Brian Weimer is a partner in Sheppard Mullin’s Washington, D.C. office and Leader of the firm’s Telecom Team and Co-Leader of the CFIUS Team. Brian provides regulatory and transactional advice across the entire telecommunications ecosystem. He is perhaps best known as a leading lawyer for the satellite industry, and he leads the firm’s Space & Satellite practice as well.
– Brian obtains market access and FCC licenses for space station operators, both GEO and Non-GEO;
– advises companies on obtaining cable landing licenses and the regulatory issues presented by undersea cable companies;
– advises satellite and wireless companies on regulatory proceedings impacting the value, uses, availability and sharing of spectrum resources;
– lobbies the FCC at the highest levels to achieve optimal outcomes for clients on their most important regulatory proceedings;
– assists telecom companies navigate the myriad regulatory approvals necessary to consummate M&A deals, including Team Telecom and CFIUS;
– secures special temporary authority and experimental licenses for telecom companies of all kinds;
– prepares petitions for declaratory ruling to exceed foreign ownership benchmarks under the Communications Act;
– obtains earth station licenses for satellite networks;
– advises on regulatory aspects of business plans to assist fundraising efforts by start-up companies;
– analyzes feasibility of foreign investment in telecom (and other) companies in light of strictures imposed by the Communications Act, Team Telecom and CFIUS;
– prepares applications for 214 authorization at the FCC and similar initiatives at the State level;
– advises foreign companies on the need for and structuring of proxy companies in the U.S. to assist in obtaining specialized U.S. government contracts;
– serves as a trusted advisor to founders and entrepreneurs in their most important strategic decisions as they relate to FCC, ITU and market access actions around the world;
– negotiates and drafts commercial contracts and M&A agreements for telecom companies.
Advises companies through regulatory enforcement proceedings at the FCC and other federal agencies;
– counsels telecom companies through restructuring efforts, including Chapter 11; and
– advises media and other telecom companies with all manner of regulatory requirements for their businesses.