Litigation

• Federal Appellate Litigation
  • United States Supreme Court
  • United States Courts of Appeals
• Federal District Court Litigation
• FCC Complaint Proceedings
  • Formal
  • Informal
• FCC Enforcement Proceedings

Wilkinson Barker Knauer has had a long and successful history of litigation before the federal courts and the Federal Communications Commission. Cases have ranged from full evidentiary hearings defending clients in licensing and enforcement matters to prosecuting appellate cases involving cutting-edge communications issues in virtually every circuit in the country.

Not surprisingly, much of the firm’s litigation has involved appeals in the federal courts stemming from FCC rulemaking and adjudication decisions. The subject matter of the firm’s cases has run the gamut of communications issues. For example, firm attorneys have successfully litigated complex licensing cases (e.g., license reinstatement following court-ordered rescission) and cases advocating the elimination of regulatory mandates (e.g., structural separation requirements). WBK routinely finds itself involved in a variety of federal district court proceedings, such as referrals to the FCC under the doctrines of primary jurisdiction and preemption.

Before the FCC, the firm’s attorneys have represented clients in formal complaint proceedings (both accelerated and traditional) and informal complaint proceedings, as well as enforcement proceedings initiated by the Commission. Such cases have involved auction-related enforcement issues, environmental and tower siting compliance, E911, resolution of intercarrier disputes, and consumer-related actions. Wilkinson Barker is also one of the few firms to have been involved in a formal evidentiary hearing before the FCC.

WBK attorneys are admitted to practice before every level of the federal judiciary including the United States Supreme Court, virtually all federal circuits, and numerous United States District Courts. They have many years of experience litigating telecom and mass media cases as chief counsel for the FCC and in private practice.