WASHINGTON, DC—The NTCA—The Rural Broadband Association and Womble Bond Dickinson teamed up to give telecom professionals a better understanding of the legal issues impacting their industry. The Fall Legal Seminar took place Nov. 20-21 at the Georgetown Marriott in Washington, DC in conjunction with the NTCA Telecom Executive Policy Summit.

Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys Carri Bennet and Rebecca Jacobs Goldman, Legal Practice Assistant Dina Etemadi and Marketing & Client Resources Manager Angela Long organized the event. Professional Development Manager Tatiana Garcia arranged for CLE credit to be offered in more than 15 states. Individual sessions led by Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys included:

  • “Setting the Table for Data Privacy Issues Impacting Rural Telcos and Broadband Providers”—Ernesto Mendieta and Josh Seidemann, Vice President of Policy for NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.
  • “Cannabis Concerns and Complications: Amuse Bouche to Stimulate Your Appetite”—Patricia Heyen.
  • “Mergers and Acquisitions—Soup to Nuts”—Keith Mendelson and Frank Gallagher, Co-Founder of Charlesmead.
  • “Bankruptcy 101 – A Mixed Salad without the Greens”—Jeff Tarkenton.
  • “Telecom/Broadband Issues - The Bread and Butter of the Rural Broadband Industry”—
  • Tamber Ray, Regulatory Counsel, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association, and Brian Ford, Director of Industry Affairs, NTCA–The Rural Broadband Association.
  • “Federal Tax Law Review: The Turkey and Stuffing Main Course”—Mike Cashin.
  • “Cybersecurity Insurance – the Protective Napkin to Avoid the Red Wine Stain of Liability”—Marjorie Spivak and Peter Elliott, President, Telecom Insurance Group.
  • “New Market Tax Credits: The Gravy Accompaniment to Universal Service Fund Mashed Potatoes”—Peter Duffley.
  • “Understanding the Cornucopia of New 911 Calling Requirements”—
  • Marty Stern and Rebecca Goldman.
  • “FCC/Government Ethics: A Smorgasbord of Etiquette Rules when Interacting with Federal Guests”—Suzanne Boehm.
  • “Litigation Ethics: In-House Counsel-Led Internal Investigations – A Study in Slicing the Pie”—Alison Bost.
  • “Ethics and New Technologies: Pass the Yams and Cranberry Sauce”—Gregg Skall.

Attorneys were able to earn up to 13.5 hours of CLE credit (at a bargain price) and 12 Womble Bond Dickinson attorneys took advantage of this opportunity. The Fall Legal Seminar also provided a valuable networking opportunity for lawyers to interact with colleagues from different markets and practice areas. 

The event opened with a Welcome and Introductory Remarks by Pete Newsham, D.C. Chief of Police. Tuesday’s luncheon Guest Speaker was Gigi Sohn, a Distinguished Fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy and a Benton Foundation Senior Fellow; Ms. Sohn was previously Counselor to former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler from November 2013-December 2016. Click here to read her remarks on “The Not So Good, Very Bad and Really Weird Merger of T-Mobile and Sprint” from the event.

GCSolutions was a Gold Sponsor of the Fall Legal Seminar.