Telecommunications and Energy

Reinhart's Telecommunications and Energy Practice helps clients compete successfully in the complex world of heavily regulated industries. Listed among the state's top public policy lawyers by Madison Magazine, our telecommunications and energy lawyers understand the unique needs of telecommunications providers and power generators facing close scrutiny by government agencies. Reinhart's reputation for innovative problem solving and efficiency is highly regarded by businesses in these two competitive industries. By drawing on the firm-wide resources of Reinhart, the Telecommunications and Energy Law Practice is able to provide high-quality service to its clients in a cost-effective manner.

The Telecommunications and Energy Practice has experience representing telecommunications providers and energy companies before regulatory agencies and courts. Our telecommunications client base is broad and includes wireless, long distance and competitive local exchange providers, as well as a national independent power producer. We represent these clients' interests in numerous complex administrative, regulatory, commercial and litigation matters.

Our philosophy is to bring together a team of attorneys from several legal disciplines who understand the particular needs and dynamics of the telecommunications and energy industries. Reinhart has experience representing entrepreneurial, growing businesses, and we bring this experience to bear in our representation of telecommunications and energy clients. This experience includes:

• Representation of telecommunications and energy providers in regulatory proceedings before the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and other state agencies, such as the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection
  
• Involvement in numerous dockets created by the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to help facilitate the transition from monopoly to competition in the telecommunications and energy fields
  
• Participation in the creation of Wisconsin's Telecommunications Act in 1993 and 1994
  
• Representation of telecommunications and energy providers in litigation before state and federal courts and advising clients on developments in the telecommunications and energy fields, and advance policy before state and federal regulatory bodies
  
• Serving as Wisconsin counsel in the asset sale and transfer of property ownership rights of a regional cellular provider's properties valued at more than $1 billion, we had the responsibility of obtaining regulatory approvals, providing required corporate and financing opinions, obtaining approvals from landlords of cellular site locations, obtaining approvals from municipalities for various zoning and conditional use issues, assisting in the review of all environmental surveys and preparing a plan for any required environmental remediation
  
• Assisted a national independent power producer in obtaining regulatory approval for the construction and operation of several power plants in Wisconsin. In addition to securing the necessary regulatory approval, we oversaw other aspects of the project including corporate, environmental, financial and zoning issues.