Kent Bressie
Kent Bressie is chair of HWG’s international practice and a recognized leader in telecommunications, international trade and investment, and national security regulation law.
Kent represents communications and technology companies and investors in a wide variety of cross-border and domestic regulatory and commercial matters.
Undersea Cables. Kent works extensively in the undersea cable sector and represents operators, suppliers, and investors to address the critical issues they face, including: national security and foreign investment; telecoms licensing; corporate and commercial agreements for construction and maintenance, capacity sales, system supply, landings, and financing; environmental permit ting; market access; and the law of the sea.
Foreign Investment, National Security, and Cybersecurity. Kent represents investors and business owners in a wide range of defense and critical infrastructure businesses to obtain foreign investment approvals from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”) under the Defense Production Act and, with respect to FCC-regulated business, the Team Telecom agencies. He has negotiated dozens of security mitigation arrangements with CFIUS and Team Telecom. He advises network and data center operators on cybersecurity, wiretapping, surveillance, and related policy issues under the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (“CALEA”), the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (“FISA”), and the USA PATRIOT Act. He represents companies to obtain and maintain security clearances for work on classified contracts and negotiates agreements with the Defense Security Service to mitigate foreign ownership, control, or influence (“FOCI”).
Supply Chain Security, Data Security and Internet of Things (“IoT”). Kent advises equipment manufacturers, technology companies, and service providers to address supply chain security requirements imposed through the FCC’s Covered List, statutory government procurement restrictions, IoT cybersecurity, and restrictions on exports of personal data from the United States.
Communications Regulation, Licensing, and Transactions. Kent represents network operators, service providers, and software and equipment manufacturers in policy, licensing, and environmental matters before a variety of regulators and policymakers—including the FCC; the Departments of State, Commerce, and Defense; state and territorial regulators; the International Telecommunication Union; and numerous foreign regulators (particularly in the Pacific and Caribbean regions)—to enable new network infrastructure, emerging technologies, mergers and acquisitions, and financing arrangements.
Export Controls and Economic Sanctions. Kent counsels companies regarding compliance with U.S. and multilateral economic sanctions and export controls, and represents them before the Departments of the Treasury (OFAC), Commerce (BIS), State (DDTC), and Defense to obtain licenses necessary to consummate investment, financial, and export transactions.
Trade Policy and Market Access. Kent represents companies before the U.S. Trade Representative and foreign governments in World Trade Organization (“WTO”) matters, market access disputes (including disputes over goods, services, investment, and government procurement), and bilateral and regional trade negotiations.
Public International Law, Law of the Sea, and Maritime Law. Kent represents ICPC and companies in a variety of public international law and treaty matters, particularly those involving jurisdictional disputes among sovereign states and the law of the sea. He has long represented undersea cable operators regarding treaty protections, environmental regulation, and cable damage disputes, and mobile carriers regarding the provision of international roaming and cruise ship-based services.
Kent is a member of the District of Columbia and New York Bars, the International Law Association (Member of the Committee on Submarine Cables and Pipelines), the American Society of International Law (Assistant Treasurer, 2003-2006), and the Federal Communications Bar Association (Co-Chair, International Communications Committee, 2017-2018, and Co-Chair, Global Telecommunications Development Committee, 2000-2003).
