Announcements and News
WBK NewsRoom
March 1, 2010
WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER WELCOMES MORRISON & FOERSTER COMMUNICATIONS PRACTICE GROUP LED BY CHERYL TRITT
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington, D.C.-based communications and technology law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that Cheryl A. Tritt and her colleagues in the Communications Law Group at Morrison & Foerster have joined the Firm. In addition to Ms. Tritt, Charles H. Kennedy and Jennifer L. Kostyu have joined the firm as partners, and Frank W. Krogh and Phuong N. Pham have become Of Counsel to the firm. William F. Maher, Jr. will become a partner in the firm in April. Wilkinson Barker now has 47 attorneys devoted to the practice of communications and technology law, one of the largest such practices in the country.
Ms. Tritt and Mr. Maher each has served as a Bureau Chief at the Federal Communications Commission – Ms. Tritt as Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau and Mr. Maher as Chief of the Wireline Competition Bureau (successor to the Common Carrier Bureau).
Bryan Tramont, Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “We are thrilled that Cheryl Tritt and her team have chosen to join our firm. As The Legal Times and Washingtonian magazine – among others – have recognized, Cheryl is one of the Nation’s leading communications lawyers. We are thrilled to welcome a friend of her stature to our team. The addition of Bill, Charlie, Frank, Jennifer and Phuong also will bolster Wilkinson Barker’s strength in the wireline, broadband, satellite, privacy and transactional practice areas, and we look forward to working with them as well.” Noting the recent opening of Wilkinson Barker’s Denver office, Mr. Tramont said, “In a time of tremendous change in the communications sector, we must adapt and strengthen the firm to meet these new demands. With the addition of Ray Gifford and our Denver office, and the Tritt group today, we are better positioned than ever to serve our clients.” Ms. Tritt stated, “I have many long-standing friendships with the attorneys at Wilkinson Barker, and have watched admiringly as they have built one of the premier communications and technology practices in the country. I am delighted to add our team to their growing firm.”
Bios for each of Wilkinson Barker’s new attorneys can be found on the firm’s website at http://www.wbklaw.com/sub/attorneys.htm.
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. The firm recently opened an office in Denver. More information about Wilkinson Barker can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.
February 16, 2010
WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER ADDS SIX NEW ATTORNEYS,
OPENS NEW DENVER OFFICE, AND
BOLSTERS STATE REGULATORY AND SMART GRID CAPABILITIES
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Washington, D.C.-based communications and technology law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that six attorneys, including Ray L. Gifford, former Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, have joined the firm. Along with Mr. Gifford, Wilkinson Barker has added Philip J. Roselli and Kyle D. Dixon as partners, and Eric D. Gunning, Adam M. Peters and Mark A. Walker as associates. All except Mr. Dixon are resident in Wilkinson Barker’s new Denver office. Brief bios for these new Wilkinson Barker attorneys, formerly with the law firm of Kamlet Reichert LLP, appear below.
Bryan Tramont, Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “The expertise in state regulatory matters and smart grid deployment that Ray and his team bring to Wilkinson Barker complements and expands on our core capabilities, and Ray’s status as a thought leader in federal regulatory policy will reinforce our existing strength in that area. This expansion of our firm is recognition of the growing range of policy venues and business opportunities that require our clients’ attention. Whether by working in the states or in assisting industry to develop and implement smart grid business approaches, Ray and his team add to Wilkinson Barker’s ability to meet our clients’ expanding needs. We look forward to working with Ray, Phil and Kyle to continue to build on our Firm’s leadership position in the industry.” Mr. Gifford commented, “Joining Wilkinson Barker gives us the opportunity to take advantage of the firm’s depth and diversity of communications talent for our clients and to use our experience to enable the firm to better serve its existing clients. We couldn't be happier.”
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As a former Chairman of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (1999-2003), Ray Gifford is an expert in public utilities law, principally as it relates to telecommunications and energy matters. Before re-entering private practice, he became President of The Progress and Freedom Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that focuses on studying the digital revolution and its effects on law and public policy. He previously was First Assistant Attorney General in the Regulatory Law Section of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. Ray’s law and policy work focuses on antitrust, competition policy and intellectual property law.
Ray is the Director of the Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics and the Chairman of the Advisory Board for Silicon Flatirons Center for Law, Technology and Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Law School. He is a graduate of St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago. He is a member of the American Law Institute. Ray can be reached at rgifford@wbklaw.com.
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Phil Roselli’s law practice focuses on telecommunications and utility regulation, with a particular emphasis on regulatory approvals required by utility mergers and acquisitions, the disposition of utility property, intercarrier compensation issues, Section 251 interconnection arbitration issues, Section 253 and related right-of-way issues, and competitive cable franchising. He also represents clients in regulatory litigation, including arbitration and mediation, and has appeared before numerous state public utility commissions, as well as state and federal courts. He was honored with a listing in the Environmental Regulatory Compliance and Intellectual Property & Technology Law sections of the 2008 Corporate Counsel Black Book.
Phil was Associate General Counsel with Qwest, where he was responsible for the company’s general regulatory matters, and represented Qwest before the FCC and a variety of state public utilities commissions on diverse matters including mergers and acquisitions, 271 long distance relief, interconnection related issues and network related issues. He also has commercial litigation experience in private practice, representing a variety of clients on complex commercial matters. Phil holds B.A., M.A. (Telecommunications), and J.D. degrees from the University of Michigan. He can be reached at proselli@wbklaw.com.
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Kyle Dixon focuses his practice on the converging areas of communications, intellectual property, competition policy and related fields. With 14 years of experience at the Federal Communications Commission (including as the Deputy Chief of the Media Bureau, Special Counsel to the Chairman for Broadband Policy, and legal advisor to FCC Chairman Michael Powell), he advises clients on a wide range of matters, including broadband, voice over Internet protocol, wireline, cable and wireless competition, intercarrier compensation, and universal service.
Kyle also has served as senior fellow and director of the Federal Institute for Regulatory Law and Economics at The Progress & Freedom Foundation, where he has testified before Congress on a variety of regulatory issues, and served as a law clerk for the Honorable Richard D. Cudahy of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Kyle wrote “A Digital Age Communications Act Paradigm for Federal-State Relations” with co-author Philip Weiser, and also taught communications law and policy at Georgetown University Law Center. Kyle is a graduate of University of Chicago and earned his J.D. from the Yale Law School, where he was Symposium Editorof theYale Law Journal. He can be reached at kdixon@wbklaw.com.
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Eric Gunning advises clients on matters involving digital and emerging technologies, utility and communication regulation, and strategic alliance and joint ventures. He played a key role in the development of a cutting-edge smart grid deployment in Boulder, Colorado. In addition, Eric has represented public and private companies in sourcing and procurement transactions including managing multi-vendor negotiations, developing joint-product relationships, and drafting complex intellectual property licensing, commercial and strategic alliance agreements. He also handles general corporate matters, employment, mergers and acquisitions and private equity financing.
Eric serves on the Advisory Boards for the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program and the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic of University of Colorado School of Law, and he writes and speaks frequently on new technology issues. He holds B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Colorado, where he was Editor in Chief of the Journal on Telecommunications and High Technology Law. During law school, he clerked in former FCC Chairman Michael Powell’s office focusing on wireless regulation and policy. Eric can be reached at egunning@wbklaw.com.
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Adam Peters has expertise in communications, energy regulation, competition policy and trademark law. He was previously a Research Fellow & Regulatory Counsel to The Progress & Freedom Foundation, and served as a special assistant to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission and as director of the Silicon Flatirons Center. He has also co-taught a seminar in Law & Economics of the Information Age at the University of Colorado. Adam is co-chair of the Rocky Mountain Region Chapter of the Federal Communications Bar Association, a former board member and secretary of America SCORES Denver, and an Advisory Board Member of the Silicon Flatirons Center. Adam holds a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, and earned his J.D. at the University of Colorado School of Law. He can be reached at apeters@wbklaw.com.
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Mark Walker’s practice includes public policy advocacy, representation of regulated entities in disputes related to communications and energy issues, and transactional work related to intellectual property. Before embarking on his legal career, he was a senior design and development engineer for an electronics company, where he managed a cross-disciplinary team in bringing new products to market. His experience also includes internships at an international telecommunications company and NASA. Mark holds a B.S. from Pennsylvania State University, an M.B.A. from Lehigh University, and a J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, where he served as the director of the Silicon Flatirons Telecommunications Program. He also is an Advisory Board Member of the Silicon Flatirons Center on Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship. Mark can be reached at mwalker@wbklaw.com.
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. The firm’s Denver office can be reached at (303) 572-5665, and is temporarily located at 1515 Arapahoe Street, Tower 1, Suite 1600, Denver, CO 80202. More information about Wilkinson Barker can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.
WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER CONGRATULATES PARTNER KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY ON HER NEW POSITION WITH FRONTIER COMMUNICATIONS CORPORATION
The following statement can be attributed to Bryan Tramont, Managing Partner of the Washington, D.C. communications and technology law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP: “All of us at Wilkinson Barker congratulate our friend and partner, Kathleen Abernathy, on her appointment, effective March 1, 2010, as Chief Legal Officer and Executive Vice President, Regulatory and Government Affairs for Frontier Communications Corporation. Kathleen’s enormous talent, sweeping expertise and stellar reputation in the telecommunications industry are widely known, so we congratulate Frontier as well. We are looking forward to continuing to work with Kathleen in her new role with Frontier.”
Kathleen Q. Abernathy stated: “Deciding to leave a law firm that I know is without peer in the communications bar has been very difficult for me, but the opportunity that Frontier presented was too good to pass up. Wilkinson Barker has been a special home for me, and it has been great to be a part of its recent growth. My connections to all my friends at Wilkinson Barker are strong, and I know they always will be.”
MAUREEN OHLHAUSEN JOINS WLKINSON BARKER KNAUER; WILL LEAD FTC PRACTICE
Washington, D.C. communications law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that Maureen Ohlhausen will join the firm as a partner, effective December 1, 2009, and will lead the firm’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) practice. Ms. Ohlhausen, who served for 11 years at the FTC, most recently as Director of the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning from 2004 to 2008, comes to WBK from the Business Software Alliance, an international trade association for the commercial software industry and its hardware partners, where as Technology Policy Counsel she worked with member companies to develop and articulate policy positions on competition, technology neutrality, and privacy issues.
As Director of the Office of Policy Planning, Ms. Ohlhausen headed the FTC’s Internet Access Task Force, directing a wide-ranging inquiry into issues surrounding net neutrality and overseeing the issuance of a 2007 FTC staff report on Broadband Connectivity Competition Policy and a 2006 FTC staff report on Municipal Provision of Wireless Internet Services. Under her leadership, the Office of Policy Planning issued numerous reports, amicus briefs, and advocacy filings on competition and consumer protection topics, principally focusing on e-commerce, advertising, and technology issues. Ms. Ohlhausen also represented the FTC in testimony before Congress and the Antitrust Modernization Commission. Prior to joining the Office of Policy Planning in 2001, she spent three years as an attorney advisor for FTC Commissioner Orson Swindle and as an attorney in the FTC’s Office of General Counsel. Before her FTC service, she was a law clerk for now-Chief Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, where she also served as a staff attorney. Ms. Ohlhausen also clerked at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims for Judge Robert Yock. Ms. Ohlhausen graduated with distinction from George Mason University School of Law and from the University of Virginia, where she was an Echols Scholar.
Ms. Ohlhausen has been on the adjunct faculty at George Mason University School of Law and is a Senior Editor of the Antitrust Law Journal. She is a member of the American Bar Association Task Force on Competition and Public Policy and is a frequent author and speaker on competition law, privacy, and technology topics.
Bryan Tramont, Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “The rise of broadband services outside the FTC Act’s common carriage exemption means that, across all platforms, the agency will play an increasingly important role in communications policy. Maureen’s leadership in broadband policy, privacy and a host of other issues will be a tremendous asset to our clients. We look forward to having her head up our FTC team and to her contributions to the continued growth of the firm.”
Ms. Ohlhausen commented, “I am eager to bring my expertise in competition and technology policy to one of the premier communications law firms in the country. I look forward to developing this practice area and helping the firm’s clients navigate these issues.”
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated exclusively to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com, and Ms. Ohlhausen can be reached at (202) 383-3403 and at mohlhausen@wbklaw.com.
WILKINSON BARKER PARTNERS ANDY TOLLIN, LARRY MOVSHIN, PAUL SINDERBRAND AND KENNETH SATTEN SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE 2010 EDITION OF BEST LAWYERS IN AMERICA
Partners Andrew Tollin, Lawrence Movshin, Paul Sinderbrand and Ken Satten have been selected for inclusion in the 2010 edition of Best Lawyers in America. This listing is based on a detailed national survey involving over 2.8 million evaluations of lawyers by other lawyers.
These listings are available on the Best Lawyers search engine on Law.com and USNews.com.
PAUL J. SINDERBRAND RECOGNIZED FOR WIRELESS BROADBAND LEADERSHIP
Paul J. Sinderbrand was presented with a special award at the May 6, 2009 Changing the World Technology Advancement Awards Dinner in Washington, DC. The award acknowledged his leadership in crafting the industry-wide proposal that led the FCC to re-band the 2500-2690 MHz band for wireless broadband, which has since become the blueprint for global harmonization of the band.
KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY NAMED ONE OF THE NATION'S 25 BEST TELECOM LAWYERS
WBK Partner Kathleen Q. Abernathy has been recognized in Best of the Best USA 2009, published by Legal Media Group in the U.K., the legal publishing arm of Euromoney Institutional Investor, one of the world's leading financial publishers.The guide identifies Ms. Abernathy as one of the 25 best telecom lawyers in the United States.
Ms. Abernathy’s selection is the result of an exhaustive research process that began with a survey of over 4,000 senior practitioners and in-house counsel involved in this practice area, in over 60 jurisdictions. The survey panel is asked to nominate attorneys they consider being among the most capable for that work. The results are analyzed and screened for firm, network and alliance bias.
WILKINSON BARKER PARTNERS KATHLEEN ABERNATHY AND L. ANDREW TOLLIN HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE 2009 WASHINGTON, DC EDITION OF SUPER LAWYERS IN THE COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORY
Firm Partner Kathleen Abernathy and Andrew Tollin, Managing Partner, have been selected for inclusion in the 2009 Washington, DC edition of Super Lawyers in the Communications category. Polling, research and selection are performed by the publishers of Law & Politics, which employs a rigorous, multiphase process.
Attorneys enter the candidate pool by being formally nominated by their peers. Only 5 percent of the lawyers per jurisdiction are ultimately named to the Super Lawyers list.
A total of 40 lawyers were chosen to represent the Communications practice category, based on the evaluation of 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. These included such factors as representative clients and transactions, bar and other professional activity, experience, honors and awards and other outstanding achievements.
WIlKINSON BARKER KNAUER ANNOUNCES THE PROMOTION OF PATRICIA CHUH TO PARTNER
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington, D.C. communications law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is pleased to announce the promotion of Patricia (Patty) M. Chuh to Partner, effective immediately.
Ms. Chuh was formerly an Associate in the firm’s Broadcast and Media practice. Ms. Chuh joined the firm in 2006.
A graduate of The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Ms. Chuh has extensive experience in all aspects of broadcast regulation and policy matters. Her work in the area of broadcast transactions includes the negotiation and drafting of agreements, undertaking due diligence, obtaining FCC approvals, and conducting closings.
L. Andrew Tollin, Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “Patty has been an integral part of our media practice since she arrived. We are pleased to recognize her important role in the firm and her emerging leadership in the media bar.”
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated exclusively to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. For more information about Ms. Chuh or the firm, please visit http://www.wbklaw.com.
WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER EXPANDS WITH ADDITION OF
KATHLEEN ABERNATHY, BARRY OHLSON AND NATALIE ROISMAN
AS PARTNERS
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington, D.C. communications law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that, effective today, former FCC Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy, along with Barry J. Ohlson and Natalie G. Roisman, have joined the firm as partners, arriving from the Washington, DC office of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, where Ms. Abernathy was a partner, Mr. Ohlson a special counsel and Ms. Roisman a counsel.
Ms. Abernathy’s arrival represents a homecoming of sorts – she was a partner in Wilkinson Barker Knauer from 1999 until 2000. L. Andrew Tollin, Managing Partner of Wilkinson Barker Knauer, said, “It is a genuine pleasure to have Kathleen return to our firm, and to welcome Barry and Natalie. All three have built stellar reputations within the communications bar, and their experience at the highest levels of FCC policymaking will further enhance our ability to provide top-quality services to our clients and to advocate on their behalf. In addition, Natalie’s expertise in media law will add additional depth to our growing media and technology practice, which recently expanded when David O’Connor joined us earlier this year.” Ms. Abernathy commented, “Barry, Natalie and I are very much looking forward to moving our practices to one of the premier communications law firms in the country. The breadth and depth of Wilkinson Barker’s expertise will allow us to provide even better service to our clients.”
Biographical information regarding Ms. Abernathy, Mr. Ohlson and Ms. Roisman follows:
Kathleen Q. Abernathy:
Ms. Abernathy advises clients on a wide variety of policy and regulatory issues related to the telecommunications and media fields. From 2001-2005, she served as a commissioner at the Federal Communications Commission, where she was involved in decision-making in all of the policy areas under the FCC’s jurisdiction. Ms. Abernathy chaired the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service and participated as a U.S. representative in numerous international bilateral and multilateral negotiations, including the 2002 International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Plenipotentiary Conference and the 2003 ITU World Radiocommunications Conference. She was appointed by the ITU to chair the 2004 ITU Global Symposium for Regulators.
Before joining the FCC as a commissioner, Ms. Abernathy was vice president for public policy at BroadBand Office Communications; a partner in Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP; vice president for regulatory affairs at US West; and vice president for federal regulatory affairs at AirTouch Communications. Earlier in her career, she was legal advisor to two FCC commissioners and a special assistant to the agency’s general counsel.
Accolades for Ms. Abernathy include her selection as one of the 2007 Washington DC Super Lawyers. She also has received the President’s Medal in 2005 from the Catholic University of America; the Forerunner Accolade in 2002 from Women in Cable and Telecommunications for her commitment to encouraging, developing and promoting women in the industry; and the Milestone Award in 2001 from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law for her exemplary service to the law school and outstanding achievement in the field of communications law. In addition, she was named one of the most powerful women in television by Electronic Media magazine (October 2002).
Ms. Abernathy serves on the boards of Frontier Communications, Go America, the Progress and Freedom Foundation and the John Gardner Fellowship Association, Stanford University and on the advisory board of ictQATAR, the telecommunications regulator in Qatar. Ms. Abernathy received her B.A. magna cum laude from Marquette University and her J.D. from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law. She is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Federal Communications Bar Association, of which she is a Past-President.
Barry J. Ohlson:
Mr. Ohlson’s practice focuses on the wireless, telecommunications, and broadband sectors, with an emphasis on assessing the strategic and regulatory implications of advanced technologies and new telecommunications services. For the majority of his six-year tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, he was Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein, providing counsel on all administrative and policy matters, particularly those involving spectrum, satellite, technology, public safety and international issues. Mr. Ohlson previously served as Chief of the Policy Division of the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, as a Legal Advisor to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau chief, and as acting chief of the Bureau’s Public Safety and Private Wireless Division.
Before his government service, Mr. Ohlson was the senior director of federal regulatory affairs at Winstar Communications, and he practiced law at McDermott, Will & Emery and Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Ohlson earned his A.B. from the College of William & Mary and his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. He is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and currently serves as a co-chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee.
Natalie G. Roisman:
Ms. Roisman advises clients in the media and telecommunications fields on a wide variety of policy and regulatory issues. She works with broadcast, cable, motion picture studio, telecommunications, wireless carrier, and equipment manufacturer clients to develop and execute advocacy strategies with respect to industry-wide rulemakings, adjudicatory proceedings, regulatory compliance, and enforcement actions. Ms. Roisman also advises investors and the financial community regarding media and telecommunications acquisitions and the impact of Congressional and FCC policy actions on relevant industries.
Ms. Roisman served as an attorney-advisor in the policy division of the FCC’s Media Bureau, where her primary areas of responsibility included the digital television transition; content protection and digital rights management; consumer electronics equipment; low-power FM radio; program access and carriage; and issues relating to IP video and telco entry into the programming distribution market, including video franchising and Section 621 of the Communications Act.
Ms. Roisman earned her A.B. in political science from the University of Chicago in 1996 and her J.D. in 1999 from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she was the updates editor of the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Labor and Employment Law, a member of the University of Pennsylvania American Inn of Court and president of the class of 1999. She is a trustee of the Federal Communications Bar Association Foundation and an adjunct faculty member of The George Washington University Law School.
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated exclusively to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.
DAVID O'CONNOR JOINS WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Washington, D.C. communications law firm Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP has announced that David A. O’Connor joined the firm as a partner effective August 1, 2008.
Mr. O’Connor was a Partner (and previously an Associate) in the Telecommunications Practice Group of the Washington, DC office of Holland & Knight. While in law school, he served as a Legal Intern in the International Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission and in the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration.
While in private practice, Mr. O’Connor has advised clients in the negotiation of agreements for the purchase and sale of numerous television and radio stations around the country and for retransmission consents with cable, satellite and IP video providers. He has also provided regulatory guidance and expertise to his broadcast clients as well as to other clients on FCC-related matters in such diverse areas as the upcoming digital television (DTV) transition, the provision of Telecommunications Relay Services, the leasing of Educational Broadband Service spectrum, satellite-delivered services (including Direct Broadcast Satellite service), the provision of Internet-based video relay services (VRS) and the E-rate program. Mr. O’Connor also has been an active member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, currently serving as co-chair of the association’s Mass Media Practice Committee and the Nominations Committee.
In welcoming Mr. O’Connor to Wilkinson Barker Knauer, L. Andrew Tollin, Managing Partner, said, “We are delighted that David has chosen to join our firm. His broad set of legal skills will further enhance Wilkinson Barker’s ability to provide top-quality services to our clients. In addition, David’s broadcast expertise will add additional depth to our growing media and technology practice.” Mr. O’Connor commented, “I am very excited to be able to move my practice to one of the premier communications firms in the country, whose talented pool of lawyers will enable me to better serve my clients. I am also looking forward to assisting the firm’s existing client base and being part of the firm’s continued growth.”
Mr. O’Connor received his B.A. degree, cum laude, from Florida State University. He earned his J.D. degree, cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School. In addition, he holds an LL.M. degree in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University Law Center, which he received with distinction in all subjects.
For additional background information about Mr. O’Connor, please visit http://www.martindale.com/David-A-Oconnor/26777921-lawyer.htm.
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated exclusively to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm advises its clients, which range from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups, in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.
RUSSELL HANSER ARTICLE IN FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS LAW JOURNAL
ANDREW TOLLIN SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN WASHINGTON DC'S SUPER LAWYERS FOR 2008
The Firm had two partners named Washington DC’s Super Lawyers for 2008 , including Andrew Tollin (the firm's Managing Partner) . There were 33 lawyers in Communications named to the list based on a peer review – and WBK was one of a handful of firms with multiple entries
BRYAN N. TRAMONT AND RUSSELL P. HANSER PREFACE IN COMMLAW CONSPECTUS
November 26, 2007
LUISA L. LANCETTI REJOINS WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER AS OF COUNSEL
WASHINGTON, DC - Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is pleased to announce that Luisa L. Lancetti has returned to the firm as Of Counsel.
Ms. Lancetti, who has received Martindale-Hubbell’s highest possible peer rating, AV®, previously served as an associate and partner with the firm from 1982-2001.
For the past six years, Ms. Lancetti has held the position of Vice President – Wireless with Sprint Nextel Corporation and Sprint Corporation. During her tenure, she was responsible for wireless regulatory affairs and successfully developed policy and represented the companies on a wide range of substantive issues and compliance matters, including spectrum matters, new technologies (3G, 4G, VoIP), E911, universal service, numbering, homeland security, disabilities access and consumer protection, among others.
Ms. Lancetti graduated from Indiana University - Bloomington with a B.A. in Political Science. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
In welcoming Ms. Lancetti back to Wilkinson Barker Knauer, L. Andrew Tollin, Managing Partner, said, “Luisa has been a colleague and partner dating back to the early days of the firm. Her work on behalf of one of the nation’s major communications carriers has only served to broaden her understanding of the industry and related business issues. Luisa’s expertise strengthens and adds an important dimension to our already deep telecommunications team.”
Ms. Lancetti commented, “I am very pleased to be rejoining the Wilkinson Barker Knauer team and am looking forward to advising clients regarding legal and regulatory matters impacting their business.”
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm’s distinguished client roster ranges from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups in regulatory, transactional and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. More information about the firm can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com.
September 12, 2007
DAVID H. SOLOMON COLUMN IN RADIO WORLD ON BROADCAST RENEWAL ISSUES
June 18, 2007
DAVID H. SOLOMON COLUMN IN BROADCASTING & CABLE MAGAZINE ON TV VIOLENCE
February 1, 2007
DAVID H. SOLOMON COLUMN IN RADIO WORLD ON COMPLIANCE PLANS
January 2007
DAVID H. SOLOMON AND BRYAN TRAMONT ARTICLE IN RFIDWIZARDS.COM: "AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION"
November 3, 2006
BRYAN TRAMONT APPOINTED TO NTIA'S SPECTRUM ADVISORY COMMITTEE
April 20, 2006
DAVID H. SOLOMON COLUMN IN RADIO WORLD: "INDECENCY: PROCEED, WITH CAUTION "
March 15, 2006
ANDREW TOLLIN, MICHAEL SULLIVAN CO-AUTHOR "LITIGATION BEFORE THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION"
WASHINGTON, D.C. — "Litigation before the Federal Communications Commission," by Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP partners L. Andrew Tollin and Michael Deuel Sullivan has been published by Aspatore Books as the lead article in a collection entitled "Inside the Minds: Telecom Law Best Practices."
In this overview of FCC litigation, Mr. Tollin and Mr. Sullivan explain how FCC litigation differs from typical civil litigation, discuss the various players and issues involved, and note that there are many different types of FCC litigation. They describe the varied types of procedures used in FCC proceedings and how such proceedings can be affected by developments in other areas of the government. Finally, the authors discuss how to develop an appropriate litigation strategy for FCC proceedings.
"Inside the Minds: Telecom Law Best Practices" is a collection of essays by leading telecom law practitioners providing an insider's perspective on the complex issues telecom companies face, including litigation, compliance, tax planning, and advanced technology.
February 1, 2006
DAVID H. SOLOMON COLUMN IN RADIO WORLD: "AVOIDING THE RADIO PAYOLA POLICE"
December 7, 2005
FCC LEGAL ADVISOR RUSSELL HANSER TO JOIN WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is pleased to announce that Russell P. Hanser will join the firm in January 2006 as a partner. Mr. Hanser spent his last three years as one of the leading FCC attorneys on wireline communications policy. During his FCC tenure, he held senior positions in the Wireline Competition Bureau, the Office of General Counsel, and most recently the Office of Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy, where he served as her Acting Legal Advisor for Wireline Competition Issues. Mr. Hanser played a key role in the development of the Commission’s approach to competition policy, broadband deployment, and the regulation of IP-enabled services.
In welcoming Mr. Hanser to Wilkinson Barker, L. Andrew Tollin, managing partner of the firm, said, “Russ has been on the front lines of the most contested wireline issues at the Commission, and has emerged with a tremendous reputation for his piercing intellect, skillful writing, and sterling integrity. Russ strengthens and adds an important dimension to our existing wireline legal team.”
Mr. Hanser commented, “The regulatory hurdles faced by communications companies in today’s converging market are substantial, and I am delighted to have the opportunity to work closely with Wilkinson’s clients to ensure they receive the very best advice to navigate these difficult challenges. With the recent addition of my former colleagues Bryan Tramont and David Solomon, the Firm extended its substantive reach and again demonstrated the value it places on advocates deeply rooted in communications law and policy. I look forward to joining the team.”
While at the Commission, Mr. Hanser also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the George Washington University Law School. Previously, he was an attorney at Wilmer Cutler & Pickering, where he focused on pricing-related wireline competition matters, and at Ropes & Gray, where he practiced commercial litigation. Mr. Hanser clerked for Judge Norman H. Stahl on the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit. He is an honors graduate of the Harvard Law School, where he was a Primary Editor on the Harvard Law Review. He received his Political Science degree magna cum laude from Amherst College. He is admitted to the District of Columbia and Massachusetts Bars.
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP is one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated to the practice of communications and technology law. The firm assists U.S. and foreign clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to small start-ups in regulatory, transactional and litigation matters involving all aspects of telecommunications and mass media. More information about the firm can be found at www.wbklaw.com.
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FORMER FCC CHIEF OF STAFF BRYAN TRAMONT TO JOIN WILKINSON BARKER KNAUER
Bryan Tramont, Chief of Staff of the Federal Communications Commission under former Chairman Michael Powell, will become a partner in Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, a Washington, D.C. communications law firm, in September 2005 after completing a visiting professorship this summer.
As FCC Chief of Staff, Mr. Tramont directed the agency’s staff in implementing FCC policies in all areas of regulation. Before being elevated by Chairman Powell to the Chief of Staff post, Mr. Tramont was the Chairman’s Senior Legal Advisor, advising him generally on FCC agenda and circulate issues, and specifically on wireless, international, technology, and consumer issues. Mr. Tramont also served as Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy and, before that, to Commissioner Harold Furchtgott-Roth. Before joining the FCC in 1999, Mr. Tramont practiced communications law at Wiley Rein and Fielding in Washington, D.C. He also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Duane Benton on the Supreme Court for his home state of Missouri.
Mr. Tramont is an adjunct law professor at The Catholic University of America, and currently is the Silicon Flatirons Visiting Professor at the University of Colorado’s Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program in Boulder, where he is co-teaching (with Professors Dale Hatfield and Phil Weiser) a telecommunications policy course titled “Foundations of Telecommunications Policy.” Mr. Tramont serves on the Executive Committee of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and was awarded the organization’s Distinguished Service Award. He is the author of numerous articles on communications policy and is a frequent speaker and lecturer at academic and industry events.
Bryan Tramont graduated summa cum laude from The George Washington University with a degree in political science. He earned his law degree from Yale Law School, where he served as editor of the Yale Law & Policy Review.
L. Andrew Tollin, managing partner of Wilkinson Barker, said, “Bryan’s leadership abilities, wide-ranging substantive knowledge and good judgment were proven over and over in the many roles he played at the FCC. Bryan will be an important addition to our practice, and we are delighted to welcome him to our firm.” Mr. Tramont commented, “Government service is an honor and privilege and I will miss all the talented professionals and my close friends at the Commission. Leaving government has been easier because I am so proud to be joining the Wilkinson Barker team. Over my years at the FCC, I have always admired their legal skill, passionate advocacy and strong values. I look forward to building on that fine tradition of excellence.”
Mr. Tramont, who can be reached effective today at 202-383-3331 or at btramont@wbklaw.com, is the second high-ranking FCC official to join Wilkinson Barker recently. David H. Solomon, until recently Chief of the FCC Enforcement Bureau, also became a partner in the firm this week.
DAVID SOLOMON, FORMER CHIEF OF FCC ENFORCEMENT BUREAU, JOINS WILKINSON BARKER
Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP welcomes David H. Solomon, former Chief of the Enforcement Bureau of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), who joins the firm as a partner on June 13, 2005. Mr. Solomon brings to Wilkinson Barker 24 years of experience in private practice and government service. He was appointed to organize and lead the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau when it was created in 1999, and he served as the Bureau's first Chief, from 1999-2005.
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Wireless Telecommunications 
