(Washington, D.C.) – LAWFUEL – DLA Piper US LLP announced today that William P. Cook has joined the firm as a partner in the Government Affairs practice in the Washington, D.C., office. Cook, who will serve as the U.S. head of the Communications, E-Commerce and Privacy Practice Group, also brings associate Sydney White, associate Adrian Copiz, and staff attorney Robert Allen to the practice.
“Bill is a prominent player in the communications legal arena and we welcome him to our team,” said Washington, D.C. office Managing Partner Ann Ford. “DLA Piper’s global footprint will compliment his international communications practice, and his broad industry knowledge and contacts will add even greater depth to our existing Washington-based government affairs practice.”
Cook assumes leadership of the firm’s Communications, E-Commerce and Privacy practice which has been at the forefront of the major regulatory and policy issues of the day, playing an important role in the development of significant federal statutes regulating liability for conduct on the Internet and establishing precedents in the area of electronic payments issues. Cook and his group will provide the practice with a significantly enhanced regulatory capability in the traditional wireline, wireless, video and broadband areas.
“With more than 25 years of significant telecommunications regulatory, transactional and litigation experience, Bill’s knowledge of both the issues and the players in this dynamic practice area confirms DLA Piper as one of the nation’s premier law firms when it comes to meeting clients’ needs before the FCC, FTC and other regulatory and legislative bodies,” said Governor James Blanchard, chair of the Firm’s Government Affairs practice.
DLA Piper’s Government Affairs practice has been called one of the most high-powered and high-profile in the nation’s capital. Many of the attorneys and other professionals in this group have held senior positions in all branches of federal and state government. This distinguished group includes three former congressional majority leaders: Senate Majority Leader George J. Mitchell, House Majority Leader Richard K. Armey, and House Majority and Minority Leader Dick Gephardt.
Cook joins DLA Piper from Alston & Bird, where he led the telecommunications practice, focusing on regulatory and pubic policy issues in the telecom sector. Prior to entering private practice, Cook held a variety of government positions, spending nine years in the U.S. Department of Justice, where he served as General Counsel of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service; Senior Counsel in the Office of Legislative Affairs, Staff Attorney in the Office of Intelligence Policy & Review; and as a trial attorney in the Civil and Criminal Divisions. He is a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves, and a combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm and contingency operations in Lebanon and Grenada.
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