Lesley Sutton
Partner, Sydney
Phone +61 2 9225 5169
Fax +61 2 9322 4000
lesley.sutton@freehills.com

Current practice

Lesley has a background in computer science, giving her an understanding of the technical issues affecting the IT and communications industries. She has also worked in-house with Telstra and the Seven Network, giving her an understanding of the commercial issues facing those industries.

Industry experience

Her practice covers:

  • negotiating contracts for large information technology projects, including systems acquisition and systems integration projects, hardware and software purchases and support and service arrangements
  • advising in relation to the outsourcing of functions, including outsourcing of IT, telecommunications, back office processes and facilities
  • advising customers in relation to the conduct of tender processes for the procurement of goods and services
  • advising on e-commerce-related matters, including website terms and conditions and business-to-business trading arrangements
  • negotiating telecommunications commercial arrangements, including interconnect agreements, service provider or resale agreements, channel partner agreements, facilities access agreements, distribution agreements, customer terms and conditions and standard forms of agreement
  • advising on telecommunications regulatory issues, including carrier licensing requirements, access rights and obligations and universal service obligations
  • negotiating broadcasting and media-related agreements, including agreements for supply of content for traditional and new media, sports rights agreements, production agreements and pay TV channel supply agreements
  • advising on media regulatory issues, including licensing requirements and cross-media and foreign ownership rules.

Professional background

Lesley has degrees in Computer Science and Law from the University of Sydney. She is admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales and also in England and Wales, having spent 18 months working with Linklaters & Paines in London.

Lesley is a committee member for the NSW Society of Computers & Law and a member of the Communications and Media Law Association. She is also the Australian editor of the E-Commerce Law Report and the editor of the NSW Journal of Computers and the Law.