The Legal 500 US Rates Wiley Rein's Telecom Group among the Nation's Best Practices

June 6, 2011

In its 2011 edition The Legal 500 US rates Wiley Rein's prominent Telecommunications Practice among the country's top-tier of Telecom and Broadcast Regulatory groups, and recognizes Managing Partner Richard E. Wiley and Telecom Practice chair R. Michael Senkowski as "leading lawyers" in their field. In a testament to the group's depth, the directory also recommends partners John E. Barry, William S. Consovoy, Andrew G. McBride, Joshua S. Turner, Nancy J. Victory and Helgi C. Walker.

Ranking the practice among the nation's best, Legal 500 says:

"Wiley Rein LLP's 'expertise in FCC matters is the best. It is able to get things done, and brings expertise and energy to the tasks.' The 48-partner group handles regulatory and appellate work as well as litigation and big-ticket transactions. The integration of regulatory and public policy has been the cornerstone of the team's structure; matched by only a few communications boutiques, which are unable to match the firm's level of resources. The team, which includes a blend of attorneys with backgrounds at the commission and young talent, is recommended for 'difficult projects where specialized expertise and scalability are important' and is praised by clients as 'outstanding on all counts'... Flagship clients in each sector are able to retain teams of specialists, lawyers with decades of FCC dealings and ancillary litigation and appellate expertise."

Mr. Wiley "is recognized throughout the industry as a 'leading practitioner.'" Mr. Senkowski and Ms. Victory receive kudos for "winning mandates as regulatory counsel on high-profile mergers" and their work representing "Verizon Wireless in its $28.1bn acquisition of Alltel, in the most significant merger in the telecommunications industry in recent years, making Verizon Wireless the largest US mobile phone service provider. The team handled all regulatory aspects of the deal, notably securing FCC approval of the transaction in under five months. The team is frequently the first stop for carriers on FCC matters."

Representative of Wiley Rein's prominent communications appellate work, the directory cites Ms. Walker's successful representation of Comcast in appealing the FCC's first network neutrality enforcement. A source adds that Mr. McBride provides "excellent presentations to appellate courts, excellent analytical work" in his representation of "Verizon Wireless in continued proceedings of the Murray v Motorola litigation regarding the alleged health effects of radiofrequency emissions."

The Legal 500 directory aims to provide independent, unbiased commentary on the leading law firms and lawyers in the most important legal marketplaces in the world. The research for the editorial sections is based on the combined opinions of the many lawyers interviewed, commentary from corporate clients and analysis of deals or contentious issues.