Wiley Rein adds Stephen Claeys, ex-aide to House Trade Subcommittee, as partner, International Trade practice ... Goodwin adds technology litigator and trial lawyer Neel Chatterjee as partner, Litigation Department and Intellectual Property practice ... Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press hires as communications director Jenn Topper, ex-Sunlight Foundation (see this section of the Dec. 19 issue of this publication) ... Waxman Strategies hires include Kirsten Maynard, ex-Spark, as senior vice president, in the technology practice ... Rightscorp elevates Cecil Bond Kyte to CEO, succeeding Christopher Sabec, who's also president and continues to spearhead intellectual property litigation support and copyright monetization services.
CSRA hires Kathryn Wheelbarger, ex-Senate Armed Services Committee aide, as vice president-litigation/chief compliance officer ... Internet Association adds from office of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., Michael Bloom as director-federal government affairs ... New at Mayer Brown: Tamer Soliman, with clients in aerospace, internet technology and elsewhere, as partner, International Trade practice and global head of its Export Controls and Economic Sanctions practice group ... As part of ZVRS planning to buy Purple Communications (see 1702150061), ZVRS Vice President-Customer Experience Chris Wagner helps lead transition as ZVRS chief operating officer; ZVRS Chief Compliance Officer Greg Hlibok named chief legal officer ... At Quebecor, Pierre Karl Péladeau resumes as president-CEO, succeeding Pierre Dion, named chairman of Quebecor Media and director of Quebecor; Brian Mulroney remains Quebecor chairman.
NAB hires as vice presidents-government relations, effective Feb. 27, Nicole Gustafson, ex-NFL, and Grisella Martinez, ex-House Democratic Caucus staffer ... Hap Rigby, leaving Senate Commerce Committee, joins Wiley Rein’s Telecom, Media & Technology practice as senior policy adviser, effective Feb. 21 ... Jenner & Block adds government contracts and international regulatory compliance lawyer Andrew Irwin, ex-Steptoe & Johnson, as partner and member of Government Contracts and Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation practices ... Ann Marie Buerkle, a Republican, elevated to acting chairman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, succeeding Elliot Kaye, a Democrat, who will remain on the commission.
Recent announcements of incentive auction proceeds by several large publicly traded broadcasters don't provide much to extrapolate from on how other, quieter broadcasters did or where successful bids were concentrated, analysts and attorneys told us. Though learning that Sinclair will receive $313 million, Tribune Media $190 million, Gray Television $90.8 million and Fox Television Stations $350 million (see 1702080081) is interesting, the vast majority of the $10 billion clearing cost is unaccounted for, said Fletcher Heald broadcast attorney Frank Jazzo.
Howard Shelanski, ex-Office of Management and Budget Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs administrator, rejoins Davis Polk as partner, Antitrust and Competition group .... Rejoining Wiley Rein is Henry Gola, ex-Media General, which Nexstar bought, as associate, Telecom, Media & Technology Practice ... Content Creators Coalition hires LMG Public Affairs, names its Chief Operating Officer Ted Kalo communications director for the coalition, and he remains LMG COO ... Cameron LLP hires lawyer/lobbyist/strategist Brian Wommack, ex-Powell Tate, as partner and head, its new Strategic Communications practice.
Vizio's settlement with the FTC over allegations the smart TV maker collected viewing data on 11 million consumers without their consent or knowledge (see 1702060042 and 1702070024) "highlights the importance of providing thorough consumer disclosures," wrote Wiley Rein attorneys Megan Brown and Madi Lottenbach in a Tuesday blog post. They said it "remains unclear" to what extent consumers "reasonably expect" their demographics, location and viewing habits will be recorded and used by TV and streaming device makers, software developers and the advertising industry. The lawyers wrote that some consumers have IoT privacy and security concerns that could result in increased regulatory oversight. They cited acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen's concurring statement in the settlement that it's the first time the commission has said viewing activity is "sensitive information" and the experts said further clarity may be needed about what causes "substantial injury."
Joining Internet Association: John Olsen, ex-Featherstonhaugh Wiley, as New York executive director, leading IA's new Albany office ... Mercury hires announced Friday include Brent Thompson, formerly at Expedia, as managing director ... Swedish Space Corp. names Daniel White, ex-Com Dev, executive vice president-satellite management services, Americas region ... Joining 21st Century Fox in March: Rob Wade, Dancing With the Stars, named president-alternative entertainment and specials, Fox Broadcasting Co. ... E.W. Scripps elevates Leon Clark to permanent vice president-general manager of Arizona's KGUN-TV Tucson and KWBA-TV Sierra Vista and digital channels; he continues running the broadcaster's radio stations in the market until a replacement is found.
In CBS Radio and Entercom combining (see 1702020070) in a company to be called Entercom, that broadcaster's President-CEO David Field will lead the combined company; CBS Radio President-CEO Andre Fernandez remains through deal's completion; and the merged company's board will be chaired by Field with five current Entercom directors including him, plus four nominated by CBS Radio ... David Frolio, ex-Wiley Rein, named legal consultant to DLA Piper’s Telecom Group, focusing on global telecom issues ... Jonathan Sallet, ex-DOJ and before that FCC, is a Brookings Institution visiting fellow-governance studies ... Accenture hires Valerie Abend, ex-Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as managing director-Accenture Security-financial services, North America; she's a cybersecurity expert.
Democrats on the House Communications Subcommittee are eyeing a likely NTIA reauthorization bill as a possible way to advance other priorities such as spectrum reallocation legislation and a measure to create grants for vehicle-to-infrastructure technology. They floated the ideas Thursday during a preliminary hearing on reauthorization, which hasn't happened since 1992.
Matthew DelNero, who recently left the FCC as Wireline Bureau chief, rejoined Covington as partner, Communications and Media Practice group ... Universal Service Administrative Co. hires Laurence Schecker, ex-FCC Office of General Counsel, as associate general counsel ... Quadra Partners said it starts advisory practice, which works on matters including public policy amid tech convergence, founded by ex-FCC officials Paul de Sa, ex-Office of Strategic Planning, Ruth Milkman, ex-aide to then-Chairman Tom Wheeler, and Jon Wilkins, ex-Wireless Bureau ... Lerman Senter names Kevin Cookler and David Rines members, to work on wireless and wireline and ISP issues; it hired Sara Hinkle as associate attorney, working on broadcast and broadband issues.