Telecommunications

May 17, 2024
Meet The Attys Fighting Efforts To Ban TikTok

Facing a potential federal ban, TikTok and creators on the platform have tapped a bevy of BigLaw heavyweights, including attorneys who have successfully led challenges to prior moves to shut down the popular social media platform and limit children's online activities, as well as a pair of litigators who've argued dozens of cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.
May 17, 2024
Apple OK'd New App Fees Despite Antitrust Ruling

An Apple Inc. executive conceded during a high-stakes antitrust hearing Friday over Apple's compliance with a court-ordered ban on App Store anti-steering rules that executives decided to implement a new 27% fee on out-of-app transactions despite knowing a jury had recently found that similar Google fees violated antitrust laws.
May 17, 2024
FCC Asked To Clarify PEG Capital Costs Aren't Franchise Fees

Cities want the Federal Communications Commission to make clear in a new rule requiring "all-in" cable pricing disclosures that capital costs involved in public and educational channels don't fall under the definition of franchise fees.
May 17, 2024
Insurer Escapes Claim In SimulTV's Tower Work Deal Suit

Development & Managers Group can't go after the insurer of a company that accused it of taking a down payment on the purchase of three DMG-owned television stations and then looking for other potential buyers, a Louisiana federal court has ruled.
May 17, 2024
T-Mobile Must Face Sprint Merger Suit Before Appealing

The Seventh Circuit summarily rejected T-Mobile's move for interlocutory appeal in a proposed consumer class action targeting the company's 2020 merger with Sprint, allowing the case to advance to discovery after the district court denied T-Mobile's motion to dismiss in the fall.
May 17, 2024
Frontier Attacks Ex-CEO's $17M Life Insurance Tax Refund Bid

Pointing to a 2004 arbitration agreement and criticizing its ex-CEO's compensation, Frontier Communications has asked a Connecticut state court judge to hang up on a call by Leonard Tow to litigate a $17 million demand for reimbursements on life insurance policies.
May 17, 2024
Broadband Advocates Decry Delays On Senate Spectrum Bill

Broadband advocates who work on fixing the "digital divide" said they are dismayed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee again delayed a markup Thursday to advance legislation renewing the soon-to-expire Affordable Connectivity Program.
May 17, 2024
Utilities Need More Airwaves To Drive Growth, FCC Hears

Utilities need more spectrum to keep their networks running smoothly as they move toward digitizing the electric grid, which is already under significant strain, a wireless service provider has told the Federal Communications Commission.
May 17, 2024
Google Says Payment Means No Need For DOJ Ad Tech Jury

Google is arguing in Virginia federal court the government has no right to a jury trial in a case accusing the company of monopolizing key digital advertising technology, especially after Google issued a check for the money enforcers could be awarded if they won.
May 17, 2024
Blackstone Leads $7.5B Financing For AI-Focused CoreWeave

Artificial intelligence-focused infrastructure provider CoreWeave said Friday it had secured an agreement for a $7.5 billion debt financing facility provided by Blackstone with strategic participation from hedge fund Magnetar Capital, the co-lead investor, and tech investor Coatue.
May 16, 2024
$2B Default Recommended For Making Fair Trial 'Impossible'

Years of lies should put a pair of Chinese electronics companies on the hook for over $2 billion in default judgment, a special master told a California federal judge, adding that their yearslong no-show and disregard of U.S. counsel advice to retain documents have rendered a fair trial "impossible."
May 16, 2024
Klobuchar Reintroduces Sweeping Antitrust Reform Bill

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., reintroduced sweeping legislation Thursday aimed at restoring competition by strengthening antitrust laws to help enforcers better deal with harmful conduct and mergers, garnering support from the American Antitrust Institute, Consumer Reports and others.
May 16, 2024
FCC Told Rural Aid Can't Lean Too Much On Broadband Maps

Wireless providers are calling out flaws in the Federal Communications Commission's national broadband map, telling the agency to require more certification from providers to verify that they can actually serve areas they say they can before allocating broadband deployment funding.
May 16, 2024
Internet Archive Must Face Record Labels' Copyright Suit

A California federal judge on Wednesday ruled that the Internet Archive and the foundation that helps fund it must face a suit from record labels accusing the archive of copyright infringement by willfully copying and distributing thousands of protected recordings for free, saying the archive failed to show that the complaint was untimely.
May 16, 2024
Deals Rumor Mill: Shein IPO, Kraft Heinz, Cinven-Jaggaer

Online fashion giant Shein is shifting IPO plans from the U.S. to London amid resistance from U.S. lawmakers and Chinese regulators, Kraft Heinz wants to sell its Oscar Mayer business, and private equity firm Cinven hopes to divest software firm Jaggaer for $3 billion. Here, Law360 breaks down these and other notable deal rumors from the past week.
May 16, 2024
FCC To Pull Phone Co.'s Authorization To Operate In US

The Federal Communications Commission said Thursday it plans to revoke a telecom company's authorization to operate in the U.S. after the business failed to comply with an agreement with federal agencies stemming from a security review.
May 16, 2024
Apple Exec Must Produce All Docs On 27% App Fee Decision

A California federal judge presiding over a high-stakes antitrust hearing over Apple's compliance with a court-ordered ban on App Store anti-steering rules ordered a company executive Thursday to hand over all of his communications and notes on Apple's decision to impose a new 27% fee after her injunction.
May 15, 2024
State Farm Can't Dodge TCPA Suit Over Robocalls

State Farm must face a proposed class action alleging it violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by using a third-party company to make automated telemarketing calls without prior consent, an Illinois federal judge has ruled, saying the suit states a plausible claim of the insurer's vicarious liability for the robocalls.
May 15, 2024
Iridium Partner Gets Novel FAA Waiver For Beyond-Sight Use

In what satellite phone company Iridium Communications is calling a "watershed moment," the Federal Aviation Administration is allowing one of its partner companies to begin beyond visual line of sight operations, Iridium said Wednesday.
May 15, 2024
MLB, NHL, NBA Doubt Bally Sports Parent Can Reorganize

The bankrupt parent of Bally Sports-branded regional sports networks touted the extension of a carriage contract with DirecTV Wednesday in Texas bankruptcy court, at the same time that the parent company's partners in major American sports leagues expressed skepticism about its ability to successfully reorganize.
May 15, 2024
House Reauthorizes NTIA, But Agency Takes Heat From GOP

The U.S. House voted late Wednesday to reauthorize the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, hours after Republicans on a key oversight committee blasted the agency for its handling of the government's $42.5 billion broadband deployment effort.
May 15, 2024
Don't Make Network Outage Reporting Mandatory, FCC Told

Telecommunications industry groups are telling the Federal Communications Commission that rules requiring mandatory broadband outage reporting would burden small and rural providers and potentially distract from outage response.
May 15, 2024
Caltech Makes A Deal With Dell, Ending Another Patent Suit

The California Institute of Technology has reached a settlement in its patent lawsuit against Dell Technologies Inc., the latest deal the school has cut in suits over its data transmission patents in the years after its $1.1 billion verdict against Apple Inc. crashed at the Federal Circuit.
May 15, 2024
FCC Could Require ISP Reports On Internet Routing Security

The Federal Communications Commission will vote on a plan next month to require the largest broadband providers to file confidential reports on security of the internet's main routing technology, the Border Gateway Protocol.
May 15, 2024
School, Library Advocates Oppose 'Eyes On The Board Act'

Tying E-rate funds to a school's willingness to restrict students' social media access while at school is a bad idea, a quartet of school and library advocates are telling Senate leaders in response to a bill that would do just that.

Expert Analysis

4 PR Pointers When Your Case Is In The News

Media coverage of new lawsuits exploded last year, demonstrating why defense attorneys should devise a public relations plan that complements their legal strategy, incorporating several objectives to balance ethical obligations and advocacy, say Nathan Burchfiel at Pinkston and Ryan June at Castañeda + Heidelman.
6 AI Cases And What They Mean For Copyright Law

Artificial intelligence cases filed last year, some decided and others pending, demonstrate how the appellate courts that set binding precedent look at the intersection between copyright and AI, so legal frameworks must adapt and provide clarity in order to foster innovation, protect creators, and ensure fair and equitable outcomes, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
The Space Law And Policy Outlook For 2024

Expect significant movement in space law, regulation and policy in 2024, as Congress, the administration and independent federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission address the increasingly congested, contested and competitive nature of space and the space industry, say Paul Stimers and Leighton Brown at Holland & Knight.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
Attorneys' Busiest Times Can Be Business Opportunities

Attorneys who resolve to grow their revenue and client base in 2024 should be careful not to abandon their goals when they get too busy with client work, because these periods of zero bandwidth can actually be a catalyst for future growth, says Amy Drysdale at Alchemy Consulting.
In The World Of Legal Ethics, 10 Trends To Note From 2023

Lucian Pera at Adams and Reese and Trisha Rich at Holland & Knight identify the top legal ethics trends from 2023 — including issues related to hot documents, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — that lawyers should be aware of to put their best foot forward.
Opinion

Why Challenges To FTC Authority Are Needed

In spite of skepticism from courts, the Federal Trade Commission continues to advance novel legal theories — and Meta's recent federal suit against the agency over its alleged "structurally unconstitutional" administrative proceedings is arguably an expression of backlash to regulatory overreach, says Daniel Gilman at the International Center for Law & Economics.
Lessons Learned From 2023's Top ADA Decisions

This year saw the courts delving into the complexities of employee accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act in the post-pandemic workplace, going beyond bright-line rules with fact-intensive inquiries that are likely to create uncertainty for employers, says Linda Dwoskin at Dechert.
The Year In FRAND: What To Know Heading Into 2024

In 2023, there were eight significant developments concerning the fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory patent licensing regime that undergirds technical standardization, say Tom Millikan and Kevin Zeck at Perkins Coie.
What's Ahead For Immigrant Employee Rights Enforcement

The U.S. Department of Justice’s increased enforcement related to immigration-based employment discrimination is coupled with pending constitutional challenges to administrative tribunals, suggesting employers should leverage those headwinds when facing investigations or class action-style litigation, say attorneys at Jones Day.
How Attorneys Can Be More Efficient This Holiday Season

Attorneys should consider a few key tips to speed up their work during the holidays so they can join the festivities — from streamlining the document review process to creating similar folder structures, says Bennett Rawicki at Hilgers Graben.
Series

Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.
Issues High Court Is Weighing In Gov't Social Media Cases

Two U.S. Supreme Court cases aim to resolve a circuit split on whether public officials who block commenters from their personally created accounts are acting "under color of" state law, and the justices are grappling with determining how canonical legal principles will fit into a shifting landscape driven by advances in technology, says Alyssa Howard at Zuckerman Spaeder.
How Clients May Use AI To Monitor Attorneys

Excerpt from Practical Guidance

Artificial intelligence tools will increasingly enable clients to monitor and evaluate their counsel’s activities, so attorneys must clearly define the terms of engagement and likewise take advantage of the efficiencies offered by AI, says Ronald Levine at Herrick Feinstein.