Wiltshire & Grannis LLP

Firm Overview:
Wiltshire & Grannis LLP (W&G) is one of the premier communications, information technology and litigation law firms in North America. The firm’s clients include Fortune 500 companies, entrepreneurs, investors and other organizations. As former senior government officials, federal prosecutors, Congressional staff and experienced litigators, W&G lawyers advise their clients on how decision makers think, how legal and political institutions work in the real world and how those institutions can affect a transaction or business plan.

Main Areas of Practice:  

Communications & Internet: Regulation & Licensing:
W&G’s renowned communications, Internet and technology practice—ranked in Band One by Chambers USA—is home to legal, policy and engineering experts in virtually every area of communications and technology law, and has played a major role in shaping U.S. regulation in these areas. W&G represents carriers, equipment providers, software companies, ISPs, telecommunications users, undersea cable operators, satellite providers,media companies and investors. The firm assists its clients in regulatory, licensing and enforcement proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), State Department, the International Telecommunication Union and other U.S. and foreign government agencies on the full range of communications and technology regulatory issues, including wireline,wireless, roaming, satellite and spectrum regulation; media (including satellite and cable); Internet and VoIP regulation; and accessibility rules.

Communications & Internet: Mergers, Acquisitions & Financing:
Transactions are central to W&G’s communications practice. The firm assists large and small entities seeking FCC approval of transactions such as mergers and acquisitions; transfers of wireline,wireless, broadcast or satellite licenses; and spectrum leasing. Recent representations include Frontier Communications in its acquisition of wireline properties from Verizon; Qualcomm in its sale of spectrum assets to AT&T; and Level 3 in its acquisition of Global Crossing.

International Trade, Investment & National Security: 
Leveraging the firm’s technology-related expertise, W&G’s prominent international trade and investment practice assists clients in obtaining investment and national security-related approvals from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the “Team Telecom” agencies, the Defense Security Service, and in complying with U.S. wiretapping and surveillance laws. Recent representations include TE Connectivity in its acquisition of Deutsch Group; Level 3 in its acquisition of Global Crossing; and Amper in its acquisition of eLandia. W&G counsels clients and assists them in obtaining transaction approvals under U.S. and multilateral economic sanctions (before the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control) and export controls (before the Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls), and has recently assisted clients in obtaining licenses for transactions in Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria. W&G represents companies before the U.S.Trade Representative and foreign governments in WTO matters, market access disputes and bilateral and regional trade negotiations, with a particular focus on China, India, Indonesia and the Middle East.

Litigation: Supreme Court & Appellate:
W&G attorneys brief and argue a wide variety of cases before the Supreme Court, including cases involving antitrust, communications law, employee benefits, torts and criminal law. In the federal courts of appeals, W&G attorneys argue communications law cases, including wireless, common carrier, cable and broadcast issues, and a broad array of appeals in other substantive areas. This breadth of experience permits W&G to preserve victories at administrative agencies and trial courts, and to challenge adverse decisions. Recent matters include representing a major Internet company in patent appeals before the Supreme Court; a public utility on the merits of a FERC appeal before the Supreme Court; and major telecommunications companies and equipment suppliers in appeals of FCC orders. W&G also has recently filed amicus briefs in Supreme Court cases related to affirmative action, violence in video games and campaign finance.

Litigation: White-Collar,Criminal & Government Investigations:
W&G represents large companies and individuals in civil litigation and government investigations before federal courts, state courts, arbitrators and administrative tribunals. The firm handles all stages of litigation, administrative investigations and internal investigations – from formal discovery, to administrative investigations, to trial advocacy. Thomas Connolly, a former federal prosecutor, and widely recognized as one of the leading trial lawyers in Washington, leads this practice. W&G has defended companies as well as individuals in white-collar criminal matters, government investigations and civil litigation. Representative matters include successfully arguing on behalf of Dr Steven Hatfill in Hatfill v. Ashcroft; representing Freddie Mac in relation to Justice Department investigations; defending foreign executives accused of tax and bribery offenses by the United States; and representing a wide range of communications companies in investigations related to procurement, the Federal Universal Service Fund and consumer billing practices.

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  District of Columbia

  Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite (Band 1)
  Christopher Wright (Band 2)
  John T Nakahata (Band 1)
  Paul Margie (Band 4)
  William M Wiltshire (Band 4)
  

Ranked Individuals

• Paul Margie
• John T Nakahata
• William M Wiltshire
• Christopher Wright