Law Seminars International Presents

The Atlanta Telecom Professionals

A Comprehensive Two-Day Conference on

Broadband and Carrier Telecom Deals

Practical tips and negotiation techniques for the best deals

November 7 & 8, 2005
Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel in Atlanta, GA
Order      Download PDF Brochure

Who Should Order Homestudy

Attorneys, telecommunications, cable, and electric utilities industry executives; representatives of local government and large telecommunications users

Why Order

The addition of "Broadband" to the title of this Telecommunications Carrier Contracts says it all. This year’s seminar will focus on the pervasive impact of broadband technology and regulation on carriers and others. The entry of new players include wireline, wireless, cable, and other broadband providers (including municipalities), all looking to exploit fast emerging VOIP and other Internet Protocol technologies. No less important, the consolidation in the industry: SBC/AT&T, Verizon/MCI, Sprint/Nextel, and BellSouth/[who knows?] will shake up the contract process in ways perhaps as yet unforeseen. Among the regulatory topics will be the U.S. Supreme Court’s "Brand X" decision; the FCC’s Vonage decision, 911 Order and IP Rulemaking; and other fast paced developments that affect all parties in the telecom/broadband contracting process. On the transactional side, the seminar’s faculty, as always, will focus on practice pointers, negotiation techniques, deal points, and contract drafting tips. A new important topic this year: Liability disclaimers and indemnities in the face of the FCC’s E911 rules. The agenda also covers transactional issues raised by disruptive technology forces such as VoIP, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, MPLS, and other broadband Internet access and services. Don't miss this year’s event! ~ Program Co-Chairs: Walt Sapronov, Esq. and William "Bill" Wilhelm, Esq.

What You Will Learn

* New Technologies Driving Future Broadband and Carrier Deals * New Business Models and New Financial Attitudes * Update on Recent FCC Decisions/Impact on Deal Making * FCC's Agenda After Brand X * Video Over Internet Protocol * New Varieties of Broadband Deals * 911 Provisioning Among Carriers * Partnering with Local Governments on Municipal Broadband Projects * Content Issues: Liability Concerns for Wired and Wireless Networks * Carrier IP Networks: Implementation of IP Technologies in Incumbent Carrier Networks * Deal Points and Trade offs in Negotiation * Structuring the Paltform & Transaction for Mobile Virtual Network Operator and Other Cable/Voice/Data/Wireless Integrations

What Attendees Said

Very informative. Enjoyed the speakers. Definitely worthwhile ~ An excellent seminar overall, with a good balance of background and history with practical drafting advice. I was impressed by the uniformly high quality of the speakers, a feat rarely achieved.

Agenda

Monday, November 07, 2005
8:00 am Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30 am Introduction to Day 1: Driving Forces for the New Variety of Broadband Deals
  Walt Sapronov, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Sapronov & Associates, P.C. / Atlanta, GA
  William B. Wilhelm, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Swidler Berlin LLP / Washington, DC
8:45 am The New Technologies that will be Driving Future Broadband and Carrier Deals
  A corporate leader's perspective on where the market and regulatory environment are heading
  David Baker, Esq., Vice President for Law and Public Policy
 EarthLink, Inc. / Atlanta, GA
9:15 am New Players Entering the Market with New Business Models and New Financial Attributes
  The why and how of recent rising stars; financial market views about the next best bets
  Mark A. Hopkins, Senior Managing Director
 Conway, Del Genio, Gries & Co., LLC / New York, NY
  Jennifer St. Hill, Ph.D., Vice President
 TMNG Strategy / Boston, MA
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Perspectives on Recent FCC Decisions and Their Impact on Deal Making
  Key FCC and judicial decisions on carrier relationships from incumbent, competitive local exchange and wireless carrier perspectives, and the implications for intercarrier relationships
  Bennett L. Ross, Esq., General Counsel
 BellSouth Corporation / Washington, DC
  Jason D. Oxman, Esq., Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs
 CompTel/ALTS / Washington, DC
  Douglas G. Bonner, Esq.
 Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP / Washington, DC
12:00 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:15 pm Policy Maker Perspectives on the Best Future Directions for Regulatory Policy
  Federal Level: Primary items on the FCC's agenda after the Brand X decision
  Renee R. Crittendon, Esq., Acting Deputy Division Chief
 Federal Communications Comission / Washington, DC
  State Level: State concerns and roles as VoIP and other Internet services ascend and traditional voice services decline
  The Hon. David L. Burgess, Esq., Commissioner
 Georgia Public Service Commission / Atlanta, GA
2:45 pm New Frontiers: Video Over Internet Protocol
  Supplier perspective on delivery of Voice, Video, and Data over wireline and wireless broadband networks
  Jeff Levy, Chairman and CEO
 PurDigital Media, Inc. / Atlanta, GA
3:15 pm Break
3:30 pm Overview of the New Variety of Broadband Deals
  Voice over Internet Protocol in its various flavors
  Daniel L. Brenner, Esq., Senior Vice President
 National Cable & Telecommunications Association / Washington, DC
  Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, and other wireless broadband services
  Stefan M. Lopatkiewicz, Esq.
 Dorsey & Whitney LLP / Washington, DC
  Satisfying the end customer: Trends in Enterprise Agreements and the implications for carrier-to-carrier deals
  Laura F. H. McDonald, Esq.
 Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP / Washington, DC
5:30 pm Reception for Faculty and Attendees
  Sponsored by the Wireless Technology Forum and Atlanta Telecom Professionals

Tuesday, November 08, 2005
8:30 am Introduction to Day 2: Specific Deal Points (New Items for your Punch Card)
  Walt Sapronov, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Sapronov & Associates, P.C. / Atlanta, GA
  William B. Wilhelm, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Swidler Berlin LLP / Washington, DC
8:45 am 911 Provisioning Among Carriers
  Technical implementation issues for VoIP and Wi-Fi services
  William B. Wilhelm, Jr., Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Swidler Berlin LLP / Washington, DC
  Warranties, indemnities, and other financial issues
  Patrick J. Whittle, Esq.
 Swidler Berlin LLP / Washington, DC
9:45 am Congestion Issues for Wi-Fi and other Wireless Services Using Unlicensed Spectrum
  Do Service Level Agreements make sense? What other options are available?
  Paul Boyer, Esq., Director of Legal Affairs
 T-Mobile USA / Bellevue, WA
10:15 am Break
10:30 am Partnering with Local Governments on Municipal Broadband Projects
  Public policy implications of entry into Wi-Fi and other broadband markets: dealing with government procurement and contracting processes
  Gregory J. Dunn, Esq., Principal
 Whiteboard Broadband Solutions / Columbus, OH
  Joseph R. Bankoff, Esq.
 King & Spalding LLP / Atlanta, GA
11:30 am Content Issues: Licensing, Adult Services, and other Liability Concerns for Wired and Wireless Broadband Networks
  Robert J. Butler, Esq.
 Wiley Rein & Fielding / McLean, VA
12:15 pm Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm Carrier IP Networks: Implementation of IP Technologies in Incumbent Carrier Networks
  Why carriers are investing to deploy IP; Customer drivers for network convergence (consumer vs. business); Data growth and VoIP as drivers; Wireless and IP; Television and IP
  Stephen P. Zimba
 BellSouth Corporation - IP Product Development / Atlanta, GA
2:00 pm The Dance of Negotiation
  Deal points and trade offs in broadband deal negotiations: Provider, user and incumbent perspectives
  Walt Sapronov, Esq., Program Co-Chair, Moderator
 Sapronov & Associates, P.C. / Atlanta, GA
  C. Douglas Jarrett, Esq.
 Keller and Heckman LLP / Washington, DC
  Stephen M. Klimacek, Senior Counsel
 BellSouth / Atlanta, GA
3:15 pm Break
3:30 pm Structuring the Platform and Transaction for Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) and Other Cable/Voice/Data/Wireless Integrations
  A walk through a hypothetical transaction addressing the primary concerns and objectives of the parties and the resolution of those issues
  Walt Sapronov, Esq., Program Co-Chair
 Sapronov & Associates, P.C. / Atlanta, GA
  Gregory P. McGraw, President
 Resurgence Communications LLC / Marietta, GA
  Chad S. Wachter, Esq., Vice President, General Counsel
 Knology, Inc. / West Point, GA
4:30 pm Adjourn

Cancellation

There is a $25 cancellation fee for Course Materials orders and $50 for Homestudy orders

Continuing Education Credits

This program qualifies for 13 GA CLE credits. Upon request, we will apply for CLE credits in other states and other types of credits.

Cost

Our complete Homestudy Course, consisting of a VHS or DVD recording and the written course materials, is available for $1005. The written course materials alone are available for $100. We will ship your homestudy order via UPS ground within two weeks after the seminar or the date we receive payment (whichever is later).
Order Homestudy

Faculty Bios

Walt Sapronov, Program Co-Chair, a partner with Sapronov & Associates, P.C., represents a broad range of clients in telecommunications transactions and regulation. He has over 20 years experience in negotiating telecommunications deals, including those of the sort discussed at this conference. He is named in the "International Who's Who of Telecom Lawyers."

William B. Wilhelm Jr., Program Co-Chair, partner with the Technology & Telecommunications group at Swidler Berlin LLP, actively represents electronic commerce providers, communication application developers and telecommunication companies. He counsels businesses that have innovative products and services on corporate and contractual matters, domestic and international regulatory compliance, privacy and other sectoral regulation, copyright and trademark protection and specialized litigation.

David Baker is Vice President for Law and Public policy at EarthLink, Inc. EarthLink is the nation's third largest ISP serving over 5 million customers through dial-up, broadband, web hosting and wireless Internet and voice services.

Joseph R. Bankoff is a senior par­tner in King & Spalding LLP’s Litigation Practice Group. His wide litigation experience includes representing the city of Atlanta in technology related matters.

Douglas G. Bonner, at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, co-chairs the Communications Practice. He  has represented communications clients before the FCC, state commissions, and in the courts since 1992.  A significant component of the Firm's and his Communications Practice consists of communications outsourcing and transactional work for its communications provider and corporate consumer clients.
Full bio and contact info for Douglas G. Bonner at Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP

Paul Boyer, Director of Legal Affairs, Wi-Fi HotSpots at T-Mobile USA is responsible for all legal aspects of T-Mobile's Wi-Fi business. Previously, he was Director of International Alliances at MCI. He was also Assistant General Counsel at the Export-Import Bank of the United States and an associate at the law firm of Miles & Stockbridge in Fairfax, Virginia. Paul received his JD from the College of William and Mary and has an MA in International Commerce & Policy from George Mason University and a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia.

Daniel Brenner is Senior Vice President for Law & Regulatory Policy at the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and is on the faculty at Georgetown Law School. He served as Senior Legal Advisor to Chairman Mark Fowler of the FCC and Vice-chair of the U.S. Delegation to the ITU World Radio conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Honorable David Burgess is a Commissioner with the Georgia Public Service Commission. He has resolved various electric, gas and telecommunications issues during his tenure, and continues to lead the Commission’s efforts to implement requirements of the 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act. Currently, he chairs the Commission’s Telecommunications Committee, is a member of the Georgia Utilities Facility Protection Act Advisory Committee and the Advisory Board of the Georgia Center for Advanced Telecommunications Technology.

Robert J. Butler is a partner in the Communications and Privacy Practices of Wiley Rein & Fielding and co-chairs the firm’s Internet practice. His practice focuses on telecommunications regulation, with a special emphasis on regulatory and legislative issues involving interconnection, information services and new technologies.

Renee R. Crittendon is Acting Deputy Division Chief at the Wireline Competition Bureau's Competition Policy Division at the FCC. She advises the Commission on policy and adjudicatory matters relating to the provision of competitive telecommunications services.

Gregory J. Dunn, Principal, at Whiteboard has a comprehensive knowledge of the telecommunications industry from both a legal and consulting perspective. His clients include municipalities, the State of Ohio, the Ohio Supercomputer Center, developers and property owners. As a former cable industry executive, Greg provides unique insights and strategies to help his clients succeed.

Mark A. Hopkins is the Senior Managing Director at Conway, Del Genio, Gries & Co., LLC, specializing in advising companies and leaders in the credit environment. Formerly, he was Managing Director of Ernst & Young Corporate Finance LLC.

C. Douglas Jarrett, a partner at Keller and Heckman LLP, is an expert on the domestic regulation of broadband offerings and the related legal and business issues in deploying infrastructure to provide broadband services.

Stephen M. Klimacek is a Senior Operations Counsel responsible for BellSouth's broadband and Internet operations. Steve has been with BellSouth since 1992. He has experience in negotiating interconnection agreements with CLECs, and in his current job, is responsible for negotiating broadband agreements with ISPs and CLECs.

Jeff Levy is Chairman and CEO of PurDigital Media, Inc., the first company in the U.S. to deliver IPTV via metro Ethernet and provide university campuses and other high density residential commercial properties with a complete suite of broadband services. They provide the fastest residential Internet service in the U.S., IP-based digital voice and television services, and Wi-Fi wireless data services.

Stefan M. Lopatkiewicz, partner at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, practices in the areas of domestic and international telecommunications with emphasis on satellite and terrestrial wireless services. He provides a broad range of commercial services to companies engaged in telecommunication markets, including the negotiation of acquisitions, joint ventures and service agreements and the conduct of specialized due diligence activities.

Laura F.H. McDonald is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP, representing large enterprise users in a variety of matters. She helps users, including the securities and banking industries, navigate the complex regulatory structure impacting their transactions and represents their concerns in state and federal regulatory proceedings. She also arbitrates and mediates disputes before the FCC and other forums.

Jason D. Oxman is Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs of CompTel/ ALTS, where he is responsible for formulating and implementing legal and regulatory strategies to advance the interests of the ALTS membership.

Bennett L. Ross, General Counsel of BellSouth Corporation, is responsible for legal matters impacting BellSouth in the federal arena and represents the Company in it's dealings with the FCC and Congress.

Chad S. Wachter is Vice President and General Counsel for Knology, Inc. providing advanced broadband services to both business and residential customers.

Patrick J. Whittle is Of Counsel, to the Telecommunications Practice Group at Swidler Berlin LLP. Formerly he served as General Counsel of GE Capital Communication Services Corporation, a subsidiary of GE Capital providing various telecommunications and related services.

Stephen P. Zimba is the Director of IP Product Development for BellSouth Corporation. He is in charge of developing the company’s next generation IP based unified communications services including VoIP, converged IP data networking and emerging wireless/wireline communications platforms. His telecommunications experience includes the creation of early stage technology businesses, large technology development projects, as well as, strategic business planning and product development.