Geoffrey Starks, former Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), advises clients on complex communications regulatory matters, including broadband policy, spectrum policy, artificial intelligence, telecommunications competition, and privacy and data security, particularly in the context of telecom and media transactions.
Geoffrey draws on more than a decade of legal, policy, and regulatory government experience at the highest levels of the communications ecosystem to advise corporate and industry clients on:
A trusted strategic advisor, Geoffrey provides a deep understanding of the regulatory landscape, particularly where regulatory outcomes directly affect deal economics and investment decisions. He leverages extensive experience with key industry players, legislators, and executive-branch agencies to help clients navigate complex, high-stakes regulatory issues.
Before joining Latham, Geoffrey was unanimously confirmed twice by the US Senate and served with distinction as Commissioner from 2019 to 2025, helping shape national telecommunications and media law and policy. During his tenure, Geoffrey oversaw initiatives affecting every aspect of the nation’s communications arena, including telecommunications, broadband deployment and subsidy programs, spectrum allocation and policy, wireless and satellite licensing, and privacy and data security. He also led the agency on issues of network security, from the replacement of insecure equipment to the national security response to the Salt Typhoon cyberattack. Geoffrey has testified numerous times before Congress on these and other important communications issues.
Geoffrey has led US delegations in significant international communications proceedings, including for the World Radio Conference in Dubai and the International Telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary in Bucharest. He also led the delegation with the Body of European Regulators and the International Institute of Communications.
Prior to serving as Commissioner, he served as Assistant Chief of the FCC’s Enforcement Bureau, where he led investigations under federal communications laws. Geoffrey previously served as Senior Counsel to the US Deputy Attorney General at the US Department of Justice, where he provided advice on domestic and international law enforcement, including civil, criminal, and national security matters. For his work, Geoffrey received the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service — the highest award a DOJ employee can receive.
Earlier in his career, Geoffrey clerked for the Honorable Duane Benton on the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and worked as an associate at another global law firm. While in law school he served on the board of the Yale Law Journal.
Geoffrey has written and spoken extensively on critical telecommunications and technology policy issues in prominent media outlets, including:
He has been a frequent speaker at major industry conferences, including: