Overview

Brian Weimer is a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office and Leader of the firm's Telecom Team and Co-Leader of the CFIUS Team. Mr. Weimer 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.

Experience

Experience

  • 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.
  • Obtain 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.
  • Advises media and other telecom companies with all manner of regulatory requirements for their businesses.

Honors

Honors

Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyers, 2014-2024

Recommended Lawyer, Telecoms and Broadcast (regulatory and transactional), Legal 500 US, 2010-2023

Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer, Communications, Super Lawyers, 2018-2023

Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer, Super Lawyers, 2018-2021

Recognized Practitioner, Telecommunications, Chambers USA, 2017-2021

  • Legal500 US Recommended Attorney

Insights

Articles

FCC Law Blog Posts

Global Trade Law Blog Posts

Healthcare Law Blog 

Real Estate, Land Use & Environmental Law Blog Posts

Speaking Engagements

  • Speaker, "What is Now Expected for Filing Application Submissions with the FCC," ACI, April 25, 2022
  • Speaker, "72nd International Astronautical Congress GNF Session: “The Mega-Constellation Ecosystem: What industrial and regulatory elements are necessary for a thriving market?” October 26, 2021, Dubai, UAE
  • Speaker, “CFIUS and Team Telecom: The New Frontier Under FIRRMA”, February 19, 2020, Washington, DC
  • Panelist, "We Found a Breach During Due Diligence - Now What Do We Do?" M&A Conference at Wharton San Francisco, May 16, 2018
  • Moderator, "Angels, Incubators, and Early Stage Venture Capital," Space 2.0 Conference, Silicon Valley, California, April 26, 2017
  • Moderator, "Legal Mechanisms for Facilitating Space Collaboration," Fifth Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, Washington, D.C., October 20, 2016
  • Panelist, "Emergent Space Systems: Regulatory Considerations," SSPI's Emergent Technologies Discussion, Washington, D.C., June 2016
  • Guest Speaker, Fourth Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, Washington, D.C., October 2015
  • Panelist, "Disruption in Space and Telecommunication," American Bar Association's Forum on Air and Space Law, Washington, D.C., June 2013
  • Moderator, "Tribal Telecommunications Hurdles and Opportunities," NAFOA Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2012
  • Panelist, "The Battle Over Spectrum and Its Implications for the Future of MSS Networks," Satellite 2012 Conference, Washington, D.C., March 2012
  • George Chamberlin Interview with Michael Altschul, Brian Weimer, San Diego Daily Transcript, San Diego Source, San Diego, California, October 2011
  • Panelist, "Opportunities and Threats for a New Decade," Satellite 2010 Conference, Washington, D.C., March 2010
  • Moderator, "Satellites, Broadcasting and Cable TV," Satellite 2007 Conference, Washington, D.C., February 2007
  • Panelist, "Hybrid Wireless Technologies," International Satellite Conference and Expo, San Diego, California, June 2006
  • Moderator, "Managing Risk in a Risky Business," Satellite 2006 Conference, Washington, D.C., February 2006
  • Panelist, "Mobile Satellite: New Systems, New Opportunities," Satellite 2005 Conference, Washington, D.C., March 2005
  • Guest Speaker, "Media Ownership and the Information Battlefield," National Public Radio's WBUR, Boston, Massachusetts, January 2003
  • Panelist, "Telecom Deals: M&A, Regulatory and Financing Issues," Practicing Law Institute, New York, New York, July 2000

Events

Digital Media

Education

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1995, Olin Fellow in Law & Economics

B.A., University of Chicago, 1990, Phi Beta Kappa

Admissions

  • Delaware
  • Maryland
  • District of Columbia
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