The Legal 500 US Ranks Wiley Rein’s Telecommunications Group in the Top Tier for the Seventh Consecutive Year

June 7, 2013

The Legal 500 US rates Wiley Rein’s Telecommunications Practice in its top tier for regulatory work for the seventh consecutive year. The legal directory also ranks the team among the nation’s best for transactional matters, and once again names “universally respected” Chairman Richard E. Wiley and Telecom Practice chair R. Michael Senkowski as “Leading Lawyers” in their field. Reflecting the firm’s depth of talent on both regulatory and transactional work, the directory also recognizes name partner Bert W. Rein and partners Megan L. Brown, William S. Consovoy, Eric W. DeSilva, Jennifer D. Hindin, Andrew G. McBride, Joshua S. Turner, Nancy J. Victory and Helgi C. Walker.

With the nation’s “largest team of full-time communications and telecommunications attorneys,” Wiley Rein handles “some of the most significant transactions in the sector,” according to The Legal 500 US. Regarding the firm’s telecommunications regulatory and appellate work, litigation and involvement in big-ticket transactions, the directory notes:

“A marquee client list includes many of the world’s major wireline and mobile providers, industry associations, satellite companies, broadcast networks and government organizations. The team includes an impressive number of attorneys with FCC [backgrounds] and is advising numerous industry players on communications regulatory reform and clarification of and compliance with the [FCC’s] new rules as well as offering in depth expertise in new media and digital technologies. The team has consistently won mandates as regulatory counsel on high-profile mergers.”

Mr. Wiley, Mr. Senkowski and Ms. Victory—chair of the Wireless Group—are recognized for their work as FCC counsel to one of the world’s biggest wireless carriers on a proposed $39 billion merger and the company’s subsequent acquisition of $3 billion in spectrum as part of a $6 billion breakup fee. The directory notes that Ms. Victory and Mr. DeSilva served as FCC counsel to another major carrier in the purchase of a nationwide spectrum swath valued at $3.9 billion. Mr. Rein and Ms. Hindin—chair of the Satellite Group—advised a major global satellite carrier on its initial public offering. Ms. Walker—chair of the Communications Appellate Group—and Mr. Consovoy are lauded for their high-profile challenge, on behalf of one of the biggest U.S. telecommunications providers, of the FCC’s network neutrality order. Mr. McBride, chair of the Communications Litigation Practice, Mr. Turner and Ms. Brown receive praise for representing the wireless industry in its successful First Amendment challenge of San Francisco’s radiofrequency labeling requirement for cell phones.

To view The Legal 500 US editorial, click here.