The Washington DC-based telecoms practice at DLA Piper LLP (US) leverages the global resources and strong M&A capabilities of the broader firm to represent high-profile clients in the telecoms sector in their complex, business-critical transactions. The firm’s strong regulatory capabilities complements the transactional work, able to provide comprehensive assistance for complex transactions, illustrated by the firm’s representation of T-Mobile in its merger with Sprint. The team’s work cuts across all sectors of telecoms and broadcast with a significant and growing practice in space and satellite, the firm supporting operators in this sector through business arrangements and strategy as well as regulatory and technical issues. The team is co-led by distinguished figures Michael Senkowski and Nancy Victory
who are noted for their work leading the work on the T-Mobile merger, and whose practices otherwise cut across wireless, traditional telecom, media, and satellite. Michael and Nancy frequently work alongside Edward Smith whose expertise is equally broad in scope, exemplified by his assistance in both market entry for satellite companies and the planning of new submarine cables. Eric DeSilva specializes in wireless, and represents clients on the full range of work in this space, and Michael Hazzard focusses on global communications and infrastructure companies in their multi-jurisdictional mandates, covering corporate restructuring, market entry, and commercial transactions. Associate Peter Shroyer brings his experience working at the FCC to securing approval for transactions, working on the T-Mobile merger, and spectrum auctions.
Telecoms and broadcast: transactions in United States
DLA Piper LLP (US)
Practice head(s):
Michael Senkowski; Nancy Victory
Other key lawyers:
Eric DeSilva; Edward Smith; Michael Hazzard; Kristin Jacobson
Key clients
T-Mobile US, Inc.
Deutsche Telekom AG
Peerless Network, Inc.
Metro Fibernet
Globalstar, Inc.
LightSpeed Networks, Inc.
Twilio Inc.
Loop Capital
Planet Labs PBC
Work highlights
- Representing T-Mobile US, Inc. in selling the legacy Sprint wireline business, which provides services in more than 155 countries, to Cogent Communications.
- Advised Peerless Network, Inc. on its sale to Infobip Ltd., involving regulatory approvals in multiple federal fora and state regulatory commissions.
- Advising several global satellite companies regarding the applicable regulatory and legal requirements for deployment of their global satellite services around the world.
Hogan Lovells US LLP
Hogan Lovells US LLP advises market-leading companies in the telecoms and broadcast space on the full range of transactional matters, providing end-to-end representation through both the complementary work of the firm’s strong regulatory practice and the global resources of the wider firm. The team has experience working across the sector, with a particularly strong offering in space, satellite, wireless, and Internet of Things. Alexis Sáinz joined the firm from Milbank in September 2022, co-leading the team on its satellite projects with extensive experience in the industry, advising on the development and financing of satellites and related assets. The Washington DC-based team is also led by Steven Kaufman, who has worked on a number of joint ventures, financings, and M&A, with a track record of leading first of their kind transactions in the space sector. The DC team works closely with co-lead Randy Segal in North Virginia, who focusses on cutting-edge work in satellite, wireless, drone, and technology transactions. The transactional team is bolstered by its close integration with the regulatory team, able to rely on Ari Fitzgerald, Michele Farquhar, and Mark W. Brennan to advise clients on all of the regulatory aspects of transactional work, just as it is able to draw on the firm’s broader corporate M&A practice, namely Keith Flaum, to assist with M&A in the telecoms space.
Practice head(s):
Steven Kaufman; Randy Segal; Alexis Sainz
Other key lawyers:
Ari Fitzgerald; Michele Farquhar; Mark Brennan; Keith Flaum
Testimonials
‘Steve Kaufmann is responsive, commercially minded and knows the space sector well.’
‘HL’s satellite transactional practice has been heavily bolstered by Alexis Sainz joining them. Previously they were known for acting predominantly for manufacturers but now they have someone who covers all the bases having acted for borrowers, sponsors, banks, Export Credit Agencies and Development Finance Institutions.‘
‘Alexis Sainz always continues to impress with her technical and legal knowledge in the satellite space. Once you have experienced Alexis’ prompt and insightful commentary tempered with commercial pragmatism then you will realise what you have been missing!‘
‘The Hogan team is extraordinarily knowledgeable in the telco and satellite arena.’
‘Steve Kaufman, Randy Segal and Alexis Sainz are excellent attorneys.‘
Key clients
TelevisaUnivision
Boingo Wireless
Fortinet
GSSI
Association of American Railroads
Railroad consortium PTC-220
Columbia Capital
SNR Wireless
Vodafone and Vodafone Americas
T-Mobile US
Barings LLC
Rivada
Mangata
eBay
Omnispace
Zendesk
Rosetta Stone
NextNav Inc.
Oracle
Drone Racing League
Work highlights
- Representing Columbia Capital and a large number of its portfolio companies that participated in FCC spectrum auctions, the most recent being Three Forty-Five Holdings.
- Representing numerous innovative and entrepreneurial NewSpace companies and established companies, all technology pioneers that are transforming the space industry.
Latham & Watkins
Working out of Washington DC, Latham & Watkins LLP utilises both the strong M&A capabilities and broad geographical footprint of the wider firm in conjunction with its active FCC practice to provide complete coverage for clients in their complex telecoms transactions. Having joined the telecoms and broadcast with the data privacy and security, and digital copyright practices, the firm is equipped to offer an integrated approach to corporate transactions where these areas intersect. The firm advises across all telecoms and broadcast sectors, working with significant telecoms operators, infrastructure companies, and investors in the industry on a number of high-value M&A, take-private, and take-public transactions. The team is led by Matthew A. Brill, employing his expertise that cuts across transactional, litigation, and regulatory to advise major telecoms and broadcast operators as well as investors and lenders in the industry on all aspects of their M&A mandates. He works alongside James H. Barker, who has worked on the regulatory and commercial aspects of various infrastructure, terrestrial broadcast, and private equity investment transactions, and Matthew T. Murchison, who brings a similar interdisciplinary breadth of expertise on a range of transactions in the telecom, broadcast, and satellite space.
Practice head(s):
Matthew A. Brill; James H. Barker
Other key lawyers:
Matthew T. Murchison; Elizabeth Park
Key clients
Searchlight Capital Partners
BAI Communications
Viasat
Infobip
Switch, Inc.
AST & Science LLC
HPS Investment Partners
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP
Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP advises on the full range of transactions across the telecoms and broadcast space, focusing on the corporate aspect of business-critical M&A and financing mandates for major companies and investors active in the sector. The firm’s market-leading M&A practice is well-equipped to represent clients on complex, high-value, cross-border transactions, with further strengths in tax, corporate governance, and intellectual property. The New York-based practice is co-headed by Robert Townsend III, whose extensive expertise in all types of M&A and corporate governance has resulted in a track record of advising on a number of high-profile telecoms deals. Also active in this space is Andrew Elken, whose recent work includes advising Rogers Communications on its pending C$26bn acquisition of Shaw Communications, and representing Cyrus in its $15bn acquisition by KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners.
Practice head(s):
Robert I. Townsend III
Other key lawyers:
Andrew Elken
Key clients
Cable One
Crown Castle
CyrusOne
Deutsche Telekom
Disney
QUALCOMM
Quibi
Rogers Communications
Syniverse
U.S. TelePacific Corp
Yell Holdco
Work highlights
- Representing Rogers Communications in its pending C$26 billion acquisition of Shaw Communications.
- Represented CyrusOne in its $15 billion acquisition by KKR and Global Infrastructure Partners.
- Represented Disney in the sale of a majority stake in Fox TeleColombia& Estudios TeleMexico to ViacomCBS.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP has a strong record in telecoms infrastructure deals, working on an international scale in representing major infrastructure funds and telecoms companies in the acquisition and sale of infrastructure assets. The Washington DC-based practice has been bolstered by the addition of David Plotinsky and Denise Wood from the Department of Justice and an in-house position in the sector respectively, providing further depth of expertise in transactions related to foreign-ownership and high-profile market players. Andrew D. Lipman leads the practice, regularly advising major funds and banks, working alongside deputy practice head Catherine Wang, who uses her corporate expertise in her focus on M&A and financing transactions. Ulises Pin is noted for his cross-border work in infrastructure investment; Andrew Ray has extensive M&A experience as the head of the corporate and business transactions team; Kimberly Taylor is similarly active in the M&A space, while Tamar Finn has a greater focus on the regulatory aspects of such transactions; and Ronald Del Sesto, Jr brings his expertise in technology.
Practice head(s):
Andrew D. Lipman; Catherine Wang
Other key lawyers:
David Plotinsky; Denise Wood; Ulises Pin; Tamar Finn; Ronald Del Sesto Jr.; Kimberly Taylor; Andrew Ray
Testimonials
‘We have found that the MLB team is extremely knowledgeable about the sectors that we work with them in. We have done 3 different transactions (2 fiber, 1 towers) and have been very impressed with the depth of the MLB team’s understanding of each sector, the key financial drivers and risks of the sectors and the different ways to approach mitigating these risks. This depth of knowledge has proven useful on all transactions that we have worked with them on.’
‘Their experience in the sector ensures that they are cutting-edge on market trends, key approaches and have a good sense of what really matters on a fiber or towers transaction.’
‘We have had numerous very positive experiences with Kimberly Taylor. She had lead all transactions that we have worked with MLB on and we have developed a real appreciation for her guidance. She is practical, commercially and really understands the businesses. She digs in at the appropriate times and has a great sense when we need/want her to take over and drive things forward (and when we need a bit of time to work through things before we\’re ready to drive). She has become truly indispensable to us on our fiber/towers transactions. We have also worked with Kim and the MLB team on a couple of add-on transactions for our portfolio companies. She has a really good handle on how to do the smaller add-on deals. Pricing is very economical, but she has a good sense of what are big ticket items and manages the transaction process skillfully to ensure that nothing that is critical to us will ever be unaddressed.’
Key clients
Zayo Group Holdings, Inc.
DigitalBridge Group, Inc.
Cincinnati Bell
Hawaiian Telecom
OneWeb
Globenet Cabos Submarinos S.A.
HRL Morrison & Co.
Hawaiki Submarine Cable LP
EQT AB
Inteliquent
GI Partners Acquisitions LLC
Stratus Networks
CBRE Caledon Capital Management Inc.
FirstLight
Global Cloud Xchange
ImOn Communications LLC
Grain Management, LLC
Atlantic Broadband
Apollo Capital
SDC Capital Partners
Work highlights
- Advised Cincinnati Bell on its acquisition by Macquarie Infrastructure Partners for $2.9 billion USD.
- Advised DigitalBridge Group, Inc. on its acquisition of Switch, Inc. for $11 billion USD and its acquisition of a majority stake in GD towers for €10.7 billion EUR.
- Advised OneWeb on its acquisition of TrustComm Inc., a Texas-based provider of managed satellite communications for an undisclosed amount.
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP
Cahill Gordon & Reindel LLP maintains a prominent market position for finance work for transactions in telecoms space, calling upon the broader firm’s strong capabilities in leveraged finance to bolster the Washington DC-based practice’s offering in business-critical, communications-focused financing mandates. The team has extensive experience working with high-profile, international financial institutions, representing them in all aspects, including regulatory, of major financing transactions connected to market-leading telecoms companies. The practice is headed by Chérie Kiser, who is notable for the breadth of her expertise in terms of both the sectors of the market and the services she provides. She works alongside counsel Angela Collins who has experience serving as regulatory counsel in connection with M&A and other corporate transactions.
Practice head(s):
Chérie Kiser
Other key lawyers:
Angela Collins
Key clients
Morgan Stanley
BofA Securities
JPMorgan Securities
Deutsche Bank Securities
Citigroup Global Markets
Mizuho Securities USA
Credit Suisse Securities
Cable One, Inc.
Lingo Management
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP
Operating from New York, Debevoise & Plimpton LLP combines a longstanding presence in the telecoms and broadcast space with the cross-departmental capabilities of the wider firm; able to leverage the firm’s offerings in M&A, intellectual property, finance, and tax in conjunction with industry expertise, the practice is well-equipped to service clients in the telecoms sector on their complex corporate transactions, both in the US and internationally. Jonathan Levitsky heads the practice, focusing primarily on public and private M&A and joint ventures in the telecoms and media space, working for a wide range of clients such as private equity, healthcare, and market-leading telecoms and broadcast operators. Michael Gillespie is noted for his strong corporate practice, acting for a range of companies and investors globally in telecoms M&A and other strategic transactions. Michael Diz, working from San Francisco, brings a broad-based transactional practice, advising major telecoms and broadcast clients as well as private equity investing in the space in respect of the structuring and negotiation of complex M&A and other corporate matters.
Practice head(s):
Jonathan Levitsky
Other key lawyers:
Michael Diz; Michael Gillespie
Key clients
Gogo, Inc.
Liberty Broadband
Providence Equity Partners
Qatar Investment Authority
The Carlyle Group
Verizon Communications Inc.
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised Discovery, Inc. in its $130 billion acquisition of WarnerMedia from AT&T Inc.. in a highly complex Reverse Morris Trust transaction.
- Advised Verizon Communications Inc. in its $6.25 billion acquisition of Tracfone, the leading prepaid and value mobile provider in the United States, from Mexico’s America Movil.
- Advised Carlyle, majority owner of Syniverse, in raising $1.025 billion in loan debt and $340 million in preferred equity following Syniverse’s strategic partnership with Twilio.
Paul Hastings LLP
Paul Hastings LLP combines its regulatory strength with a track record in major M&A and leveraged finance deals to serve as a destination practice for companies seeking to operate within or invest in the telecoms space. The firm works with major lenders and private equity on their M&A and finance transactions to enter the market, focusing on the full extent of regulatory issues before the FCC, as well as advising established operators on their first-of-its-kind transactions and the novel issues entailed. Sherrese Smith leads the Washington-DC based practice, working on a range of high-profile transactional matters particularly within the broadcast and streaming space in which she deploys her extensive regulatory and data privacy expertise. Also of note is Associate John Gasparini, who similarly brings regulatory and data privacy experience to a range of M&A and foreign investment proceedings before federal regulatory bodies.
Practice head(s):
Sherrese Smith
Other key lawyers:
John Gasparini
Key clients
TEGNA
National Association of Broadcasters
Fox Corporation
EchoStar Corporation
Bank of America
Providence Equity Partners
Cox Enterprises
AT&T
Novacap Technologies
Work highlights
- Advising Providence Equity Partners in receiving FCC and Team Telecom approval for its USD1 billion acquisition of a controlling interest in Marlink.
- Representing National Association of Broadcasters as its primary sources of outside counsel on FCC regulatory issues including retransmission consent, media ownership, and other issues.
- Representing Cox Communications in the FCC’s realignment of the C Band for 5G, including advocating for critical policy changes to support Cox’s strategic content delivery plans.
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP
Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP combines expertise in private equity and M&A with experience working in the telecoms industry, making it well-equipped to advise on the full range of possible transactions. The firm has a track record working on cutting-edge corporate transactions, and has been retained as counsel by both high-profile telecoms operators as well as some of the most active investors. The practice also has a broad geographic reach, working on major cross-border transactions in Europe alongside a large number of terrestrial clients. Operating from New York, Bruce Gutenplan brings extensive experience in the full range of corporate transactions, with a more specific focus on infrastructure in the telecoms space. Brian Lavin is also notable for his work in a number of major M&A and financings, working with major investors in the telecoms space on their business-critical infrastructure transactions including some novel financing mandates.
Practice head(s):
Bruce Gutenplan
Other key lawyers:
Alvaro Membrillera; Christopher Cummings; Brian Lavin
Key clients
American Tower Corporation
Lendlease Corporation
Firstlight Fiber
Mitel Networks Corporation
Grain Management
Newlight Partners LP
John Hancock
QTS
KKR
TowerCo
Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP
Operating from New York, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP works with international telecoms companies and investors in the industry on a diverse array of corporate transactions, leveraging the firm’s broader capabilities in M&A, private equity, capital markets, technology, and intellectual property to assist in a range of M&A, financings, licensing, debt and equity offerings, and restructurings across the industry. The firm has a proven track record in cross-border transactions, and the strength of the firm’s IP and technology offering is a particular boon for the team’s clients in the telecoms space. Michael Aiello takes the lead on the firm’s work in the telecoms space, working with some of the most high-profile investors in the telecoms space in their major deals in the sector. Frederick Green brings a similar broad transactional capability, advising clients on M&A, spin-offs, and joint ventures, while Brian Gingold brings a greater focus on representing private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies in their transactions in the space.
Practice head(s):
Michael Aiello
Other key lawyers:
Frederick Green; Brian Gingold
Key clients
AMP Capital
Antin Infrastructure
Anuvu Operations LLC
Apollo Infrastructure
Berkshire Partners
Blackstone
Blue Torch Capital
Fiera Infrastructure
Genstar Capital
GI Partners
Infinite Electronics, Inc.
Lee Equity Partners
Panasonic Avionics Corporation
Parallel Infrastructure
Providence Equity Partners
PSG
PSP Investments
SiriusXM
Speedcast International Limited
TCV
Vonage Holdings
Work highlights
- Advised Vonage Holdings Corp., a provider of cloud-based unified communications, in its $6.2 billion sale to Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.
- Advised Providence Equity Partners and its portfolio company Grupo TorreSur, in GTS’s sale of owners and operators of cellular phone towers in Brazil to SBA Torres Brasil Ltda.
Wiley Rein LLP
Wiley Rein LLP is well-placed to comprehensively assist clients in their telecoms and broadcast transactions, advising on FCC representation, national security review, and state-level approval, as well as broader issues around deal structuring, financing, and transactional documents. The practice is well-equipped to assist in satellite and space transactions with the promotion of Jennifer Hindin, with her extensive expertise in the sector, to co-chair of the practice, while on the broadcast side, the return of Craig Sperling from a senior position at a major broadcaster also strengthens the firm's offering in complex corporate transactions in the media and broadcast space. Co-chair Kathleen Kirby has experience in M&A in the broadcast space, working on both the transactional and regulatory aspects, working alongside Eve Reed, Jerita Salley, Jessica Rosenthal who have similar transactional experience.
Practice head(s):
Kathleen A. Kirby; Jennifer D. Hindin
Other key lawyers:
Craig Sperling; Eve Reed; Jerita Salley; Jessica Rosenthal; Henry Gola; Ari Metzler
Testimonials
‘These folks are the best at what they do. Kathy Kirby sits atop the industry as the doyenne of the bar, but Wiley is unique among firms in this space by having the best — and as roster of — up-and-coming stars, like Ari Meltzer and Henry Gola. While many firms have one last grey-haired eminence, Wiley is able to staff from top to bottom with excellence.’
‘Kathy Kirby is hands-on and wise counsel brining judgment and experience to a practical perspective. Ari Meltzer is knowledgeable, committed and excellent overall. Henry Gola is an up-and-coming star of the bar.’
‘The most outstanding feature of this firm is the personalized, individual attention we receive, as well as the superior knowledge in our area of expertise and the soundness of the legal advice we receive.’
Key clients
Alpha Media
APMG
California Oregon Broadcasting
Paramount ViacomCBS
Estrella Media
Gray Television
iHeartMedia
National Association of Broadcasters
New York Public Radio
Nexstar Media Group
Paramount Viacom PBS
Radio Television Digital News Association
Ryman Hospitality Partners
Opry Entertainment Group
Salem Media Group
Spanish Broadcasting Systems, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advised iHeartMedia on regulatory approvals after it attracted new foreign investment in the wake of its emergence from bankruptcy.
- Assisted with a major CBS merger with Viacom and successfully secured FCC approval for the $30+ billion merger, which is controlled by National Amusements.
Arnold & Porter
Arnold & Porter works with high-profile clients such as AT&T on their most substantial transactions from Washington DC, while also advising on a wide range of business-critical deals for regional broadcasters. Practice head Maureen Jeffreys has experience covering all mandates arising from transactions in the telecoms space, with comprehensive regulatory, transactional, and litigation expertise. Senior counsel Peter Schildkraut co-leads the team, with a background in assisting AT&T in all of its recent major communications transactions, working alongside senior counsel Scott Feira, who has represented clients before the FCC for merger reviews, license transfer proceedings, and debt and equity financing transactions.
Practice head(s):
Maureen Jeffreys
Other key lawyers:
Peter Schildkraut; Scott Feira
Key clients
AT&T
Warner Bros. Discovery
North Texas Public Broadcasting Inc.
BRX Transportation Holdings
Work highlights
- Advised AT&T/WarnerMedia on the regulatory aspects of the merger of WarnerMedia’s premium entertainment, sports, and news assets and Discovery’s nonfiction and international entertainment and sports businesses.
- Advised AT&T on the sale of Vrio Corp. to Latin American holding company Grupo Werthein.
- Represented BRX Transportation Holdings, a private equity-owned railway company, in its sale of Pioneer Lines Inc. to Patriot Rail Company.
Perkins Coie LLP
The tech-oriented team at Perkins Coie LLP has carved out a notable space in the telecoms market, focusing its offering on comprehensive services for some of the most high-profile hi-tech companies in their telecoms-related activity. Marc Martin heads the practice, representing a number of blue-chip tech companies on their operations in the telecoms space such as his work on innovative 5G-connected AR/VR device distribution agreements. Belinda Nixon is also of note, working in the satellites sector alongside Stephanie Roy with her additional specialization in advising on transactions at the international level, as are senior counsel Julien Bowers and counsel Brandon Johnson, who focus on tech transactions with more specific experience in telecoms.
Practice head(s):
Marc Martin
Other key lawyers:
Charlyn Ho; Stephanie Roy; Belinda Nixon; Kyle Simon; Meredith Halama; John Roche; Janis Kestenbaum; Julien Bowers; Brandon Johnson
Testimonials
‘Kyle Simon knows the broadcasting business and has a strong feel for integrating all its parts. In a world where big M&A specialists match with green eye-shaded FCC experts, Kyle is an orchestra conductor who harmonizes all of the parts, from deal savvy to a keen understanding of broadcasting as a business, from tower leases to advertising agreements. He did some terrific work for us on JVs and a specialized ad business.’
‘Strong team and lots of experience.’
‘Belinda Nixon is very savvy.’
‘Two qualities stood out about Perkins for me. First, their responsiveness and speed of work. Their deal team turned around work product incredibly quickly and that was essential to the project. It’s easy for outside counsel to want to try to prove their worth by bogging work down with de minimis risks and irrelevant, esoteric minutiae. Perkins kept their eye on the priority and optimized for negotiations pace. Second, Perkins Coie’s lawyers are top notch and provide incredibly high quality work. Putting these qualities together, I couldn’t have been happier with their services and can’t say enough good things about Perkins and their lawyers.’
‘Marc Martin has incredibly deep knowledge of the telecom industry, including both global laws and how the technology works. His subject matter expertise was invaluable to the deals he negotiated, but even more important was his leadership of the entire team at Perkins. The team was incredibly responsive and transparent and always provided and high quality work. His leadership of the team ensured we felt supported as a priority. ‘
‘I have never trusted an attorney as much as I trusted Brandon Johnson. He stood in place to negotiate incredibly important transactions for Microsoft and produced stellar results. He works incredibly hard and always produces work early and of the highest quality. The work he did for us was nothing short of amazing and he has an incredibly bright future in the field.’
Key clients
Cox Media Group
TruConnect
Deerfield Media
Microsoft
Alliant Energy
Meta Platforms
Fox Corporation
Google LLC
Phillips Lytle LLP
The New York-based team at Phillips Lytle LLP has carved out a niche advising clients in relation to all aspects of infrastructure transactions in the telecoms space, representing a range of regional and blue-chip clients in the sale, acquisition, and development of business-critical infrastructure projects. Special counsel David Bronston heads the practice, employing his experience as a former general counsel for the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications to assist clients in network licensing and issues arising from the intersection of telecoms infrastructure and real estate. Other lawyers of note include Douglas Dimitroff, who served as a member of the FCC Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee, and Bruce Frankiewich, who brings in-house experience in a national carrier to the practice.
Practice head(s):
David Bronston
Other key lawyers:
Douglas Dimitroff; Bruce Frankiewich; Asaf Hahami; Richard Marinaccio
Testimonials
‘Phillips Lytle LLP extends a unique practice to its clients by providing a full suite of services whether basic corporate matters, merger & acquisition assistance, tax matters, patent guidance, etc. The partners and associates in the firm are all well connected in the various industries in which they specialize, thus providing the firm and their clients the most up to date information available for any particular business focus.’
‘The partners and associates in the firm are active in industry events which focus on the areas in which they specialize, thus providing a value add to their clients. I have worked closely with Doug Dimitroff, David Bronston and Asaf Hahami for many years and the responsiveness and accuracy of their work is exceptional and second to none.’
‘They are out of the box thinkers. We have a patented technology and they came up with a specialized agreement that allows us to license our IP on a site by site basis and the licensee has to buy the materials for us. It is a one of a kind agreement that has now been accepted by the biggest customers in telecom, which is a huge deal. I have been in telecom for 21 years and have never seen any of these customers sign someone paper that isn’t theirs, but everyone has signed ours.’
Key clients
InfraRed Capital Partners
ZenFi Networks
Transit Wireless
QMC Telecom International
Wire 3, LLC
Helicore LLC
StratCap Wireless
Work highlights
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP operates from Washington DC, providing transactional advice to global satellite companies and a range of regional broadcasters; the firm’s chief focus in this regard is spectrum work, representing their clients in spectrum sales and before the FCC in relation to spectrum auctions and related proceedings. Brian Weimer leads the practice, providing transactional and regulatory experience in his work focussing on satellite and investment in the satellite and wireless sectors, representing these investors before the FCC and the ITU in seeking approval for these transactions. Douglas Svor has a similar focus, representing satellite, wireless, and tech companies before the FCC and CFIUS in relation to M&A.
Practice head(s):
Brian Weimer
Other key lawyers:
Douglas Svor
Key clients
SES S.A.
OneWeb
Peloton
San Diego Gas & Electric
Liberman Broadcasting
Piper Networks
Piper Networks
Susan L. Uecker
Work highlights
- Advising OneWeb as principal regulatory counsel within the United States and abroad, as it nears the final stages of deploying its first generation low-Earth orbit satellite network.
- Represented Peloton before the FCC and accessibility groups concerning a waiver filed with respect to the accessibility of its fitness products, securing a favourable outcome.
Telecommunications Law Professionals
Telecommunications Law Professionals handles M&A and financing transactions in the telecoms space, employing its capabilities in handling the regulatory aspects of these major deals for a number of high-profile clients; the team has experience in both representing operators in this sector in their day-to-day transactions and assisting in more major projects, with notable work in telecoms infrastructure, specifically submarine cable. Carl Northrop founded the Washington DC boutique and continues to handle complex transactional work such as the acquisition of licenses and equipment and related financing, and works alongside Michael Lazarus who manages the team, working with the firm’s most high-profile clients for their transactional mandates for their ongoing operations.
Practice head(s):
Michael Lazarus; Carl Northrop
Testimonials
‘The professionals at the firm are focused on the needs of the telecommunications industry and have a deep understanding of how those needs have to be met in the negotiation and drafting of transactional documents. This makes them very efficient in getting deals done.’
‘Carl Northrop and Jessica Gyllstrom are our “go to” attorneys for complex transactions. We’ve yet to throw anything at them that they haven’t seen before, so they are capable of providing sage advise in a timely, cost-effective manner.’
‘Strong and knowledgeable staff.‘
Key clients
GCI Communications Corp.
AST & Science
Cellular South, Inc. d/b/a C Spire
American Tower Corporation
Heritage Broadcasting of Michigan
Ramar Communications, Inc.
Adams Radio Group
Weld County School District RE-5J
Bushland Radio Specialties WCFW
Capital Broadcasting of VA
Carpenter Broadcasting, LLC
MRJ, Inc.
Work highlights
- Advising GCI Communication Corp. and its affiliate The Alaska Wireless Network on a variety of regulatory and contractual matters pertaining to their extensive operations in Alaska.
- Acted as regulatory counsel for Adams Radio Group in a complex multi-market transaction involving the sale of 5 separate groups of radio stations.