Media Information
8 April 2008
Former Telco Commissioner Douglas Webb joins MGF Webb
Former Telecommunications Commissioner, Douglas Webb, has joined specialist technology and regulatory law firm MGF Webb
as Senior Regulatory Adviser.
In his previous role as New Zealand’s Telecommunications Commissioner, Douglas was responsible for the implementation of
the telecommunications regulatory regime.
Malcolm Webb, Partner at MGF Webb, says: “We are thrilled that Doug has chosen to join us. He is a key strategic
addition to our regulatory team, with skills and experience in the area of economic regulation that are possibly unique
in our market. Doug’s experience will prove immensely valuable to our regulatory clients in New Zealand, Australia and
Asia.”
Douglas Webb says he is looking forward to his new role.
“MGF Webb has established a reputation as New Zealand’s leading regulatory law firm. My new role will be a great
opportunity to work with the firm’s clients dealing with the increasingly prescriptive and sophisticated environment of
economic regulation.”
ENDS
About Douglas Webb
From 2002 to 2007, Douglas served as New Zealand’s Telecommunications Commissioner and as a member of the Commerce
Commission. His work included the resolution of interconnection and other access disputes between fixed line and mobile
operators, the oversight of universal service obligations of Telecom New Zealand and providing policy advice to the
Government on regulatory changes.
From 2000 to 2002, he was Managing Counsel and deputy to the General Counsel of The World Bank, Washington DC, USA. He
was responsible for the management and administration of the Legal Department, comprising around 200 legal and support
staff.
From 1993 to 2000, Douglas was Manager of the Legal Reform and Private Sector Division of the Legal Department at The
World Bank, leading a legal team responsible for advising member governments on legal reform and institutional
development, including the creation of independent regulatory agencies.
He was also previously Counsel, Office of the General Counsel, Asian Development Bank, Manila, the Philippines, and
Partner with the law firms of Watts and Rudd Watts & Stone, Wellington, New Zealand, practising primarily in the fields of telecommunications, corporate and banking law.
About MGF Webb
MGF Webb is a first-tier law firm, based in Auckland, serving clients in technology and communications transactions and
in economic regulation and competition law. The firm aims to be one of the leading law firms in the Asia Pacific region
in these areas. The firm’s regulatory clients include Vodafone, Air New Zealand, Vector, SingTel Optus, PCCW-Hong Kong
Telecom, Digicel, The World Bank and the ITU.
MGF Webb lawyers apply specialist legal and economic experience to important and complex regulatory issues in network
industries and in clients’ dealings with the Commerce Commission, Government, industry bodies and sectoral regulators.
They also leverage on behalf of clients their experience and understanding of regulation and competition law across
network industries and across jurisdictions.
ENDS