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Morgan Lewis
Lipman

Andrew D. Lipman

Partner

andrew.lipman@morganlewis.com

Washington, DC Phone +1.202.739.6033 Fax +1.202.739.3001

1111 Pennsylvania Ave. NW//Washington, DC 20004-2541//United States

Andrew D. Lipman practices in most aspects of communications law and related fields, including regulatory, transactional, litigation, legislative, and land use. Andy’s clients in the private and public sectors include those in the areas of local, long distance, and international telephone common carriage; Internet services and technologies; conventional and emerging wireless services; satellite services; broadcasting; competitive video services; telecommunications equipment manufacturing; and other high-technology applications. Additionally, he manages privatizations of telecommunications carriers in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.

To open the US local telephone market to competition, Andy has been involved in most new legal and regulatory policies at the Federal Communications Commission, at state public service commissions, in Congress, and before courts. He helped shape crucial provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and used similar approaches to promote the opening of foreign markets. He also obtained one of the first competitive local service and interconnection agreements in continental Europe and the first competitive fiber network application in Japan. Andy’s practice includes strategic analysis of companies’ telecom user agreements, renegotiating existing agreements, and negotiating new, more favorable telecom user agreements.

For nearly a decade, Andy served as senior vice president, legal and regulatory affairs, for MFS Communications, the nation’s largest competitive local services provider. One of the founders of MFS, Andy helped guide the company from startup to its eventual sale for $14.4 billion to WorldCom.

Frequently writing and speaking on telecommunications, Andy’s work encompasses more than 170 articles and five books, including two Dow Jones books on telecommunications. He occasionally appears on National Public Radio, C-SPAN, Bloomberg News Network, and ABC News, and he served on the editorial advisory boards of Phillips Publishing Company, Internet Law and Regulation, Telecommunications Alert, Telecommunications Reports, Telecommunications Regulatory Monitor, and The Satellite Compendium.

Andy served as general counsel to the International Teleconferencing Association and as legislative/regulatory counsel to the International Satellite Users Association. He sits on the board of directors of five public companies trading on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and Toronto Stock Exchange. Additionally, he co-founded the Association of Local Telecommunication Services (ALTS)—the national trade association for competitive telecommunications carriers—and served as its first chairman.

Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Andy was a partner in the corporate practice of another international law firm, where he was also a member of the executive board and leader of the telecommunications, media and technology practice. Before entering private practice, he participated in the legal honors program at the US Department of Transportation and served in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. He also served as an extern law clerk to Judge Raymond Sullivan of the California Supreme Court.

Awards and Affiliations

Named, The Legal 500 Hall of Fame (2017)

Ranked, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite, District of Columbia, Chambers USA (2002–2004, 2006–2007, 2009–2022)

Hall of Fame, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 (2020)

Leading Lawyer, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022)

Recommended, Media, technology and telecoms - Telecoms and broadcast - regulatory, The Legal 500 US (2011–2021)

Recommended, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 US (2011–2018)

Recognized, Communications Law, Washington, DC, The Best Lawyers in America (2007–2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023)

Recognized, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Washington, DC, The Best Lawyers in America (2015, 2017–2023)

Recognized, Washington, DC Super Lawyers (2007–2014)

Recognized, Washington, DC’s Top Lawyers, Communications, Washingtonian (2009, 2011, 2013)

Recognized, Data: Telecoms & Media, Who’s Who Legal (2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016–2019)

Recognized, The Best of the Best, Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers (2001, 2003–2004, 2006, 2008–2010)

Recognized, Best Lawyers, The Washington Post Magazine (2008)

Recognized, Leading Lawyers in America Lawdragon 3000 (2006)

Leading Telecom Lawyer, Guide to the World’s Leading Technology, Media and Telecommunications Lawyers (2005)

Top 50 Telecom Visionary, NetEconomy Magazine (2002)

Top Six International Leader in the Telecommunications Field, Chambers Global Directory of the World’s Leading Lawyers (2001–2002)

Leading Lawyer Under the Age of 45, The American Lawyer (1995)

Leading Telecommunications Lawyer, National Lawyer, (1995)

Member, Federal Communications Bar Association

Admissions

  • District of Columbia

Education

  • Stanford Law School, 1977, Juris Doctor
  • University of Rochester, 1974, Bachelor of Arts, Summa Cum Laude

Sectors

  • Technology
  • Fintech
  • Banking

Services

  • Telecommunications, Media & Technology
  • Antitrust & Competition
  • Bankruptcy & Restructuring
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Privacy & Cybersecurity
  • Technology Transactions
  • International Trade & National Security

Trending Topics

  • US-China Trading Policy & Global Impact

Events

1/30/2023 - Metro Connect USA
4/12/2022 - Navigating the Next: The State of US Telecom and Media Regulatory and Antitrust Issues
4/27/2021 - 2021 Telecom, Media, and Technology Regulatory Overview – Complimentary Webinar
11/4/2020 - 2020 Election Outcome: Telecom, Media, and Tech Impacts of the November 2020 Elections – A Complimentary Webinar
5/23/2018 - 2018 Technology May-rathon: Mid-Year Telecom, Media and Tech Regulatory Review
5/30/2017 - 2017 Technology May-rathon: New Administration, New Rules: TMT in 2017 and Beyond
11/11/2016 - The 2016 Election Outcome: Telecom, Media, and Tech Impacts
10/13/2016 - The 2016 Election: Telecom, Media, and Tech Impacts
8/4/2016 - 2016 TMT Midyear Update
5/19/2016 - 2016 Technology May-rathon: Mid-Year Telecom/Media Regulatory and Legal Update
2/3/2016 - Telecom, Media & Technology (TMT) 2016 Legal and Regulatory Outlook
5/8/2015 - Technology May-rathon: Understanding The FCC's Seminal Network Neutrality Decision: Practical Lessons for Telecom and Tech Companies
5/5/2015 - Technology May-rathon: Negotiating and Managing Risk In Telecom Purchase Agreements

News

6/23/2017 - Telecommunications Policy Recap for the First Half of 2017, Law360
4/11/2017 - Morgan Lewis Represents Southern Light in $700M Sale to Uniti Group Inc.
1/2/2017 - Telecom Cases To Watch In 2017, Law360
2/3/2016 - Telecommunications, Media & Technology 2016 Regulatory Outlook
8/19/2015 - Telecommunications,
Media & Technology:
Regulatory Quarterbacking. Industry Leadership.

Publications

4/22/2022 - D.C. Watch, Intelligence by Inside Towers
September 21, 2020 (Updated February 22, 2021) - The Approach of the EU and Selected Member States to 5G Network Cybersecurity
8/24/2020 - European Cybersecurity for 5G: Member States Widely Differ in their Approaches
6/4/2020 - Securing 5G Networks in the EU: High-Risk Vendors or High-Risk Legislation?
4/1/2020 - CARES Act Includes Provisions Regarding Telecommunications, Telehealth
3/23/2020 - FCC Waives Gift Rules for Rural Health Care, E-Rate Entities in COVID-19 Response
3/23/2020 - Telephone Consumer Protection Act: COVID-19 Updates and Developments
3/26/2019 - EU Adopts First Foreign Direct Investment Regulation
March 2019 - Apart and Together, Submarine Telecoms Forum Magazine
4/5/2018 - DC Circuit’s ACA v. FCC Decision: Implications for Calling and Texting
3/21/2018 - Submarine Cable Telecom and National Security Review 2018-2020: What’s on the Horizon? Submarine Telecoms Forum
6/14/2016 - The DC Circuit Affirms the FCC’s Open Internet Rules
3/21/2016 - Reminder: FCC Accessibility Reporting Requirements Due April 1
2/8/2016 - Reminder: FCC Annual CPNI Compliance Certifications Due March 1, 2016
11/12/2015 - Andrew Lipman on Navigating the FCC
11/12/2015 - Andrew Lipman on Tracking Net Neutrality
11/12/2015 - Andrew Lipman, Spotlight On: Telecom, Media & Technology
3/3/2015 - Accessibility Standards for Equipment Covered By the Communications Act
2/10/2015 - Reminder: FCC Annual CPNI Compliance Certifications Due March 1, 2015
12/22/2014 - Reminder: January 29, 2015 Deadline for FCC Special Access Data Collection
5/15/2014 - FCC Adopts Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Revise Open Internet (Net Neutrality) Rules
2/3/2014 - Summary of FCC Order Calling for IP Technology Transition Trial Proposals
1/30/2014 - FCC Adopts Order Inviting Technology Transition Trials
9/18/2013 - FCC Releases Instructions for and Modifications to Special Access Mandatory Data Collection
4/22/2013 - FCC Grants Vonage Conditional Waiver of Numbering Rules; Opens Two Proceedings to Consider Revisions to Traditional Numbering Assignment Rules
12/18/2012 - FCC Releases Special Access Order on Mandatory Data Collection and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
8/6/2012 - Court of Appeals Affirms FCC’s Denial of Qwest’s Phoenix Forbearance Petition
3/12/2012 - FCC Seeks Comment on CenturyLink Petition for Forbearance
2/6/2012 - FCC Issues Call Blocking Declaratory Ruling
March 2011 - Building a Submarine Cable: Navigating the Regulatory Waters of Licensing and Permitting