Clifford Chance

Clifford Chance advises the Square Kilometre Array Project on EURO 1.5 bn global science project to design the world's largest and most sophisticated radio telescope

International law firm Clifford Chance is advising the Founding Board of the SKA Organisation on the formation and structuring of a company to be established to design the Square Kilometre Array deep space telescope which will be the world's largest and most sophisticated radio astronomy instrument.

Seven national governmental and research organisations are behind the formation of the SKA Organisation, an independent, not-for-profit company to be established to formalise relationships with international partners and centralise the leadership of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) telescope project. The initial signatories are from Australia, China, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK. 

Scientists and engineers from around the world, together with industry partners, are participating in research and development for the SKA which will be capable of answering some of the most fundamental questions about the Universe. The SKA will give astronomers insight into the formation and evolution of the first stars and galaxies after the Big Bang, the role of cosmic magnetism, the nature of gravity, and possibly even life beyond Earth.

Clifford Chance's role involves designing and structuring the entity to be used to carry out a project requiring international cooperation between many differing scientific agencies, Governmental and non-Governmental organisations, commercial operators and funding partners. Our role is also to draft the constitution and operating rules of the entity to take into account the various requirements of the project and the needs of scientific research and development. The Clifford Chance team is led by TMT partner Daniel Sandelson in London and includes Nick Lee Morrison, Liesbeth Buiter  (Amsterdam), Arun Visweswaran (Dubai), Paolo Rulli (Milan) and Etienne Wong and Alex Tostevin in Tax.

Daniel Sandelson said:

"We are delighted to be involved in a project of such huge scientific interest and significance to so many people and with such enormous public benefit.   Over the years my group has advised on many international telecommunications projects but this is our first intergalactic one."   

Clifford Chance's telecommunications, media & technology group is a multi-disciplined group of industry-focused lawyers representing a wide range of market-leading players in the TMT sectors. It is one of the world's most extensive convergent industries practices, handling complex transactional and regulatory work across all TMT markets.