Our attorneys provide legal services to domestic and international businesses, private and public; governmental departments and agencies; non-governmental organizations and private individuals. We represent clients in a variety of industries, including radio and television broadcasting, out-of-home advertising, digital media, homeland security, and financial services. Our practice areas include general business law, transactions, litigation, government relations and private client services. We represent clients for one-time projects such as a purchase and sale transaction or commercial litigation; however, any of our clients rely upon our legal and business advice on an ongoing basis.

Business Law

General Corporate Law • Business Transactions • General Counsel Services • Start-up Businesses
Our attorneys counsel clients on a wide range of business law and business transactions.  We negotiate and draft employment contracts, leases, partnership and other business agreements and assist clients in strategic business planning, resolving problems and resolving conflict.  From helping clients start their businesses to serving as part of the management team in a general counsel capacity, we are familiar with a wide range of industries. Our transactional practice includes purchase and sale as well as merger agreements for public and private companies, both in the U.S., cross-border and international.  Media transactions have been the core of our transactional practice for more than thirty years; however we have negotiated transactions in a number of other fields, including professional sports, real estate and finance. We collaborate often with clients’ in-house general counsel and/or other attorneys.

Government Relations

U.S. Government • District of Columbia • Communications • Homeland Security
Our government relations practice involves U.S. congressional, executive branch and agency proceedings and rule making and regulatory counseling on behalf of businesses, trade associations and individuals. We interact regularly with those agencies and commissions that have an impact on our clients’ businesses and activities. These include the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security.

In our homeland security practice, we represent clients who provide homeland security-related services and equipment to federal and state governments, including transportation security devices and intelligence gathering and evaluation. We provide legal counsel for a wide range of business matters and advise clients with respect to emerging developments in the homeland security sector.

International

Asset Protection • Tax • Estate Planning • Litigation
We assist our international clients in navigating through the U.S. federal and state income and estate tax system as well as defining their wealth maintenance and transfer objectives. We regularly counsel clients about wealth management strategies, including cross-border charitable giving, use of offshore life insurance including private placement insurance, and planning with foreign trusts. In addition, we assist clients in response to IRS offshore compliance audits.

Our attorneys represent foreign governments and their agencies and instrumentalities in litigation. We advise clients on mechanisms for resolving disputes in international agreements, choice of arbitration systems, representation before international arbitration tribunals, assistance in litigation proceedings outside the United States, and execution of international judicial and arbitration awards. We represent our clients in various international commercial disputes in litigation and international arbitration.

Litigation

Commercial Litigation • Criminal • First and Fifth Amendment • Media
Our litigation practice is both domestic and international in scope. Our attorneys represent domestic clients in a broad spectrum of complex civil litigation matters in federal and state courts, and agencies throughout the United States and locally. Our representation includes all aspects of domestic trial litigation at all levels, including the appellate level.

Our attorneys have substantial experience in litigation involving issues relating to the media, including First and Fifth Amendments, zoning and communications issues. We also represent clients in all facets of criminal and civil enforcement proceedings from internal investigations by law enforcement agencies through appellate litigation and congressional inquiries.

Media

Broadcasting • Outdoor Advertising • Digital Media • Publishing
In our media practice, we represent companies and individuals in publishing, broadcasting, and new media. In addition, we are nationally recognized for leading the development of outdoor advertising as a distinct area of media law. We provide legal counsel and representation on a wide range of media business issues, including contracts, trademarks and copyrights, contests and special promotions, and licensing. Our attorneys, who include the former general counsel of a major Washington newspaper, also represent media companies in litigation involving First and Fifth Amendment matters, invasion of privacy and libel, as well as in litigation at the trial and appellate levels where municipalities and government agencies seek to limit the right of commercial speech.

Private Client Services

Asset Protection • Estates and Trusts • Private Legal Advisors • Philanthropy
In our private client and estate planning practice, we represent individuals, estates and fiduciaries for high net worth individuals and counsel multinational families on wealth transfer and asset protection strategies. We often serve as general counsel working with their financial advisors, accountants, appraisers, insurance brokers and other advisors. We also work with other attorneys where legal advice is not needed outside our areas of expertise.