Commissioner, Federal Trade Commission
Andrew N. Ferguson was sworn in April 2, 2024 as a Commissioner of the Federal Trade Commission. President Joe Biden named Ferguson to a term that expires on September 25, 2030.
Ferguson most recently served as solicitor general of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Prior to that position, he served as chief counsel to U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader, and as a Republican counsel on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. He also practiced law at several Washington, D.C. law firms. He earned his undergraduate degree and law degree from the University of Virginia. After law school, Ferguson clerked for Judge Karen L. Henderson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
Vice President and Senior Legislative Counsel for Government Relations, National Association of Broadcasters
Nicole Gustafson is Vice President and Senior Legislative Counsel for Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters. Previously, Nicole served for two years as VP of Government Affairs for the National Football League, and eleven years in Congress in various counsel and coalitions roles for House Majority Whip Steve Scalise, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Senate Republican Conference Vice Chair John Cornyn, Sen. Chuck Grassley, and Rep. Steve King. She also practiced First Amendment law with Bopp, Coleson & Bostrom. Nicole holds degrees in American history/government and communications from William Penn University, and her J.D. from the University of Iowa.
Chief of Staff, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC)
Mr. Lehman currently serves as Chief of Staff for Senator Thom Tillis. Prior to that, he served as the Chief Counsel for Nominations and Senior Counsel for the then-Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Grassley, concentrating primarily on judicial and executive nominations. During his time with Senator Grassley, in addition to handling nominations, Mr. Lehman’s portfolio included a number of legislative issues, including tort reform related matters. Before joining Senator Grassley's staff in 2011, Mr. Lehman served as a Counsel on the Committee for the former Ranking Member, Senator Sessions.
Mr. Lehman is a 2000 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He attended Georgetown University Law Center while working for then-Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Hatch. Following law school, he clerked for then-Chief Judge of the D.C. District Court, the Honorable Thomas F. Hogan. Following his clerkship, Mr. Lehman practiced law at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer and Feld, before returning to the Senate in 2009. Mr. Lehman resides in Maryland with his wife, Amy, and their three children.
Partner, Consovoy McCarthy
Ms. Wyrick represents clients in a variety of matters involving constitutional law, administrative law, congressional and other government investigations, and commercial litigation.
Prior to joining Consovoy McCarthy, Ms. Wyrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, where she prosecuted cases involving domestic and international narcotics trafficking and money laundering, white collar crime, material support of terrorism, and export control and sanctions violations. Previously at the Department of Justice, she was a Counselor to the Attorney General. Her portfolio included issues arising from the National Security Division, the Civil Division, and the Civil Rights Division. Before joining the Department, she served as Senior Counsel of the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where she led a number of congressional investigations. Ms. Wyrick also previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.
Ms. Wyrick earned her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law and B.A. from Auburn University. Ms. Wyrick is a member of the Virginia and Alabama bars.
Managing Director & Head of Global Policy and Public Investment, DigitalBridge Investment Management
Jonathan S. Adelstein is a Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment at DigitalBridge Investment Management. In this role, Mr. Adelstein works with all DigitalBridge portfolio companies on public policy and strategic regulatory matters and reviews policy impacts on potential investments.
Prior to joining DigitalBridge, Mr. Adelstein was President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), where he represented over 200 businesses that build, own, and operate wireless infrastructure, including infrastructure owners, developers, carriers, and professional service firms.
Prior to WIA, Mr. Adelstein was nominated to positions by both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously for each by the U.S. Senate. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein headed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service as Administrator. There, he led the investment of nearly $7 billion under the Recovery Act in rural broadband and water infrastructure and oversaw a $60 billion loan portfolio in rural electric, telecommunications, and water infrastructure. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein was appointed to the White House National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates science and technology policy across the Federal government, and the White House Business Council, leading Council meetings with business leaders across America.
Mr. Adelstein was nominated by President Bush and served as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2002 to 2009. At the FCC, he worked to achieve bipartisan progress on issues including spectrum auctions, broadband expansion, widening access to the Internet and media diversity.
Before the FCC, Mr. Adelstein served at the U.S. Senate, in a number of legislative staff positions, culminating as a senior policy advisor to the Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Adelstein received an M.A. in History and a B.A., with Distinction, in Political Science from Stanford University. He instructed undergraduates in history as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University and a Teaching Assistant at Stanford University. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover.
Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Industry Association
Scott F. Belcher was named Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in October 2014, following a seven-year tenure as President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).
As the information and communications technology (ICT) industry experiences the most dramatic change seen in decades, Scott’s leadership of TIA fosters adaptation and growth to meet its members’ needs. He is responsible for managing TIA’s overall operations and providing long-term strategic direction for the organization. Scott brings to TIA more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in Washington, DC.
Prior to becoming President and CEO of ITS America, Scott served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC. Before his tenure at ITS America, Scott held senior management positions at a number of prominent trade associations, and worked in private practice at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC, and at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Scott holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Redlands. Scott serves on the Board of the Telecommunications Industry Association, the U.S. Department of State International Communications and Information Policy Committee, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transport Systems Program Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the University of California Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center.
Scott resides in Alexandria, VA and is married with two children.
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, CTIA
Kelly Cole is responsible for overseeing the CTIA Hill team and advancing the wireless industry’s priorities before Congress.
Most recently, Ms. Cole ran her own consulting firm, Kelly Cole Strategies, and was a consulting counsel for Wiley Rein. She has had a highly successful career in the private sector as well as public service. She served as the Executive Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters where she led the association’s lobbying efforts. Ms. Cole has also served as Majority Counsel for the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee managing communications and Internet issues.
She has a Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law, a bachelor of arts in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis from Mills College and spent a year studying law at the London School of Economics. Ms. Cole is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, Washington state and Oregon.
U.S. Amb. and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019
Ambassador Grace Koh is the U.S. Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC -19). She also serves as a Special Advisor for International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
Prior to joining the State Department in 2019, Ambassador Koh was a partner in DLA Piper LLP’s telecommunications group, where she represented technology and telecommunications companies before Congress and government agencies.
Before joining DLA Piper, she served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology, Telecom, and Cybersecurity Policy at the National Economic Council, coordinating policy and advising the White House on these matters. Ambassador Koh also previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, she advised the chair and committee members on policy and legal issues arising in the telecommunications and technology sectors.
Ambassador Koh was previously Policy Counsel at Cox Enterprises, Inc.’s Public Policy Office, working on technology policies affecting the Cox Enterprise’s Internet, cable, and broadcast properties. Ambassador Koh began at Cox Enterprises after working in the communications group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
Ambassador Koh received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Yale University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Policy Director, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Mr. Quinalty joined the Republican staff of the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2009. Mr. Quinalty covers telecommunications, technology, media, and Internet issues for Commerce Committee Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), including all matters before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. During his time on the Committee, Mr. Quinalty has been involved in the development and passage of several communications-related bills, including the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
Prior to joining the Senate Commerce Committee, Mr. Quinalty served as Legislative Assistant to Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) primarily handling issues relating to the Senator's work on the Senate Commerce Committee. During his more than five years working for Senator Ensign, Mr. Quinalty's portfolio of issues included telecommunications, technology, media, banking and financial services, housing, transportation, science, the environment, natural resources, and agriculture.
Mr. Quinalty held a number of positions in the entertainment industry prior to coming to Washington, D.C. Most recently he was Executive Assistant to the Chairman at Landscape Entertainment, a feature film and television production company in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Quinalty received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs, DISH Network
Jeffrey H. Blum is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for DISH, overseeing state and federal government affairs in Washington, DC.
Before coming to DISH 2005, Jeff was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, where his practice focused on copyright, First Amendment and anti-piracy litigation. At Davis Wright Tremaine, Jeff co-represented a class of songwriters and music publishers in the Grokster P2P file sharing case, which was decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of Jeff's clients. The Grokster decision established a new basis for secondary copyright liability, called "inducement liability." Jeff was a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Journalism from 2003-2005, where he taught "Media Law". He currently serves as Chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA), and was Co-Chairman of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) from 2013-2015. Jeff also serves on the boards of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and BUILD Metro DC.
Jeff graduated summa cum laude and first in his class at Boston University School of Law, where he was a Note Editor of the Boston University Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University, with a B.A. in History and Classics. After law school, he clerked for Chief Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.
General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulato, National Association of Broadcasters
Rick Kaplan is General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Kaplan served in a number of leadership capacities at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). During his three-plus years at the FCC, Mr. Kaplan was the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Chief Counsel to Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Chief of Staff and Media Advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. As Bureau Chief, Mr. Kaplan helped create and implement policies that maximized the use of underutilized spectrum and promoted meaningful competition in the wireless industry. For example, Mr. Kaplan helped spearhead the agency’s renewed attempt to free up a sizable chunk of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, which had laid fallow for well over a decade, and the FCC’s efforts to convert spectrum in the 2 GHz S-Band from mobile satellite to terrestrial broadband use. Mr. Kaplan also played a leading role at the FCC in reviewing nearly every major transaction brought before the agency during Chairman Genachowski’s tenure. These included Comcast/NBCU, AT&T/T-Mobile, AT&T/Qualcomm, DISH/DBSD & TerreStar, and Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo & Cox.
As Chief Counsel, Mr. Kaplan managed the Commission’s overall policy agenda, and was responsible for policy coordination among each of the Bureaus and Offices. During that time, Mr. Kaplan worked with Congress on the passage of its groundbreaking incentive auction legislation, negotiated a resolution to the nearly decade-old TV white spaces proceeding, brought to decision rules requiring wireless carriers to offer data roaming on commercially reasonable terms, and helped navigate an evolution in the retransmission consent marketplace, ensuring that the government did not unnecessarily interfere with private market negotiations.
Before joining the Commission, Mr. Kaplan practiced appellate litigation and regulatory law at Sidley Austin LLP, and served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives. At the U.S. House, Mr. Kaplan helped orchestrate the Judiciary Committee’s successful and historic litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to obtain documents and testimony from White House officials in the face of claims of executive privilege. Mr. Kaplan began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Kaplan founded and operated a sports management and public relations agency that represented and served professional athletes and sports-related organizations. Kaplan earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review, and undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Cox Enterprises
Mr. Barry J. Ohlson serves as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Cox Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Ohlson serves as a Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer & Quinn. Mr. Ohlson served as Vice President of Policy for Cox Enterprises, Inc. since January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson served as the Chief Policy Counsel of Cox Enterprises, Inc. since November 15, 2010 to January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson's practice focuses on the wireless, telecommunications, and broadband sectors, with an emphasis on assessing the strategic and regulatory implications of advanced technologies and new telecommunications services. He has nearly 20 years of government, corporate, and legal experience to this role, and he has been intimately involved in the complex regulatory and legal issues that impact businesses and stakeholders. For the majority of his six-year tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, he was Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein, providing counsel on all administrative and policy matters, particularly those involving spectrum, satellite, technology, public safety and international issues. Mr. Ohlson previously served as Chief of the Policy Division of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, as a Legal Advisor to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief, and as Acting Chief of the Bureau's Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. Before his government service, Mr. Ohlson was the senior director of federal regulatory affairs at Winstar Communications, and he practiced law at McDermott, Will & Emery and Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and currently serves as a co-chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee. Mr. Ohlson earned a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and an A.B. degree in international economic relations and mathematics from The College of William & Mary.
Partner, HWG LLP
Patricia Paoletta is a partner with the law firm of HWG LLP, where she specializes in telecommunications, trade and technology policy. Ms. Paoletta provides advice on regulatory, trade and legislative policy to clients before the FCC, Congress and the Administration. Her clients include providers of content, cloud, mobile broadband, VoIP, international telecommunications, small cells, cognitive radio, public safety and homeland security solutions. She serves on Advisory Boards for several entities engaged in information services, communications and technology.
Ms. Paoletta has accrued considerable experience with telecommunications trade and policy in the public sector. From 1990 to 1995, she was senior advisor to the International Bureau Chief and Office Director at the Federal Communications Commission. In the mid 1990s, Ms. Paoletta served as Director of Telecommunications Trade Policy in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, where she worked on the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and the Basic Telecommunications Agreement. After USTR, Ms. Paoletta served as Majority Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She then moved to Level 3 Communications, as Vice President, Government Relations.
Ms. Paoletta is on the Steering Committee of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Telecommunications and Information Technology of the European Institute. She is a member of the USTR Alumni Association, Washington International Trade Association, the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), and Women in Technology. Ms. Paoletta has served on the Board of Advisors for the Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Telecom Advisor, Co-Chairman of the American Bar Association International Communications Committee, and as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Technology Policy Committee.
Ms. Paoletta served as a delegate in 2012 to the ITU-R's Study Group 6 Working Party 6A Meeting and in 2009 and 2010 to the ITU-R's Study Group I Working Party IB Meetings; the 2009 meetings of CITEL (the Committee on International Telecommunications at the Organization of American States) PCC-II; the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunications Standards Assembly (2000); the ITU Internet Protocol Telephony Experts Group and the ITU World Telecommunications Policy Forum in 2001; as Chairman of the National Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC) Steering Committee (2000-2001); as Board Member for the Voice on the Net Coalition (2001); as Co-Chairman of the FCBA's Annual Seminar Committee (2009-2011); as a member of the FCBA's Ad Hoc Speakers Committee (2006-2007); as Co-Chairman for the FCBA International Practice Committee (2001-2002 and 2005-2006); and as a Co-Chairman of the FCBA Legislative Practice Committee (1999-2000).
Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute
As Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Ryan Radia focuses on adapting law and public policy to the unique challenges of the information age. His research areas at the Competitive Enterprise Institute include intellectual property, information privacy, telecommunications, cybersecurity, competition policy, media regulation, and Internet freedom.
Radia has published articles in major news outlets including The Seattle Times, Forbes, San Jose Mercury News, The Star-Ledger, Ad Age, Investor’s Business Daily, and Ars Technica. He has been quoted in publications including the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, TIME, Fortune, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, POLITICO, The Baltimore Sun, and Bloomberg. He has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including “Marketplace” on National Public Radio, “Cavuto” on Fox Business Network, and the “Laura Ingraham Show” on Talk Radio Network.
Radia also blogs on the Technology Liberation Front, a group technology policy blog dedicated to advancing freedom and liberty in the digital age. His commentary has been referenced by blogs including The Atlantic’s Daily Dish, The Washington Post’s Faster Forward, and Techdirt. His research has been cited scholarly journals such as the Brooklyn Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, and the Iowa Law Review Bulletin.
Radia earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as Senior Articles Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal. He also holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University. Before joining CEI in 2007, he worked in the alternative risk financing sector.
He is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar.
Managing Director & Head of Global Policy and Public Investment, DigitalBridge Investment Management
Jonathan S. Adelstein is a Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment at DigitalBridge Investment Management. In this role, Mr. Adelstein works with all DigitalBridge portfolio companies on public policy and strategic regulatory matters and reviews policy impacts on potential investments.
Prior to joining DigitalBridge, Mr. Adelstein was President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), where he represented over 200 businesses that build, own, and operate wireless infrastructure, including infrastructure owners, developers, carriers, and professional service firms.
Prior to WIA, Mr. Adelstein was nominated to positions by both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously for each by the U.S. Senate. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein headed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service as Administrator. There, he led the investment of nearly $7 billion under the Recovery Act in rural broadband and water infrastructure and oversaw a $60 billion loan portfolio in rural electric, telecommunications, and water infrastructure. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein was appointed to the White House National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates science and technology policy across the Federal government, and the White House Business Council, leading Council meetings with business leaders across America.
Mr. Adelstein was nominated by President Bush and served as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2002 to 2009. At the FCC, he worked to achieve bipartisan progress on issues including spectrum auctions, broadband expansion, widening access to the Internet and media diversity.
Before the FCC, Mr. Adelstein served at the U.S. Senate, in a number of legislative staff positions, culminating as a senior policy advisor to the Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Adelstein received an M.A. in History and a B.A., with Distinction, in Political Science from Stanford University. He instructed undergraduates in history as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University and a Teaching Assistant at Stanford University. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover.
Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Industry Association
Scott F. Belcher was named Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in October 2014, following a seven-year tenure as President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).
As the information and communications technology (ICT) industry experiences the most dramatic change seen in decades, Scott’s leadership of TIA fosters adaptation and growth to meet its members’ needs. He is responsible for managing TIA’s overall operations and providing long-term strategic direction for the organization. Scott brings to TIA more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in Washington, DC.
Prior to becoming President and CEO of ITS America, Scott served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC. Before his tenure at ITS America, Scott held senior management positions at a number of prominent trade associations, and worked in private practice at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC, and at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Scott holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Redlands. Scott serves on the Board of the Telecommunications Industry Association, the U.S. Department of State International Communications and Information Policy Committee, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transport Systems Program Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the University of California Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center.
Scott resides in Alexandria, VA and is married with two children.
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, CTIA
Kelly Cole is responsible for overseeing the CTIA Hill team and advancing the wireless industry’s priorities before Congress.
Most recently, Ms. Cole ran her own consulting firm, Kelly Cole Strategies, and was a consulting counsel for Wiley Rein. She has had a highly successful career in the private sector as well as public service. She served as the Executive Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters where she led the association’s lobbying efforts. Ms. Cole has also served as Majority Counsel for the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee managing communications and Internet issues.
She has a Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law, a bachelor of arts in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis from Mills College and spent a year studying law at the London School of Economics. Ms. Cole is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, Washington state and Oregon.
U.S. Amb. and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019
Ambassador Grace Koh is the U.S. Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC -19). She also serves as a Special Advisor for International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
Prior to joining the State Department in 2019, Ambassador Koh was a partner in DLA Piper LLP’s telecommunications group, where she represented technology and telecommunications companies before Congress and government agencies.
Before joining DLA Piper, she served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology, Telecom, and Cybersecurity Policy at the National Economic Council, coordinating policy and advising the White House on these matters. Ambassador Koh also previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, she advised the chair and committee members on policy and legal issues arising in the telecommunications and technology sectors.
Ambassador Koh was previously Policy Counsel at Cox Enterprises, Inc.’s Public Policy Office, working on technology policies affecting the Cox Enterprise’s Internet, cable, and broadcast properties. Ambassador Koh began at Cox Enterprises after working in the communications group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
Ambassador Koh received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Yale University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Policy Director, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Mr. Quinalty joined the Republican staff of the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2009. Mr. Quinalty covers telecommunications, technology, media, and Internet issues for Commerce Committee Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), including all matters before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. During his time on the Committee, Mr. Quinalty has been involved in the development and passage of several communications-related bills, including the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
Prior to joining the Senate Commerce Committee, Mr. Quinalty served as Legislative Assistant to Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) primarily handling issues relating to the Senator's work on the Senate Commerce Committee. During his more than five years working for Senator Ensign, Mr. Quinalty's portfolio of issues included telecommunications, technology, media, banking and financial services, housing, transportation, science, the environment, natural resources, and agriculture.
Mr. Quinalty held a number of positions in the entertainment industry prior to coming to Washington, D.C. Most recently he was Executive Assistant to the Chairman at Landscape Entertainment, a feature film and television production company in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Quinalty received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Managing Director & Head of Global Policy and Public Investment, DigitalBridge Investment Management
Jonathan S. Adelstein is a Managing Director and Head of Global Policy and Public Investment at DigitalBridge Investment Management. In this role, Mr. Adelstein works with all DigitalBridge portfolio companies on public policy and strategic regulatory matters and reviews policy impacts on potential investments.
Prior to joining DigitalBridge, Mr. Adelstein was President and CEO of the Wireless Infrastructure Association (WIA), where he represented over 200 businesses that build, own, and operate wireless infrastructure, including infrastructure owners, developers, carriers, and professional service firms.
Prior to WIA, Mr. Adelstein was nominated to positions by both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously for each by the U.S. Senate. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein headed the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service as Administrator. There, he led the investment of nearly $7 billion under the Recovery Act in rural broadband and water infrastructure and oversaw a $60 billion loan portfolio in rural electric, telecommunications, and water infrastructure. Under President Obama, Mr. Adelstein was appointed to the White House National Science and Technology Council, which coordinates science and technology policy across the Federal government, and the White House Business Council, leading Council meetings with business leaders across America.
Mr. Adelstein was nominated by President Bush and served as Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 2002 to 2009. At the FCC, he worked to achieve bipartisan progress on issues including spectrum auctions, broadband expansion, widening access to the Internet and media diversity.
Before the FCC, Mr. Adelstein served at the U.S. Senate, in a number of legislative staff positions, culminating as a senior policy advisor to the Senate Majority Leader.
Mr. Adelstein received an M.A. in History and a B.A., with Distinction, in Political Science from Stanford University. He instructed undergraduates in history as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard University and a Teaching Assistant at Stanford University. He is a graduate of Phillips Academy, Andover.
Chief Executive Officer, Telecommunications Industry Association
Scott F. Belcher was named Chief Executive Officer of the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) in October 2014, following a seven-year tenure as President and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).
As the information and communications technology (ICT) industry experiences the most dramatic change seen in decades, Scott’s leadership of TIA fosters adaptation and growth to meet its members’ needs. He is responsible for managing TIA’s overall operations and providing long-term strategic direction for the organization. Scott brings to TIA more than 25 years of public and private sector experience in Washington, DC.
Prior to becoming President and CEO of ITS America, Scott served as Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the National Academy of Public Administration in Washington, DC. Before his tenure at ITS America, Scott held senior management positions at a number of prominent trade associations, and worked in private practice at the law firm of Beveridge & Diamond, PC, and at the Environmental Protection Agency.
Scott holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Redlands. Scott serves on the Board of the Telecommunications Industry Association, the U.S. Department of State International Communications and Information Policy Committee, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Intelligent Transport Systems Program Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Advisory Boards of the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute and the University of California Berkeley Transportation Sustainability Research Center.
Scott resides in Alexandria, VA and is married with two children.
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs, CTIA
Kelly Cole is responsible for overseeing the CTIA Hill team and advancing the wireless industry’s priorities before Congress.
Most recently, Ms. Cole ran her own consulting firm, Kelly Cole Strategies, and was a consulting counsel for Wiley Rein. She has had a highly successful career in the private sector as well as public service. She served as the Executive Vice President of Government Relations for the National Association of Broadcasters where she led the association’s lobbying efforts. Ms. Cole has also served as Majority Counsel for the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee managing communications and Internet issues.
She has a Juris Doctor from Willamette University College of Law, a bachelor of arts in Political, Legal and Economic Analysis from Mills College and spent a year studying law at the London School of Economics. Ms. Cole is a member of the bar in the District of Columbia, Washington state and Oregon.
U.S. Amb. and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019
Ambassador Grace Koh is the U.S. Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC -19). She also serves as a Special Advisor for International Communications and Information Policy in the Bureau of Economic and Business Affairs.
Prior to joining the State Department in 2019, Ambassador Koh was a partner in DLA Piper LLP’s telecommunications group, where she represented technology and telecommunications companies before Congress and government agencies.
Before joining DLA Piper, she served as Special Assistant to the President for Technology, Telecom, and Cybersecurity Policy at the National Economic Council, coordinating policy and advising the White House on these matters. Ambassador Koh also previously served as Deputy Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology in the U.S. House of Representatives. In this role, she advised the chair and committee members on policy and legal issues arising in the telecommunications and technology sectors.
Ambassador Koh was previously Policy Counsel at Cox Enterprises, Inc.’s Public Policy Office, working on technology policies affecting the Cox Enterprise’s Internet, cable, and broadcast properties. Ambassador Koh began at Cox Enterprises after working in the communications group at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.
Ambassador Koh received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Humanities from Yale University and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Policy Director, U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
Mr. Quinalty joined the Republican staff of the Senate Commerce Committee in July 2009. Mr. Quinalty covers telecommunications, technology, media, and Internet issues for Commerce Committee Ranking Member Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.), including all matters before the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet. During his time on the Committee, Mr. Quinalty has been involved in the development and passage of several communications-related bills, including the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010 and the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010.
Prior to joining the Senate Commerce Committee, Mr. Quinalty served as Legislative Assistant to Senator John Ensign (R-Nev.) primarily handling issues relating to the Senator's work on the Senate Commerce Committee. During his more than five years working for Senator Ensign, Mr. Quinalty's portfolio of issues included telecommunications, technology, media, banking and financial services, housing, transportation, science, the environment, natural resources, and agriculture.
Mr. Quinalty held a number of positions in the entertainment industry prior to coming to Washington, D.C. Most recently he was Executive Assistant to the Chairman at Landscape Entertainment, a feature film and television production company in Beverly Hills, California. Mr. Quinalty received his undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs, DISH Network
Jeffrey H. Blum is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for DISH, overseeing state and federal government affairs in Washington, DC.
Before coming to DISH 2005, Jeff was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, where his practice focused on copyright, First Amendment and anti-piracy litigation. At Davis Wright Tremaine, Jeff co-represented a class of songwriters and music publishers in the Grokster P2P file sharing case, which was decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of Jeff's clients. The Grokster decision established a new basis for secondary copyright liability, called "inducement liability." Jeff was a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Journalism from 2003-2005, where he taught "Media Law". He currently serves as Chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA), and was Co-Chairman of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) from 2013-2015. Jeff also serves on the boards of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and BUILD Metro DC.
Jeff graduated summa cum laude and first in his class at Boston University School of Law, where he was a Note Editor of the Boston University Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University, with a B.A. in History and Classics. After law school, he clerked for Chief Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.
General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulato, National Association of Broadcasters
Rick Kaplan is General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Kaplan served in a number of leadership capacities at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). During his three-plus years at the FCC, Mr. Kaplan was the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Chief Counsel to Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Chief of Staff and Media Advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. As Bureau Chief, Mr. Kaplan helped create and implement policies that maximized the use of underutilized spectrum and promoted meaningful competition in the wireless industry. For example, Mr. Kaplan helped spearhead the agency’s renewed attempt to free up a sizable chunk of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, which had laid fallow for well over a decade, and the FCC’s efforts to convert spectrum in the 2 GHz S-Band from mobile satellite to terrestrial broadband use. Mr. Kaplan also played a leading role at the FCC in reviewing nearly every major transaction brought before the agency during Chairman Genachowski’s tenure. These included Comcast/NBCU, AT&T/T-Mobile, AT&T/Qualcomm, DISH/DBSD & TerreStar, and Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo & Cox.
As Chief Counsel, Mr. Kaplan managed the Commission’s overall policy agenda, and was responsible for policy coordination among each of the Bureaus and Offices. During that time, Mr. Kaplan worked with Congress on the passage of its groundbreaking incentive auction legislation, negotiated a resolution to the nearly decade-old TV white spaces proceeding, brought to decision rules requiring wireless carriers to offer data roaming on commercially reasonable terms, and helped navigate an evolution in the retransmission consent marketplace, ensuring that the government did not unnecessarily interfere with private market negotiations.
Before joining the Commission, Mr. Kaplan practiced appellate litigation and regulatory law at Sidley Austin LLP, and served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives. At the U.S. House, Mr. Kaplan helped orchestrate the Judiciary Committee’s successful and historic litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to obtain documents and testimony from White House officials in the face of claims of executive privilege. Mr. Kaplan began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Kaplan founded and operated a sports management and public relations agency that represented and served professional athletes and sports-related organizations. Kaplan earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review, and undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Cox Enterprises
Mr. Barry J. Ohlson serves as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Cox Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Ohlson serves as a Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer & Quinn. Mr. Ohlson served as Vice President of Policy for Cox Enterprises, Inc. since January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson served as the Chief Policy Counsel of Cox Enterprises, Inc. since November 15, 2010 to January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson's practice focuses on the wireless, telecommunications, and broadband sectors, with an emphasis on assessing the strategic and regulatory implications of advanced technologies and new telecommunications services. He has nearly 20 years of government, corporate, and legal experience to this role, and he has been intimately involved in the complex regulatory and legal issues that impact businesses and stakeholders. For the majority of his six-year tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, he was Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein, providing counsel on all administrative and policy matters, particularly those involving spectrum, satellite, technology, public safety and international issues. Mr. Ohlson previously served as Chief of the Policy Division of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, as a Legal Advisor to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief, and as Acting Chief of the Bureau's Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. Before his government service, Mr. Ohlson was the senior director of federal regulatory affairs at Winstar Communications, and he practiced law at McDermott, Will & Emery and Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and currently serves as a co-chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee. Mr. Ohlson earned a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and an A.B. degree in international economic relations and mathematics from The College of William & Mary.
Partner, HWG LLP
Patricia Paoletta is a partner with the law firm of HWG LLP, where she specializes in telecommunications, trade and technology policy. Ms. Paoletta provides advice on regulatory, trade and legislative policy to clients before the FCC, Congress and the Administration. Her clients include providers of content, cloud, mobile broadband, VoIP, international telecommunications, small cells, cognitive radio, public safety and homeland security solutions. She serves on Advisory Boards for several entities engaged in information services, communications and technology.
Ms. Paoletta has accrued considerable experience with telecommunications trade and policy in the public sector. From 1990 to 1995, she was senior advisor to the International Bureau Chief and Office Director at the Federal Communications Commission. In the mid 1990s, Ms. Paoletta served as Director of Telecommunications Trade Policy in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, where she worked on the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and the Basic Telecommunications Agreement. After USTR, Ms. Paoletta served as Majority Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She then moved to Level 3 Communications, as Vice President, Government Relations.
Ms. Paoletta is on the Steering Committee of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Telecommunications and Information Technology of the European Institute. She is a member of the USTR Alumni Association, Washington International Trade Association, the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), and Women in Technology. Ms. Paoletta has served on the Board of Advisors for the Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Telecom Advisor, Co-Chairman of the American Bar Association International Communications Committee, and as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Technology Policy Committee.
Ms. Paoletta served as a delegate in 2012 to the ITU-R's Study Group 6 Working Party 6A Meeting and in 2009 and 2010 to the ITU-R's Study Group I Working Party IB Meetings; the 2009 meetings of CITEL (the Committee on International Telecommunications at the Organization of American States) PCC-II; the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunications Standards Assembly (2000); the ITU Internet Protocol Telephony Experts Group and the ITU World Telecommunications Policy Forum in 2001; as Chairman of the National Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC) Steering Committee (2000-2001); as Board Member for the Voice on the Net Coalition (2001); as Co-Chairman of the FCBA's Annual Seminar Committee (2009-2011); as a member of the FCBA's Ad Hoc Speakers Committee (2006-2007); as Co-Chairman for the FCBA International Practice Committee (2001-2002 and 2005-2006); and as a Co-Chairman of the FCBA Legislative Practice Committee (1999-2000).
Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute
As Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Ryan Radia focuses on adapting law and public policy to the unique challenges of the information age. His research areas at the Competitive Enterprise Institute include intellectual property, information privacy, telecommunications, cybersecurity, competition policy, media regulation, and Internet freedom.
Radia has published articles in major news outlets including The Seattle Times, Forbes, San Jose Mercury News, The Star-Ledger, Ad Age, Investor’s Business Daily, and Ars Technica. He has been quoted in publications including the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, TIME, Fortune, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, POLITICO, The Baltimore Sun, and Bloomberg. He has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including “Marketplace” on National Public Radio, “Cavuto” on Fox Business Network, and the “Laura Ingraham Show” on Talk Radio Network.
Radia also blogs on the Technology Liberation Front, a group technology policy blog dedicated to advancing freedom and liberty in the digital age. His commentary has been referenced by blogs including The Atlantic’s Daily Dish, The Washington Post’s Faster Forward, and Techdirt. His research has been cited scholarly journals such as the Brooklyn Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, and the Iowa Law Review Bulletin.
Radia earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as Senior Articles Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal. He also holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University. Before joining CEI in 2007, he worked in the alternative risk financing sector.
He is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar.
Senior Vice President, Public Policy and Government Affairs, DISH Network
Jeffrey H. Blum is the Senior Vice President of Public Policy and Government Affairs for DISH, overseeing state and federal government affairs in Washington, DC.
Before coming to DISH 2005, Jeff was a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine, where his practice focused on copyright, First Amendment and anti-piracy litigation. At Davis Wright Tremaine, Jeff co-represented a class of songwriters and music publishers in the Grokster P2P file sharing case, which was decided by the United States Supreme Court in favor of Jeff's clients. The Grokster decision established a new basis for secondary copyright liability, called "inducement liability." Jeff was a part-time lecturer at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Journalism from 2003-2005, where he taught "Media Law". He currently serves as Chairman of the Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA), and was Co-Chairman of the Broadband Internet Technical Advisory Group (BITAG) from 2013-2015. Jeff also serves on the boards of the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and BUILD Metro DC.
Jeff graduated summa cum laude and first in his class at Boston University School of Law, where he was a Note Editor of the Boston University Law Review. He received his undergraduate degree from McGill University, with a B.A. in History and Classics. After law school, he clerked for Chief Judge Joseph Tauro of the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts.
General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulato, National Association of Broadcasters
Rick Kaplan is General Counsel and Executive Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).
Prior to joining NAB, Mr. Kaplan served in a number of leadership capacities at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). During his three-plus years at the FCC, Mr. Kaplan was the Chief of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Chief Counsel to Chairman Julius Genachowski, and Chief of Staff and Media Advisor to Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. As Bureau Chief, Mr. Kaplan helped create and implement policies that maximized the use of underutilized spectrum and promoted meaningful competition in the wireless industry. For example, Mr. Kaplan helped spearhead the agency’s renewed attempt to free up a sizable chunk of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, which had laid fallow for well over a decade, and the FCC’s efforts to convert spectrum in the 2 GHz S-Band from mobile satellite to terrestrial broadband use. Mr. Kaplan also played a leading role at the FCC in reviewing nearly every major transaction brought before the agency during Chairman Genachowski’s tenure. These included Comcast/NBCU, AT&T/T-Mobile, AT&T/Qualcomm, DISH/DBSD & TerreStar, and Verizon Wireless/SpectrumCo & Cox.
As Chief Counsel, Mr. Kaplan managed the Commission’s overall policy agenda, and was responsible for policy coordination among each of the Bureaus and Offices. During that time, Mr. Kaplan worked with Congress on the passage of its groundbreaking incentive auction legislation, negotiated a resolution to the nearly decade-old TV white spaces proceeding, brought to decision rules requiring wireless carriers to offer data roaming on commercially reasonable terms, and helped navigate an evolution in the retransmission consent marketplace, ensuring that the government did not unnecessarily interfere with private market negotiations.
Before joining the Commission, Mr. Kaplan practiced appellate litigation and regulatory law at Sidley Austin LLP, and served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. House of Representatives. At the U.S. House, Mr. Kaplan helped orchestrate the Judiciary Committee’s successful and historic litigation in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to obtain documents and testimony from White House officials in the face of claims of executive privilege. Mr. Kaplan began his legal career as a law clerk for Judge Harry T. Edwards of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to his legal career, Mr. Kaplan founded and operated a sports management and public relations agency that represented and served professional athletes and sports-related organizations. Kaplan earned his Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School, where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the Columbia Law Review, and undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University.
Vice President, Regulatory Affairs, Cox Enterprises
Mr. Barry J. Ohlson serves as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs at Cox Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Ohlson serves as a Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer & Quinn. Mr. Ohlson served as Vice President of Policy for Cox Enterprises, Inc. since January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson served as the Chief Policy Counsel of Cox Enterprises, Inc. since November 15, 2010 to January 1, 2012. Mr. Ohlson's practice focuses on the wireless, telecommunications, and broadband sectors, with an emphasis on assessing the strategic and regulatory implications of advanced technologies and new telecommunications services. He has nearly 20 years of government, corporate, and legal experience to this role, and he has been intimately involved in the complex regulatory and legal issues that impact businesses and stakeholders. For the majority of his six-year tenure at the Federal Communications Commission, he was Senior Legal Advisor to Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein, providing counsel on all administrative and policy matters, particularly those involving spectrum, satellite, technology, public safety and international issues. Mr. Ohlson previously served as Chief of the Policy Division of the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, as a Legal Advisor to the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau Chief, and as Acting Chief of the Bureau's Public Safety and Private Wireless Division. Before his government service, Mr. Ohlson was the senior director of federal regulatory affairs at Winstar Communications, and he practiced law at McDermott, Will & Emery and Keller and Heckman in Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Federal Communications Bar Association, and currently serves as a co-chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee. Mr. Ohlson earned a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School and an A.B. degree in international economic relations and mathematics from The College of William & Mary.
Partner, HWG LLP
Patricia Paoletta is a partner with the law firm of HWG LLP, where she specializes in telecommunications, trade and technology policy. Ms. Paoletta provides advice on regulatory, trade and legislative policy to clients before the FCC, Congress and the Administration. Her clients include providers of content, cloud, mobile broadband, VoIP, international telecommunications, small cells, cognitive radio, public safety and homeland security solutions. She serves on Advisory Boards for several entities engaged in information services, communications and technology.
Ms. Paoletta has accrued considerable experience with telecommunications trade and policy in the public sector. From 1990 to 1995, she was senior advisor to the International Bureau Chief and Office Director at the Federal Communications Commission. In the mid 1990s, Ms. Paoletta served as Director of Telecommunications Trade Policy in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, Executive Office of the President, where she worked on the WTO Information Technology Agreement (ITA) and the Basic Telecommunications Agreement. After USTR, Ms. Paoletta served as Majority Counsel to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. She then moved to Level 3 Communications, as Vice President, Government Relations.
Ms. Paoletta is on the Steering Committee of the Transatlantic Roundtable on Telecommunications and Information Technology of the European Institute. She is a member of the USTR Alumni Association, Washington International Trade Association, the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), and Women in Technology. Ms. Paoletta has served on the Board of Advisors for the Inter-American Dialogue's Latin America Telecom Advisor, Co-Chairman of the American Bar Association International Communications Committee, and as a member of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Technology Policy Committee.
Ms. Paoletta served as a delegate in 2012 to the ITU-R's Study Group 6 Working Party 6A Meeting and in 2009 and 2010 to the ITU-R's Study Group I Working Party IB Meetings; the 2009 meetings of CITEL (the Committee on International Telecommunications at the Organization of American States) PCC-II; the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunications Standards Assembly (2000); the ITU Internet Protocol Telephony Experts Group and the ITU World Telecommunications Policy Forum in 2001; as Chairman of the National Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRIC) Steering Committee (2000-2001); as Board Member for the Voice on the Net Coalition (2001); as Co-Chairman of the FCBA's Annual Seminar Committee (2009-2011); as a member of the FCBA's Ad Hoc Speakers Committee (2006-2007); as Co-Chairman for the FCBA International Practice Committee (2001-2002 and 2005-2006); and as a Co-Chairman of the FCBA Legislative Practice Committee (1999-2000).
Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Competitive Enterprise Institute
As Research Fellow and Regulatory Counsel, Ryan Radia focuses on adapting law and public policy to the unique challenges of the information age. His research areas at the Competitive Enterprise Institute include intellectual property, information privacy, telecommunications, cybersecurity, competition policy, media regulation, and Internet freedom.
Radia has published articles in major news outlets including The Seattle Times, Forbes, San Jose Mercury News, The Star-Ledger, Ad Age, Investor’s Business Daily, and Ars Technica. He has been quoted in publications including the Los Angeles Times, The New Republic, TIME, Fortune, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, The Boston Globe, POLITICO, The Baltimore Sun, and Bloomberg. He has appeared on dozens of television and radio programs, including “Marketplace” on National Public Radio, “Cavuto” on Fox Business Network, and the “Laura Ingraham Show” on Talk Radio Network.
Radia also blogs on the Technology Liberation Front, a group technology policy blog dedicated to advancing freedom and liberty in the digital age. His commentary has been referenced by blogs including The Atlantic’s Daily Dish, The Washington Post’s Faster Forward, and Techdirt. His research has been cited scholarly journals such as the Brooklyn Law Review, the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, and the Iowa Law Review Bulletin.
Radia earned his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he served as Senior Articles Editor of the Federal Communications Law Journal. He also holds a B.A. in economics from Northwestern University. Before joining CEI in 2007, he worked in the alternative risk financing sector.
He is admitted to the District of Columbia Bar.
Consultant in Media Policy and Law
Jane Mago began her communications law career in 1978 as a staff attorney at the Federal Communications Commission. She stayed at the FCC for more than 26 years, serving in many high level roles, including General Counsel, Chief of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis, Deputy Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, Chief of Staff for Commissioners Rachelle Chong and Michael Powell, and Legal Advisor to Commissioner Anne Jones. During her FCC career, she also worked as an appellate litigator defending the FCC’s decisions in such matters as Radio and TV Deregulation, Broadcast Indecency and Must-Carry Rules.
Jane joined the National Association of Broadcasters in 2004 where she stayed until retiring in October 2014 as the Executive Vice President and General Counsel. She led the NAB legal team during many significant shifts in the regulatory landscape, including two rounds of review of the broadcast ownership rules.
Jane is a member of the New York Bar. She has an extensive background in appellate litigation and expertise in Constitutional issues (particularly First Amendment matters), FCC ownership rules, political broadcasting, EEO, administrative law, enforcement and licensing matters.
Jane holds BA, MA and JD degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Shareholder, Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Dominic E. Draye has litigated at every level of the state and federal judiciary—from state trial court to the Supreme Court of the United States. His practice focuses on constitutional, regulatory, and environmental matters, and he has represented clients in both the public and private sectors. In the federal appellate courts, Mr. Draye has represented clients in the Second, Fifth, Seventh, Ninth, and D.C. Circuits.
Before joining Greenberg, Mr. Draye served as the Solicitor General of Arizona, where he briefed and argued the State’s highest-profile civil and criminal appeals and served as lead counsel for several multi-state coalitions litigating over agency rulemaking in the D.C. Circuit. Prior to government service, Mr. Draye was a litigator in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP, where his practice focused on legal issues and appeals.
Mr. Draye is a sought-after speaker on topics of administrative and constitutional law. He clerked for Hon. Edith H. Jones on the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Managing Attorney of the Washington Office, Institute for Justice
William R. Maurer is the Managing Attorney of the Washington state office of the Institute for Justice, which engages in litigation in the areas of economic liberty, private property rights, educational choice, & freedom of speech.
Maurer is an advocate against the criminalization of poverty and the governmental use of the criminal and civil enforcement systems to raise revenue. He was lead counsel in a class action challenging the use of tickets to raise revenue in the city of Pagedale, Missouri. The suit resulted in a federal consent decree that reformed the city’s ticketing and municipal court system. He regularly speaks, teaches, and writes about the abuse of fines and fees in the criminal justice system. He was a participant in summits on taxation by citation put on by the White House and Department of Justice during the Obama Administration. His work on the issue includes serving as an advisory board member of the Fines and Fees Justice Center.
In addition to his work on criminal and civil justice reform, Maurer is a First Amendment litigator. In 2011, he successfully argued before the U.S. Supreme Court that Arizona’s punitive campaign financing regime was unconstitutional. Before the Washington Supreme Court, he successfully argued against efforts to classify radio commentary as a contribution under the state’s campaign finance law.
His cases and advocacy have been covered in the Washington Post, the New York Times, the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and other major media outlets.
Maurer was named a “Washington Superlawyer” by Washington Law & Politics Magazine for several years. He is a chapter author in numerous legal reference works and has written several articles for law reviews and legal publications across the country.
Prior to joining IJ-WA, Maurer clerked for Washington Supreme Court Justice Richard Sanders and then practiced law at Perkins Coie LLP. Maurer received his law degree in 1994 from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, where he was an editor of the Wisconsin Law Review. He received his BA from Bard College in 1989.
Lawyering on the Hill
Capitol Hill Chapter Event
Washington, DCThe Telecommunications Act: Can it Rein in the FCC?
Jonathan Adelstein, Scott Belcher, Kelly Cole, Grace Koh, David B. Quinalty
The communications and technology sectors have seen an explosion of growth and innovation over the...
The Telecommunications Act: Can it Rein in the FCC?
Jonathan Adelstein, Scott Belcher, Kelly Cole, Grace Koh, David B. Quinalty
The communications and technology sectors have seen an explosion of growth and innovation over the...
The Telecommunications Act: Can it Rein in the FCC?
Third Annual Executive Branch Review Conference
Washington, DCThird Annual Executive Branch Review Conference
The Role of Congress in Policing the Administrative State
Washington, DCPanel: The Future of Media: Is Government Regulation In Today's Media Landscape "Over-The-Top"?
Jeffrey Blum, Rick Kaplan, Barry Ohlson, Patricia J. Paoletta, Ryan Radia
The Federalist Society's Telecommunications & Electronic Media Practice Group and its George Washington University Law...
Panel: The Future of Media: Is Government Regulation In Today's Media Landscape "Over-The-Top"?
Jeffrey Blum, Rick Kaplan, Barry Ohlson, Patricia J. Paoletta, Ryan Radia
The Federalist Society's Telecommunications & Electronic Media Practice Group and its George Washington University Law...
Panel: The Future of Media: Is Government Regulation In Today's Media Landscape "Over-The-Top"?
The Future of Media
Washington, DCDisparate Regulation of Television Broadcasters Will Harm Local Communities
Jane Mago
Note from the Editor: This article is a discussion about the Federal Communication Commission’s rules...
Fair Elections Now Act
Dominic Draye, William R. Maurer
Brought to you by the Free Speech & Election Law Practice Group Congress is considering...