The Telecommunications Practice Team provides a wide array of legal services to clients within the telecommunications industry. In addition to providing regulatory assistance at the federal, state and local levels, we provide corporate and commercial legal services with respect to debt and equity financing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and equipment purchasing transactions. Our clients have included:

• Wireless telecom carriers
• Wireless broadband providers
• Independent incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs)
• Broadband providers of bundled voice, internet access and video services
• Service providers to telecom carriers
• Telecom technology companies

Wireless

The Telecommunications Practice Team has represented wireless carriers throughout the country. We have been active in the FCC’s process auctions for PCS licenses and have counseled clients regarding the FCC’s control and ownership requirements for PCS licenses. In addition to general wireless regulatory services, we have represented clients in the purchase and sale of PCS licenses, cellular partnership interests and operating wireless companies. We have assisted our wireless clients in negotiating their principal equipment contracts with vendors and have helped them finance these transactions by negotiating vendor-financing arrangements and other lending transactions. In assisting our clients with the deployment of their wireless networks, we have negotiated hundreds of cell site leases. Our representative transactions for wireless clients include the following:

• The sale of Sprint PCS network partners
• The $1.3 billion purchase of cellular operating properties in the Southeast
• Representation of a wireless carrier in three high-yield note offerings
• Acting as the legal advisor to a major investment banking firm in connection with its PCS consulting activities
• The filing and obtaining of PCS licenses through the FCC’s auction process
• Negotiation of vendor agreements with major equipment manufacturers 
• General representation of several of the Sprint PCS "affiliates," including their affiliation agreement with Sprint
• Successful representation of a wireless carriers in federal court litigation regarding cell site zoning disputes
• Representation of a cell tower construction and maintenance company in financing and roll-up of cell tower construction and maintenance companies
• Representation of tower company in multiple cell tower sale and acquisition transactions

Cable

The Telecommunications Practice Team has represented cable/video companies from both a regulatory and business standpoint. We have assisted clients in obtaining cable and telephony franchises with dozens of municipal governments. We have addressed numerous competitive issues, such as the negotiation of multiple dwelling unit agreements, the negotiation of inter-carrier agreements and the drafting of agency and other distribution agreements.

Broadband/CLECs 

The Telecommunications Practice Team has worked with several competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs) in regulatory and other matters. We represent not only traditional voice CLECs, but also CLECs who will use new technologies to provide internet access and other data services. We have assisted these clients in the formation of their business; the raising of significant amounts of venture capital and other financings; and the negotiation of equipment contracts and service contracts with other carriers. From a regulatory standpoint, we have assisted our clients in obtaining CLEC certification in numerous states. We have also represented these clients in numerous public service commission dockets which have implemented the provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Our representative transactions include the following:

• Obtaining CLEC certifications
• Closing venture capital transactions and other financing transactions for CLECs
• Obtaining change-of-control and financing authorizations from the Georgia Public Service Commission

Manufacturing

The Telecommunications Practice Team has represented both carriers and manufacturers with regard to equipment purchasing contracts. In addition, we have assisted our clients in negotiating vendor-financing agreements and other financing transactions which provided the capital funds for network deployments. Our representative transactions include the following: 

• Representation of a major communications equipment manufacturer in the formation, implementation and monitoring of a "clean room" project for the development of new interactive technology
• Representation of a client who purchases, repairs, refurbishes, tests and resells telecommunications network equipment
• Representation of wireless carriers and CLECs in the negotiation of their principal equipment contracts with numerous manufacturers

Other Telecommunications Clients

The Telecommunications Practice Team has represented a wide array of other telecommunications clients in numerous areas:

• Representation of a petroleum pipeline company in connection with a $100 million investment of cash and right-of-way rights in a "carrier’s carrier" telecom company
• Representation of a DirectTV distributor from its initial incorporation to its subsequent sale
• Representation of a satellite-to-PC media technology company from its initial incorporation until its subsequent sale 

For more information on this practice area, contact

• Donald I. Hackney, Jr., Practice Team Chair