Video: Roundtable Ask the Lawyers

There is a lot of interesting things happening in community media. Broadband, the 6th Circuit Court cable franchise decision, closed captioning, rights of way as well as FAA new rules on drones. Join, ask, or just listen to the lawyers, as they relate to you what is exactly going on and how it may affect your world in the very near future.

Nancy Werner is General Counsel of NATOA, the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. NATOA is the premier local government professional association that provides support to members on the many local, state, and federal communications laws, administrative rulings, judicial decisions, and technology issues impacting the interests of local governments. Prior to joining NATOA, Nancy was Of Counsel at the law firm of Beery, Elsner & Hammond, LLP in Portland, Oregon, where she represented local government with a focus on communications law, right of way management and utility franchises. She has represented clients in state and federal court on issues including cable franchise renewals, telecommunications law, right of way regulations and fees and home rule authority. Nancy previously was a litigator at Kirkland & Ellis in Chicago and O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles. Nancy is a graduate of the University of Southern California Law School, where she was on the staff of the USC Law Review.

Brandon Dittman is a partner at the firm of Kissinger & Fellman, P.C. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree and Bachelor of Science degree, in 2011 from Purdue University, West Lafayette Indiana, and his law degree in 2014 from the University of Colorado Law School. Brandon’s practice is focused on municipal law, public utilities law, and telecommunications law, representing clients in both the government and private sectors. Brandon’s experience includes public utilities law and policy, municipal law, telecommunications law, environmental and natural resources law, and litigation. He has worked with local governments, utility companies, and private citizens on various energy, municipal law, transportation, environmental, and telecommunications legal matters. Prior to joining the firm, Brandon was Attorney-Fellow at the Municipal Operations Section of the Denver City Attorney’s Office, where he represented the City in electric, gas, steam, railroad, and transportation matters before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. This includes dockets relating to electric and gas rate cases, renewable energy, resource planning, data privacy, rule-making, transportation formal complaint proceedings, and at-grade rail crossings. Before that, as an intern as Black Hills Corporation, Brandon focused on energy regulation in Colorado and Wyoming and federal environmental regulation under the Clean Air Act. While in law school, Brandon served as the Production Editor of the Colorado Natural Resources, Energy, and Environmental Law Review and was an officer in the Environmental Law Society.

Ken Fellman is a partner in the Denver law firm of Kissinger & Fellman, P.C. His practice emphasizes local government representation, particularly telecommunications, local government and utilities law. Ken has represented local governments, non-profit organizations and governmental associations nationwide in connection with cable television franchising, deployment of community broadband networks, tower and antenna siting, public safety communications issues, social media use, communications service contracts, and gas and electric utility franchising. He also works with local governments in connection with telecommunications tax matters, the development of communications policy, rights of way management, infrastructure development, litigation, and administrative proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and Public Utilities Commission, and other related telecommunications, utilities and land use issues. Ken represents the EAGLE-Net Alliance, a recipient of a Recovery Act grant to construct a statewide broadband network connecting 170 Colorado communities, the Colorado Communications and Utility Alliance, and the Colorado Government Association of Information Technology. In his general municipal government practice, he has served as a city, town and county attorney in multiple Colorado jurisdictions. He is also an adjunct professor at the University Of Colorado College Of Law, where he teaches Telecommunications Law and Policy. Ken is a Past President of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA). A prior recipient of NATOA’s President’s Award (2006), and Member of the Year (1998), he was named a Life Member of NATOA in 2011. Ken served as Mayor of Arvada, Colorado from 1999 – 2007, and as an at large member of City Council from 1993 – 1999. He received the Pioneer Award from the Arvada Chamber of Commerce in 2011, recognizing exemplary contributions to the community over an extended period of time. In 2004 during Arvada’s centennial celebration, Ken was chosen as one of the 100 most influential citizens in the City’s history. In 2007, and 2010 – 2014, Ken was named as one of Law & Politics’ Colorado Super Lawyers, a list that represents the top 5 percent of Colorado attorneys. He has received the Colorado Public Health Association’s Award for Legislative Excellence, and has been named a Public Health Champion by the Jefferson County Department of Health and Environment. Appointed in 2011, Ken currently serves as a member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Intergovernmental Advisory Committee. Previously, he served as chair of the FCC’s Local and State Government Advisory Committee from 1997 until the FCC disbanded the Committee in 2003. In 2004 and 2005 he served on the Executive Committee of SAFECOM – an advisory committee to the U. S. Department of Homeland Security comprised of local, state and tribal officials, to help improve public safety response through more effective and efficient interoperable wireless communications. He currently serves on Governor John Hickenlooper’s Broadband Knights of the Round Table, and previously served as a member of Governor Bill Ritter’s Innovation Council and Broadband Task Force. Ken was appointed by Governor Ritter to the Colorado Channel Authority in 2009, and reappointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2012. He has testified on telecommunications matters before the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate, and the Colorado General Assembly. Ken has also served as chair of the National League of Cities Information, Technology and Communications Steering Committee, and as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Transportation and Communications Committee. Ken’s activities in Colorado include service as a past chair of the Metro Mayors Caucus, and past president of the Continental Divide Bar Association and the Metro City Attorneys Association. He is currently a member of the International Municipal Lawyers Association and an associate member of the Colorado Municipal League. Ken remains active in his community outside of the practice of law. He was co-chair of the Arvada Community Food Bank’s capital campaigns in 2008-2009 and 2012. He serves as Vice-chair of the Lutheran Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors. He was a member of the Arvada Fire Protection District Blue Ribbon Committee in 2010, and a member of the Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission from 2005-2010. In 2010 Ken received a special commendation from the Colorado House of Representatives recognizing his years of commitment to Arvada and the greater Colorado community. When not practicing law or working on community activities, he might be found playing his guitar or looking forward to the next Bruce Springsteen concert, who he has seen over 40 times since 1974. Ken’s wife Jill was elected to the Jefferson County Board of Education (Colorado’s largest school district) in 2011, so his current position in politics is “political spouse.” Ken received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1978 from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and his law degree in 1981 from the University Of Denver Sturm College Of Law. He can be contacted at (303) 320-6100; facsimile: (303) 327-8601; e-mail: kfellman@kandf.com; Twitter: @kenfellman. Ken’s publications and public presentations can be found on the firm’s website at www.kandf.com, under the “News and Resources” icon.