John P. Janka retired from the partnership in December 2019. He focused on the telecommunications, media, and technology (TMT) sector. His clients included investors, banks, and companies from startup entities to global leaders.
Mr. Janka has counseled international clients for almost 25 years on a variety of regulatory, transactional, and controversy matters, including:
- The purchase, sale, and financing of communications companies
- The procurement and deployment of communications facilities and related technology transactions
- Engagement in “spectrum wars” — controversies involving differing uses of radio spectrum and efforts to redistribute radio spectrum for new services
- Global spectrum strategies, coordination, and dispute resolution
- Joint ventures and other strategic alliances
- The sale and lease of communications capacity
- Content distribution
- Strategic planning
- Effectuating changes in legal frameworks
Mr. Janka has assisted a range of players in the communications industry, including:
- US and international satellite, wireless, and other terrestrial telecommunications companies
- Internet service providers, video programming, and other content suppliers
- Media services companies
- Television and radio broadcast stations
- Equipment manufacturers
- Firms that invest in and finance these businesses
Mr. Janka has been consistently recognized as a leading communications lawyer in publications such as Euromoney’s Expert Guides to the World’s Leading TMT Lawyers, Euromoney’s The Best of The Best USA-Telecoms, The International Who's Who of Telecoms & Media Lawyers, Super Lawyers, and the Washingtonian magazine. Both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 US ranked Mr. Janka as a leading lawyer in the telecommunications, satellite, and broadcast areas, noting his creativity, vast experience, and reputation as one of the leading lawyers in the satellite industry. In 2017, Mr. Janka was inducted into The Legal 500’s Hall of Fame, which highlights individuals who have received “constant praise by their clients” and who are at the “pinnacle of their profession.” In addition, The Financial Times highlighted one of Mr. Janka’s projects, providing a “standout” ranking for advising on issues involving new uses of radio spectrum.
In addition, Mr. Janka has served as a United States Delegate to an ITU World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, and as a law clerk to Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall, US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Thought Leadership
Mr. Janka regularly participated in industry associations, lectured frequently, and is the author of several articles on topics related to the communications industry. Thought leadership activities include:
- Moderator: “Briefing - Space Debris,” Smallsat Symposium, February 2018
- Speaker, “ITU Frequency Management,” 6th Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, October 2017
- Editor of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Review, a global guide to technology, media, and telecommunications law and practice, which is now in its 9th edition, 2010–2019
- Moderator, “Cost Savings & Budgetary Considerations in Small Satellite Alternatives,” SmallSat Symposium, February 2017
- Speaker, “Looking Over the Horizon,” The Changing Landscape of the Satellite Regulation FCBA CLE Program, March 2016
- Moderator, “Cost Savings & Budgetary Considerations in Small Satellite Alternatives,” SmallSat Symposium, February 2016
- Moderator, “Issue Affecting Satcom Spectrum Availability,” 4th Annual Space & Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, October 2015
- Speaker, “Legal & Strategic Issues Encountered by Entrepreneurs When Creating Businesses with Space-Related Technologies,” International Space University’s Space Studies Program, July 2015
- Speaker, “The International Bureau’s Part 25 Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking – Streamlining and Making More Efficient the FCC’s Satellite Licensing Rules,” FCBA International Telecommunications Committee CLE, November 2014
- Moderator, “Legal and Regulatory Issues Affecting Satcom Spectrum Availability,” 3rd Annual Space and Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, October 2014
- Co-author, “FCC Considers Lifting Limits on Non-US Ownership in Radio and Television Broadcast Companies,” Latham & Watkins Client Alert No. 1487, March 2013
- Moderator, “Legal and Regulatory Issues Affecting Satcom Spectrum Availability,” 2nd Annual Space & Satellite Regulatory Colloquium, October 2013
- Author, “Changing Federal Policies in Response to the Broadband Revolution,” New Jersey Lawyer Magazine, October 2012