Ari Q. Fitzgerald
Partner Global Regulatory
Languages
Spanish
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Overview
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Experience
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Credentials
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Insights and events
Chambers USA"He continues to attract a wide range of clients, from industry-leading service providers and vendors to trade associations."
Ari Fitzgerald leads the firm's Communications, Internet, and Media practice. He provides strategic, legal, and policy advice on a wide range of communications and spectrum policy issues to some of the world's largest and most dynamic communications network operators and equipment manufacturers, as well as industry trade associations and investors.
Ari enjoys helping automobile manufacturers and suppliers, medical device manufacturers, drone manufacturers, and other technology companies bring new and innovative communications-related products and services to market. In recognition of his path-breaking contributions to the wireless industry, he is one of only three attorneys to have ever been inducted into the Wireless History Foundation’s Wireless Hall of Fame.
Ari had a distinguished career in government before joining the firm as a partner in 2001. He was a legal adviser to former FCC Chairman Bill Kennard, as well as Deputy Chief of the FCC's International Bureau. He also worked as a legal adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Legal Counsel, where he advised the White House, executive branch agencies, and the U.S. attorney general on constitutional and federal statutory interpretation matters.
Ari started his legal career as a law clerk to the Honorable H. Lee Sarokin, U.S. district judge, and worked for several years after his judicial clerkship as legal counsel to former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley. Ari worked as a financial analyst in the corporate finance department of the global investment bank First Boston Corporation before entering law school.
Ari serves on the board of directors of Crown Castle International, a large, publicly owned operator of towers, fiber optic cable, and other communications infrastructure, and on the advisory board of several private technology companies and policy advocacy organizations. He also serves on the board of several nonprofit entities, including the Yale Law School Fund Board, as secretary of the Multicultural Media and Telecommunications Council, as president of the Duke Ellington Fund, and as an advisory board member of Catholic Charities Legal Network.
Chambers USA"He continues to attract a wide range of clients, from industry-leading service providers and vendors to trade associations."
Representative experience
Advised T-Mobile in connection with its proposed acquisition of 700 MHz licenses from Columbia Capital.
Advised the fourth-largest bidder in the FCC's 2015 AWS-3 spectrum auction on all aspects of its participation in the auction.
Represented the two major automobile manufacturer trade associations in the FCC's 5.9 GHz proceeding.
Represents General Electric in a wide range of FCC proceedings affecting its medical device, drone delivery, and consumer appliance and industrial communications businesses.
Represents a wide range of automobile manufacturers and suppliers on telecom policy, telematics, and connected car-related issues before the FCC and other U.S. regulatory agencies.
Represents Vodafone on telecom and national security-related issues at the FCC and U.S. Team Telecom.
Advised T-Mobile in connection with the FCC's 600 MHz broadcast incentive auction.
Represented Kinderhook Industries before the FCC in connection with its acquisition of Video Relay Service provider, CSDVRS.
Credentials
- J.D., Yale Law School, 1990
- Henry Luce Scholar, 1985
- A.B., Harvard College, magna cum laude, 1984
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Connecticut
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Board of Directors, Crown Castle International
- President, Duke Ellington Fund
- Vice President, Yale Law School Alumni Executive Committee
- Federal Communications Bar Association
- Advisory Committee, Mobile Future
- Advisory Committee, Spectrum Bridge