Christopher Bjornson

Government & Regulatory Litigation | Internet, Telecom & Media

Chris Bjornson represents companies who provide satellite, internet, wireless telecommunications, and video programming services before the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), and other foreign and domestic government agencies.

Chris has extensive experience with major telecommunications transactions, complex licensing matters, rulemakings, spectrum auctions, and compliance matters.

His transaction-related experience includes coordinating FCC approvals for multibillion-dollar transactions, leading diligence and compliance efforts that have removed impediments to closing transactions, gaining expedited approvals for license transfers, and opposing major transactions. He was a key member of the teams that helped defeat the Sinclair-Tribune and Comcast-Time Warner Cable mergers, as well as the efforts to attach conditions to the Comcast-NBCU and Sprint-T-Mobile transactions.

Chris' regulatory, licensing and compliance experience spans a wide variety of communications law subject matters, representing clients before the FCC with complex satellite, wireless, and experimental licensing applications; universal service filings, compliance, and appeals; and video programming issues. He has been active in rulemakings before the FCC's Media, Space, Wireless, and Wireline Bureaus. He has been on the cutting edge of FCC licensing matters, helping a client obtain the first space station license under the FCC's first-come, first-served procedures and the first earth station onboard vessel authorization. He has helped clients obtain over 150 experimental authorizations. As a member of the US delegation to WRC-15, he helped secure adoption of a future agenda item.

ITU Roster of Experts

US Delegate, 2015 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-15)

Co-chair, FCBA Transactions Committee (2019-present)

Co-chair, FCBA Access to Government Committee (2002-2010, 2017-2019)

Co-chair, FCBA International Committee (2016-2017)

Co-chair, FCBA Video Programming and Distribution Committee (2010-2016)

Co-chair, DC Bar, National Security Committee, International Law Community (2021-present)

Chair, DC Bar, Global Technology and Telecommunications Committee, International Law Community (2018-2021)