Since its demerger from BT in November 2001, O2 has grown into a £5bn turnover company. Listed on the London Stock Exchange as mmO2 plc, the mobile telecommunications group now has with an estimated 20 million customers in the UK, Germany and Ireland.

Philip Bramwell, company secretary and general counsel, moved to the group from BT at the time of the demerger. He now heads a legal department that numbers 47 lawyers located primarily at the Slough headquarters with a handful of local lawyers based in their main countries of operation.