Cooley Expands Communications Regulatory Practice

Washington, DC – September 18, 2024 – Cooley has strengthened its global communications regulatory practice based in Washington, DC, with the addition of Tony Lin, Ronald W. Del Sesto and Tamar E. Finn. The three new partners enhance the firm’s long-standing position as a leading adviser to many of the world’s top telecommunications, media and technology (TMT) companies.

The new partners will support TMT clients across the sector with regulatory guidance, litigation and licensing matters, analysis of legislative developments, and transactional matters – such as M&A, private equity (PE) and venture capital funds investing in areas regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state and foreign governments. Lin, Del Sesto and Finn also bolster the firm’s CooleyREG offering, which provides clients with commercially minded, comprehensive and practical guidance on current and emerging regulations globally.

“We are thrilled to welcome this fantastic trio to Cooley and to continue the growth of our stellar communications team,” said Sonya Erickson, partner and global chair of Cooley’s business department. “Our unmatched experience in technology and deep industry knowledge, coupled with our incredible talent and one-team platform, well position us to continue to support the breadth of companies who are innovating and disrupting the global communications industry.”

Lin, who will lead Cooley’s spacetech and satellite initiative, joins from DLA Piper. He advises satellite, spacetech and communications companies on obtaining spectrum and satellite imaging licenses before the FCC and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He also advises on spectrum coordination matters with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, NASA and the International Telecommunication Union. Lin’s practice encompasses terrestrial to space technology – including radiofrequency sensing and geolocation, mission extension, synthetic aperture radar, hyperspectral and multispectral imaging, on-orbit transportation and deployment, weather forecasting, lunar activities and orbital debris removal.

Del Sesto and Finn join Cooley from Morgan Lewis. Del Sesto brings more than 25 years of experience counseling technology companies on a range of issues – including corporate, financial, regulatory and cybersecurity. He advises clients on complex corporate transactions and investments in the TMT sector, surveillance obligations under federal and state law, privacy and data security laws, telemarketing, email and SMS marketing. He also negotiates commercial agreements in the cloud services and computing space for service providers and enterprise users.  

Finn has more than 25 years of experience representing clients on telecommunications issues before the FCC, Congress, the Universal Service Administrative Company and state public utility commissions. Her practice is focused on wireline and broadband telecommunications companies, PE firms, providers of unified communications as a service (UCaaS), and providers of federally subsidized communications services – such as those for the hearing impaired and broadband services for schools and libraries.

“I’m incredibly excited to welcome Tony, Ron and Tamar to Cooley. Their industry knowledge and sterling reputations in the communications bar are second to none,” said Robert M. McDowell, partner and chair of the firm’s global communications practice group. “I am confident that their talent and experience will help to propel our clients forward.”

Cooley represents 30% of US-based unicorn companies, providing clients with unparalleled access to the most influential network of strategic investors in the TMT sector. Cooley’s global communications practice group provides an all-encompassing and cross-border approach to TMT clients with premier regulatory advocacy, corporate counsel and complex litigation support.

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