Telecommunications

Overview

For decades, Friedman Kaplan has been a go-to firm for companies in the telecommunications industry for corporate and litigation advice. Our longstanding relationships with many of the pioneers of the wireless industry are a testament to the sophistication and talent we bring to our work in this space. On the corporate side, for the last twenty years, we have regularly represented clients in major M&A transactions, from prominent, multinational companies in multibillion-dollar divestitures, to niche market players in connection with their growth of their businesses through acquisitions in emerging markets. Our litigation department has deep experience representing major telecommunications companies in matters ranging from high-stakes complex commercial litigations to internal investigations.

We also regularly represent telecommunications clients in connection with credit facilities and high-yield debt offerings. In these matters, our deep industry knowledge allows us to play a critical role in ensuring the terms of such financings afford our clients the operational flexibility we know, based on first-hand experience, they will need to optimally conduct their business moving forward. We also have extensive experience negotiating major supply and equipment contracts, leveraging our ability to be efficient and nimble to focus on the matters that mean the most to our clients.

Selected Experience

• We represented Trilogy International Partners LLC in a $875 million business combination with Alignvest Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition corporation (SPAC).
• We represented T-Mobile (then known as VoiceStream) in its acquisition by Deutsche Telekom, a transaction valued at more than $50 billion at the time it was announced.

• We represented T-Mobile USA, Inc. as plaintiff in connection with antitrust claims related to an alleged conspiracy to fix prices of LCD screens. The matter settled in a manner highly positive for our clients.

• We represented Western Wireless Corporation in connection with its over $6 billion merger with Alltel Wireless.

• We represented Trilogy International Partners in connection with a high-yield offering of $370 million of senior debt notes. Our work included negotiation of the indenture and note purchase agreements and preparation of the private offering materials.

• We represented T-Mobile USA Inc. in defense of numerous consumer class action cases pertaining to billing practices and other issues.

• We represented Alltel and its subsidiary, Western Wireless International Corporation, in the sale of Tele.ring, an Austrian cellular telephone operator, to Deutsche Telekom for a purchase price in excess of $1.5 billion, and its sale of Meteor, an Irish cellular telephone operator, for a purchase price of approximately $500 million.

• We have represented major telecommunications companies in dozens of major infrastructure deals in a wide variety of countries, including Colombia, Brazil, India, Taiwan, Ireland, Iceland, former Soviet Republics, Western Europe, and many others.

• On behalf of a developer and licensor of wireless communications products, we obtained a Tenth Circuit decision on interpretation of patent licenses, which reversed trial decisions and embraced the arguments of our client. Friedman Kaplan was brought in as appellate counsel following a disappointing trial on licensing and patent claims, and obtained a decision overwhelmingly in our client's favor. We continue to handle the case on remand.

• We represented the former CEO of the Montenegro subsidiary of Magyar Telekom in connection with a more than four-year investigation and enforcement action by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission relating to alleged Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.