Telecommunications

Experience Highlights

• AT&T, as regulatory counsel, in matters related to FCC conditions on its acquisition of DIRECTV in 2015, including the preparation of semi-annual compliance reports to the FCC.

• Private equity firm in monitoring and advising on the federal regulatory issues related to Ligado Networks' spectrum license to use L-band spectrum to build a terrestrial wireless network.

• L3 Technologies Inc., as FCC regulatory counsel, in its merger with Harris Corporation. 

• AT&T, as antitrust and regulatory counsel, in leading the effort to obtain U.S. Department of Justice clearance for the US$85 billion AT&T-Time Warner merger; successful defense of the Department of Justice's lawsuit to block the transaction; and the coordination of work with local antitrust and regulatory counsel to secure approvals in nearly 30 other countries, including the negotiation of conditional approvals in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico.

• KCETLink Media Group, as lead FCC counsel in a merger between KCETLink Media Group and PBS SoCal, the two primary PBS stations in the Central and Southern California markets.

• AT&T, as antitrust and regulatory counsel, in leading the effort to obtain U.S. Department of Justice clearance and Federal Communications Commission approval for the sale of its Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Island assets to an international telecommunications company.

• Leading cloud communications services provider in advising on telecommunications regulations.

• Technology company in advising on 5G wireless standard matters.

• Ad hoc group of term lenders to iHeartMedia Inc. in the restructuring of approximately $20 billion of debt issued by iHeartMedia Inc. and its affiliates. Our bankruptcy, litigation, corporate, tax, and regulatory lawyers guided the clients through a complex, multi-year effort, which included a successfully litigated adversary proceeding trial over alleged violations of an indenture covenant; the separation of iHeart and Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings Inc. into independent public companies; and addressing the antitrust issues for iHeart's successful emergence from bankruptcy. Because iHeart operates the largest collection of US broadcast radio stations, our telecommunications lawyers ensured compliance with US Federal Communications Commission rules. Compliance has been complicated by many of the funds or investment advisors being formed in offshore jurisdictions, requiring an FCC declaratory ruling to permit up to 100 percent foreign ownership. Following the template we pioneered in the Cumulus Media restructuring enabled iHeart to emerge from bankruptcy prior to that declaratory ruling.

• Ad hoc group of first lien lenders to Cumulus Media Inc. in the restructuring of the radio, media and special event company. Our telecommunications lawyers ensured Cumulus's successful emergence from bankruptcy complied with U.S. Federal Communications Commission rules. Because many of the funds or investment advisors were formed in jurisdictions outside the United States, Cumulus required an FCC declaratory ruling to permit up to 100 percent foreign ownership. We developed a novel approach under which the company issued warrants in place of some equity to allow Cumulus to emerge from bankruptcy without waiting for the declaratory ruling.