Sidley has long had one of the leading telecommunications practices in the world. More than 100 years ago, Sidley incorporated Western Electric Co. and represented the Bell System as it grew. We continue to represent AT&T and other communications clients in federal and state regulatory, litigation and appellate settings in numerous matters that involve every significant aspect of the communications industry. Sidley also represents leading tech companies in a wide range of competition-related issues in federal court and before the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice.

Our lawyers provide clients with regulatory and antitrust counsel, transactional representation and district and appellate court representation. Sidley lawyers appear regularly before the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, state and federal district and appellate courts, and state regulatory commissions on significant matters affecting communications and tech clients. Our lawyers also have appeared before numerous foreign regulatory bodies on behalf of both U.S.-based and foreign-based communications clients.

In addition to the telecommunications, mass media and wireless industries, Sidley provides regulatory advice and services to lenders and other investors in the communications industry and to our communications clients engaged in public and private offerings. Our lawyers have advised major lenders and institutional investors concerning their proposed investments in cable television companies, group owners of broadcast stations, cellular communications systems and program production companies. The firm has represented various lenders in voluntary work-outs of substantial loans to owners of broadcast stations, cable systems and mobile telephone companies and recently began advising a mobile satellite service company as it emerges from bankruptcy.