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WASHINGTON, DC—After nearly 40 years of counseling radio and television broadcast industry clients, Womble Bond Dickinson attorney John Garziglia is retiring at the end of 2020. Womble Bond Dickinson will continue to actively represent the interests of broadcast clients, with experienced telecom and media attorney Reid Avett recently joining the firm to help lead those efforts.
“It has been an honor to represent clients in an industry I’m so passionate about,” Garziglia said. “I sincerely hope that I have left the broadcasting world in a better place than I found it. However, I am confident that Womble Bond Dickinson and our clients are in good hands with Reid and our outstanding Communications, Technology and Media team.”
Garziglia began representing broadcast clients in private practice in 1984, and has built a reputation as a leader in the field. His focus in recent years has been AM radio revitalization, representing clients ranging from large broadcasting corporations to state broadcasters’ associations to small, local radio stations. As part of this practice, Garziglia led the broadcasting industry’s efforts at the FCC to enable numerous AM stations to acquire and be awarded FM translators.
Avett, a highly regarded communications and corporate attorney, has more than 15 years of experience in advising broadcasters in a wide range of communications law-related and corporate issues, including FCC regulatory requirements, complex transactions and business agreements.
“John was a key architect of building a thriving broadcast practice, and we all are grateful for his work and leadership,” Avett said. “We are working on making a seamless transition for our clients, and I look forward to working with each one of them to advance their goals.”
“We want to thank John for his outstanding work and relentless advocacy for the radio industry, and congratulate him on a well-earned retirement. At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Reid to our team and we look forward to working with him to help our broadcast industry clients achieve their business goals,” said Marty Stern, leader of Womble Bond Dickinson’s Communications, Technology & Media Team.
Before law school, Garziglia worked at radio stations in St. Louis and Washington as both an on-air talent and a program director. He began his legal career working at the FCC, where he processed AM radio station assignment and transfer applications. He also worked in the FCC’s Hearing Branch prosecuting broadcast station license hearings before administrative law judges.
His many awards and honors include being named one of the broadcasting industry’s top ten attorneys by Radio+Television Business Report in its Fall 2019 issue, and one of the Best Lawyers in America in the Woodward/White, Inc. 2018, 2019 and 2020 lists. Garziglia has spent his entire 36-year career in private practice with Womble Bond Dickinson and its predecessor firms.
