Charles H. Helein has been at the forefront of every major technological advancement in communications over the past 40 years and remains a leader in legal representation of the communications industry.

Mr. Helein began his legal career in 1963 as an attorney for the U.S. Senate where he worked on drafting the Administrative Procedures Act, the seminal piece of legislation governing the functioning and responsibilities of all government regulatory agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission.

Throughout his career as a private practitioner, which began in 1967 at Dow, Lohnes & Alberston, Mr. Helein has represented cutting-edge, competitive companies:

• Long-Distance Telephone Networks: Since the inception of competition in long-distance telecommunications services in the early 1970's, Mr. Helein has counseled and advised facilities-based and resale carriers on all facets of federal and state regulatory requirements, including, but not limited to: tariffs, facility authorizations, contract negotiations, rate-making matters and international and operator services regulatory issues. With the advent of competition in the local exchange markets, Mr. Helein counsels on all regulatory and business matters affecting such markets.

• Satellites: Mr. Helein developed the program and advised on the preparation of one of the first satellite system applications shortly after the FCC opened the application process in 1968; advised on one of the first round of Direct Broadcast Satellite applications filed; served as counsel to VSAT licensee, uplink licensees and transponder users, lessees and purchasers; and served as special counsel to lending institutions financing the lease and/or purchase of satellite transponders.

• Cable Television: Since 1967, Mr. Helein has represented cable television clients in all areas including, but not limited to: franchise negotiations, merger and acquisition issues, contract disputes, rate matters, municipal and local regulation and federal regulatory requirements.

• Telecommunications Equipment and Network Contracts: Mr. Helein has negotiated, on behalf of clients, contracts for major telecommunications equipment purchases and leases including, but not limited to: telephone switch acquisitions, installations, maintenance, payphone systems, software licenses, etc.

• Cellular Radio: Mr. Helein has advised wireline and non-wireline cellular clients in all areas of cellular radio regulatory requirements since the FCC's authorization of cellular services in 1981. Mr. Helein has also been engaged in representing clients in the PCS auctions before the FCC.

• Litigation: Since 1967, Mr. Helein has counseled and advised many litigants before the FCC and federal courts in matters involving such issues as: The Communications Act, antitrust, breach of contract, civil RICO and business tort claims.

Mr. Helein was also one of the founders of America’s Carriers Telecommunication Association (“ACTA”), a telecommunications trade association comprised of over 250 telecommunication service providers, vendors, consultants and others in the industry. Until August of 1998, Mr. Helein served ACTA as its General Counsel, at which time ACTA was merged into CompTel.

The top law school graduate in the State of Missouri, Mr. Helein graduated from St. Louis University in 1963 and was selected to serve as Assistant Counsel on the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Administrative Practice and Procedure.

In 1967, he joined the Washington, D.C. based national law firm of Dow, Lohnes & Albertson as an associate attorney concentrating in telecommunications regulation and related practice areas. He became a partner at Dow, Lohnes & Albertson in 1971 and continued to serve a wide variety of telecommunications clients for 19 years.

Mr. Helein continued to grow his telecommunications practice at the Washington office of the national Cleveland-based firm of Arter & Hadden and then in the Georgetown office of Galland, Kharasch, Morse & Garfinkle, P.C.

In 1993, Mr. Helein founded The Helein Law Group, P.C. (“THLG”). Mr. Helein grew the practice and diversified the firm’s representation to offer a wide array of cost-effective legal expertise to corporations and individuals. In addition to being a leader in legal representation of the telecommunications and technology industries, THLG expanded to include a variety of corporate law, including closely held corporations, limited partnerships, and proprietary rights. THLG received the highest professional rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell in its Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers. In February 2003, Mr. Helein and THLG were appointed Special Telecommunications/FCC Counsel for the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Mr. Helein continues his passionate representation of the interests of competitive providers at The CommLaw Group, which carries on in the tradition of excellent client service and results-oriented representation which Mr. Helein established at THLG.

Mr. Helein is a Life Member to The National Registry of Who’s Who in recognition of exemplary service, both to the community and to his profession. He has also been a member of Cable TV Pioneers since 1981.

Mr. Helein has spoken on a wide range of topics in both Europe and the United States and has chaired conferences in Brussels, Begium on Network Access & Resale, delivered speeches on the Internet, access and pricing for information infrastructure services in Dublin and elsewhere in Europe. In London, the Centre of EuroTelecomms has had Mr. Helein address International Telecom Pricing and Facilities and the Telecoms Resale Congress. Mr. Helein has also spoken on Internet Telephony to the International Communications for Management (“ICM”) organization.

Admitted to practice before the courts of the State of Missouri, the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia, Mr. Helein is also admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the U.S. Courts of Appeal for the D.C., Third and Fourth Circuits and several other federal courts.