Francesco Liberatore
Francesco regularly represents clients in investigations before regulatory and competition authorities, as well as managing internal investigations, dawn raids and counseling on compliance issues and various commercial agreements. Francesco handles merger control due diligence and filings, as well as coordinating multijurisdictional merger control strategies. He also advises private equity investors, banks and other financial investors on arbitrage opportunities. Francesco’s litigation experience includes representing clients in matters before the Competition Appeal Tribunal, the High Court of Justice and the European Courts.
Francesco is dual qualified in England/Wales and Italy. He has authored several legal publications, including the "International Telecommunications Law Handbook" (Juris Publishing) and the "EU Electronic Communications Code Handbook" (Bloomsbury Professional).
Francesco is recommended as a leading practitioner in Chambers & Partners, The Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal. Clients describe him as “thoroughly efficient and helpful throughout”, “a true master of telecoms law”, “a delight to work with”, “very good – very knowledgeable and responsive”, “provides timely advice in a practical and risk-based manner” and “really stands out as a brilliant lawyer, who is always dedicated to his client's cause”. Following outstanding client feedback, he was named as a star lawyer in the Acritas StarsTM global database: Francesco is praised by clients for “the regulatory advice that he provides to us. He appears to have good relationships with the regulators and his advice has enabled us to achieve our business outcomes”.
Practice Area
Panel
- Contributing Author
Qualified Year
- England & Wales 2012 & Italy
Membership
- Member of the Board of Directors of the International Institute of Communications (IIC) and Committee Chair of the IIC Brussels Chapter
- Member of the legal panel for consultancy services to the European Commission in the context of ICT and media competition cases
- Lecturer, Competition Law, Post Graduate Course, King’s College (London)
- Member of the Digital Policy Alliance Committee on Competition and Artificial Intelligence
- Member of the Digital Policy Alliance Committee on Digital Infrastructure
- Member of the Digital Policy Alliance Committee on Smart Society
Qualifications
- England & Wales (2012)
- Italy (2006)
Education
- King’s College, London (2002)
- Catholic University, Milan (1995-2000)
2 Contributions by Francesco Liberatore
PRACTICE NOTES
EU Electronic Communications Code: scope, OTT coverage, authorisation, spectrum, access, SMP and remedies; universal service; NIS 2 security changes; potential repeal by the proposed Digital Networks Act
STOP PRESS: This Practice Note reflects the current legislative position. However, the Commission published a proposal on 21 January 2026 for a Digital Networks Act that may repeal the European Electronic Communications Code. To follow the Digital Networks Act’s progress through the EU legislative process, see Practice Note: Media, digital and telecoms tracker—EU.
This Practice Note provides guidance on Directive (EU) 2018/1972 establishing the European Electronic Communications Code (Recast), commonly known as the European Electronic Communications Code and, in this note, the EECC. The EECC recasts and brings together the principal directives that originally made up the EU‑wide framework for regulating electronic communications networks (ECNs) and electronic communications services (ECSs).
The aim of the European Electronic Communications Code
The EECC is a directive with the central objective of creating an updated and harmonised EU‑wide regime for the regulation of ECNs and ECSs.
The previous EU telecoms regulatory framework (comprising Directive 2002/21/EC (the EU Framework Directive), Directive 2002/19/EC (the EU Access Directive), Directive 2002/22/EC (the EU Universal Service Directive), Directive 2002/20/EC (the EU Authorisation Directive) and Directive 2002/58/EC (the EU ePrivacy Directive)) pursued objectives to promote competition and the internal market...
EU Law
PRACTICE NOTES
Ofcom’s Legal Framework for Radio Spectrum in the UK and Crown Dependencies: Duties, Licensing and Auctions, Trading and Sharing, Revocation, Recognised Spectrum Access, Enforcement, and Technical Requirements
Use of the radio spectrum in the UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man is overseen by Ofcom under the Communications Act 2003 (CA 2003) and the Wireless Telegraphy Act 2006 (WTA 2006). This Practice Note sets out Ofcom’s roles and obligations in spectrum regulation, together with spectrum licensing and enforcement.
Ofcom’s functions and duties
In exercising its functions, Ofcom’s primary duty is to further the interests of citizens on communications matters and to further the interests of consumers in relevant markets, where appropriate by promoting competition.
The electromagnetic spectrum is the span of wavelengths or frequencies across which electromagnetic radiation extends. Among other things, that duty therefore requires Ofcom to secure the optimal use of the electromagnetic spectrum for wireless telegraphy.
When performing its tasks, Ofcom must, in all cases, have regard to the principles of transparency, accountability, proportionality and consistency, and target regulation only at situations where action is needed. It must also have regard to other principles representing best regulatory practice, as well as various policy considerations, in so far as they appear to Ofcom to be relevant in the circumstances. These include taking account of the different needs and interests...
TMT
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