Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP announced today that Kelly Donohue has joined the firm as counsel after seven years of government service in supervisory and staff positions at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Ms. Donohue will focus primarily on advising clients in the media and digital content arenas on regulatory, transactional, intellectual property, and enforcement matters from the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.  Most recently, Ms. Donohue served as Special Counsel in the Office of the Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, focusing particularly on media and strategic administrative matters. She earlier served as an Assistant Chief in the Audio Division of the FCC’s Media Bureau, where she was a team leader in the LPFM rulemaking and handled numerous contested matters involving, among other things, new station authorizations, modifications to existing facilities, renewals and assignments. Before her government service, Ms. Donohue worked in private practice primarily on intellectual property matters, including trademark clearance prosecution, licensing and litigation. Ms. Donohue began her career as a musician and continues to write music and perform regularly with her “kindie” rock band, Here Comes Trouble.  She recently won “Honorable Mention” for three of her compositions in the 29th Annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.  Bryan Tramont, managing partner of Wilkinson Barker, said “Kelly is a terrific addition to our team. Her media and intellectual property expertise combined with FCC experience will make her a tremendousasset to our clients. Equally important, Kelly shares our firm’s values and will be great fun to work with – we cannot wait to get started.”  “I am thankful for the wonderful friends I made in my time at the FCC, and for the valuable experience I gained there,” Ms. Donohue said. “Wilkinson Barker is a top firm in our field, and is the only law firm I considered joining. I look forward to applying my skills to benefit the firm’s clients.”

Ms. Donohue earned her law degree from the Duke University School of Law, where she was Topic Editor of the Duke Law & Technology Review. She also holds a Master of Music degree from the New England Conservatory of Music, from which she graduated with Academic Honors and Distinction in Performance, and is a graduate of the Tufts University/New England Conservatory Program, from which she received a B.A. in English and B.Mus. in Jazz Studies.

Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP, one of the largest law firms in the nation dedicated primarily to thepractice of communications and technology law, is ranked as a “first tier” firm by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers, Chambers USA (Telecom, Broadcast, and Satellite: Regulatory), and Legal 500 (Telecoms and broadcast: regulatory). The firm, with offices in Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado, advises clients ranging from global Fortune 100 companies to small start-ups in regulatory, transactional, corporate and litigation matters involving all aspects of communications, media and privacy law, as well as in energy and state regulatory matters. Additional information is at http://www.wbklaw.com.

Ms. Donohue is resident in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and can be reached at (202) 383-3357 and at kdonohue@wbklaw.com. Additional information about Ms. Donohue can be found at http://www.wbklaw.com/Our_team/Kelly_Donohue.