Telecommunications

Flaster Greenberg attorneys have been serving a diverse clientele in the telecommunications industry since the early days of cellular communications. Our attorneys work closely with in-house counsel of large telecommunication carriers and act as outside general counsel to private companies that service the telecommunications industry. Our clients range from service providers, including regional and international carriers, to the companies that build, maintain and operate both land-line and cellular transmission facilities. Two of our telecommunications carrier clients put Flaster Greenberg on Corporate Counsel Magazine's "Go To" list of law firms for litigation matters. Those clients recognize that Flaster Greenberg offers an alternative to the high fees of large law firms by providing the highest quality legal services with leaner, more cost-effective staffing of litigation. Relying on the specialized knowledge of in-house counsel and working closely with the carrier's own personnel, instead of reinventing the wheel, our litigators are able to achieve the best results efficiently and effectively.

How We Help Our Clients

With telecommunications and its related industries changing constantly as technology advances and regulations change, Flaster Greenberg has been flexible in meeting the demands of its clients.

Our attorneys work closely with telecommunications carriers' in-house counsel, particularly as litigators, in cutting-edge issues involving inter-carrier rate disputes and other matters of first impression involving inter-provider charges. Among other things, our litigators have experience handling matters involving access service charges, robocalling, spoofing, VoIP calls, interconnection agreements and other business contracts, tariff interpretation, primary jurisdiction, and the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. We understand the specialized legal and business aspects of the telecommunications industry and strive to work toward successful, cost-efficient and expeditious resolutions.

We have also represented international telecommunications providers in intellectual property and product trademark litigation. 

The firm also deals with more basic aspects of the industry -- the development and construction of telecommunication infrastructure, and the legal needs of the manufacturers of telecommunications equipment. We have extensive experience in the representation of developers of transmission towers from the acquisition of the desired sites, to obtaining zoning and land use approvals, to the construction and leasing of space on the transmission towers to cellular carriers.

Since our firm was active when the first wave of cellular towers were developed and built, clients continue to select Flaster Greenberg for our knowledge in that part of the business. Even though much of the cellular infrastructure is up and running, there is a need for experienced attorneys to cut through regulation, siting and maintenance red tape, which our attorneys are well-prepared to do.

As the business has consolidated to fewer, but larger, players, Flaster Greenberg has also helped clients combine their businesses, particularly in the building and service aspects of the cellular field.

Our Clients

Flaster Greenberg's telecommunications practice represents a diverse clientele, including:

• Large all-service providers
• Long distance (inter-exchange) and local exchange carriers
• Mobile phone systems
• Business telecommunications service providers
• International hardware and service providers
• Equipment manufacturers
• Cellular tower builders and installers and those who maintain the towers
• Owners of cellular towers and equipment

Representative Matters

Our litigation attorneys represent telecommunications carriers, particularly in disputes with other telecommunications providers, concerning inter-company charges. We have achieved favorable results for our clients, including a significant award of partial summary judgment concerning the FCC Benchmark. Our attorneys also recently achieved favorable settlements for telecommunications clients of matters concerning recovery of access charges from wireless (CMRS) carriers, switched access charges relating to trunk ports, and VoIP traffic.

We primarily handle trademark and intellectual property work for Telus, one of Canada's largest providers. Our attorneys have been instrumental in preserving Telus's brands and patents in the United States.

Flaster Greenberg attorneys have also represented equipment manufacturers in litigation and regulatory matters. 

Both PAETEC Communications, Inc. (now Windstream Communications, LLC), a nationwide business communications provider of data, voice and IP, and Telus Corporation, a Canadian all-encompassing telecommunications company, named Flaster Greenberg a "Go To" law firm in the Corporate Counsel Magazine survey published in the annual edition of In-House Law Departments at the Top 500 Companies guide.

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