Networks plc, a subsidiary of New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV), in relation to pre-IPO funding by means of $100 million of convertible bonds.
• Orascom Telecom in relation to its USD 1.3 billion acquisition of at 19.3 percent interest in Hutchison Telecommunications International Limited.
• Starcomms, Nigeria’s fourth largest telecommunications operator, with regard to a sale and leaseback agreement with Swap Technologies and Telecomms Plc involving 407 of its 557 base station towers for US$81.4 million.
• Various private equity investors in relation to the debt and equity financing of SEACOM, a service provider of international fiber optic bandwidth along the East Coast of Africa that will link Southern and East Africa, Europe and South Asia.
• Weather Investments in relation to its USD 4.4 billion acquisition of TIM Hellas and the subsequent restructuring of the company.

Mr. Eisenberg is also an expert on Islamic finance. He is co-editor and contributor to a forthcoming treatise entitled Islamic Finance: Law and Practice, to be published by Oxford University Press.

Bars and Courts
New York State Bar, 1988

Education
JD, University of Virginia School of Law, (Margaret G. Hyde Award), 1987
MA, Princeton University, 1982
BA, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, 1979

Languages
English
French
German
Hebrew
Arabic

Citizenship
United States

New York qualified only