Bill Wilhelm advises technology companies on policy, state and federal regulation and commercial transactions and disputes related to the development and deployment of new communications applications, voice and video services, digital media, and broadband wireless and wireline networks. Bill’s clients frequently offer products and services that leverage unique intellectual property, computer technology or broadband networks. His advice is often sought regarding new or novel legal issues related to technology. For example, Bill recently represented a leading Internet telephony provider to obtain a landmark federal court and federal agency decision preempting state utility commissions from regulating their service.
Bill’s clients include leading technology innovators, venture-backed start-ups and established Fortune 500 companies. He advises domestic and international telecommunications companies, IP telephony and video providers, financial institutions, online exchanges, Internet service providers, insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, software developers, e-mail and Internet marketing companies, and broadband and wireless companies, as well as film and Internet content distribution companies.
Bill is a frequent speaker at industry events and has written hundreds of articles on telecommunications policy.
- "Another Brick in the Wall: The Impact of the FCC’s Comcast Net Neutrality Decision," Internet Telephony (October 2008)
- Co-author, "Bingham Offers Market Strategy Advice," xchange.com (June 3, 2008)
- Co-author, "Be Prepared for the FCC's Hard Look at Customer Privacy Protection," Internet Telephony (Jan. 14, 2008)
- "Safety Check! D.C. Circuit Upholds FCC’s E-911 Rules," Internet Telephony (February 2007)
- "A Plan of Action for VoIP USF Contributions," Internet Telephony (October 2006)
- "The Network Neutrality Debate and the Future of the Internet," Internet Telephony (April 2006)
- "A New Year's Resolution," Internet Telephony (February 2006)
- "What a Long Strange Trip It's Been," Internet Telephony (December 2005)
- "Homework to Do In Europe," Internet Telephony (October 2005)
- "Oh Canada! — Canadian Regulator Rules on VoIP 911," Internet Telephony (June 2005)
- "Bells Split Over Aid to VoIP Firms," National Journal (May 17, 2005)
- "The New Chairman of Change," Internet Telephony (April 2005)
- "European VoIP Regulation: Who Is Leading the Way?," VoIP Policy Report (April 2005)
- "Interview: Attorney William Wilhelm Discusses Port Blocking, Taxation and Regulatory Jurisdiction," New Telephony
- "Attorney William Wilhelm Discusses Port Blocking, Taxation and Regulatory Jurisdiction," New Telephony, Vol. 1, Issue 4 (March 28, 2005)
- "Madison River to Pay FCC $15,000 for Port Blocking," New Telephony (March 7, 2005)
- "Taxing Questions Confront VoIP Service Sector in '05," VoIP Policy Report
- "VoIP Companies Seek Delay in FCC Mandate," National Journal (Dec. 2, 2005)
- "Six Steps Forward for VoIP," VoIP Policy Report
- "Ruling on VoIP Regulation Upheld," The Los Angeles Times (Dec. 30, 2004)
- "Tuned-In Telecom Attorney Sees Legislative Action on Horizon," Of Counsel (December 2004)
- "Tuned-In Telecom Attorney Sees Legislative Action on Horizon," Of Counsel (December 2004)
- "The Latest Taxing Question Concerning IP Services," Internet Telephony
- "SBC to Offer Internet Telephone Service," The Mercury News (Nov. 17, 2004)
- "Feds Claim Control over VoIP, Leave Tax Issue Open," ZDNet News (Nov. 15, 2004)
- "FCC Says Vonage is Interstate Player," Total Telecom (Nov. 10, 2004)
- "FCC Gives Vonage Interstate Status in Win for Internet-Phone Firms," The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 10, 2004)
- "Telecom Turnaround," The Wall Street Journal (Nov. 10, 2004)
- "U.S. FCC Frees Internet Phone Calls From State Rules," Bloomberg News (Nov. 9, 2004)
- "Vonage Holdings Corp: FCC Puts Internet Phone Calls Under Federal Jurisdiction," Dow Jones Newswires (Nov. 10, 2004)
- "Vonage Internet Telephony is Interstate," Dow Jones Chinese Financial Wire (Nov. 10, 2004)
- "FCC Gives Vonage Interstate Status in Win for Internet-Phone Firms," Wall Street Journal (Nov. 9, 2004)
- "FCC Expected to Assert VoIP Jurisdiction on Tuesday," TelephonyOnline.com (Nov. 5, 2004)
- "Euro Regulators Propose VoIP Framework," Internet Telephony (October 2004)
- "Euro Regulators Propose VoIP Framework," Internet Telephony (October 2004)
- "Full House: Congress Antes Up and Plays its Hand to Prevent a Torrent of State Regulation," Internet Telephony (August 2004)
- "Internet Phone Call Firm Gets $105 Mil Venture Capital Infusion," Investors Business Daily (Aug. 26, 2004)
- "U.S. District Court grants Vonage motion for PI," Communications Daily (July 21, 2004)
- "Telephony Catches On: The Internet Phone Services Offers a Cost-Effective Long Distance Solution," Law Office Computing (June/July 2004)
- "A Leap Forward? A Closer Look at the FCCs Rulemaking on Internet Communications Services," Internet Telephony (June 2004)
- "re Moderator, VoIP Roundtable," America's Network (May 1, 2004)
- "The FBI Provides a Tap On the Shoulder," Internet Telephony (April 2004)
- "After Flurry of Rulings, Funds Flow into Internet Telephony," The Daily Deal (March 29, 2004)
- "VoIP Players to Tackle 911," InternetNews.com (March 18, 2004)
- "FCC Seeking Pragmatic VoIP Solutions," InternetNews.com (March 15, 2004)
- "FCC Takes Initial Steps on VoIP," Telephony Online (Feb. 12, 2004)
- "Net-phone Service Gets FCC Blessing," CBSMarketWatch.com (Feb. 12, 2004)
- "Regulators Intensify Focus on Voice Over Internet Services," Internet Telephony (February 2004)
- "Call of the Web," The Deal (Jan. 5, 2004)
- "The FCC and the New Millennium: Regulating the Internet in an Era of Deregulation," Pike & Fischer Internet Law & Regulation (2007)
- "The Art of Adaptation," Telephony
- "Major Dilemmas Facing Privacy Practitioners ," Inside the Minds: Privacy Matters (November 2002)
- "Telecom Act: FCC Ruling Will Alter ISP and CLEC Relationships," Telecom Business (May 1999)
- "1999 Regulatory Trends: How will regulatory changes and new trends affect the telecom market in the coming year?," Telecom Business (February 1999)
- "Resale Opportunities," Telecom Business (January 1998)
- "Reselling Your Own Back Yard: Five Convincing Reasons to Resell Local Services," Telecom Reseller Opportunities (February 1997)
- Speaker, Telecom Council of Silicon Valley Conference (www.telecomcouncil.com/home.php), San Jose, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2009)
- Panelist, Commercial Distribution of Wireless Services, LSI Wireless Broadband Conference (www.lawseminars.com), Seattle, Wash. (Oct. 15-16, 2009)
- Panelist, Update on FCC Regulation of Internet Services, Law Seminars International ‘Technology Law’ Conference, Seattle, Wash. (Dec. 11, 2008)
- Moderator, VoIP Patent Issues, CompTel Fall 2008 Convention & Expo, Orlando, Fla. (Oct. 6, 2008)
- Panelist, Open Networks, Open Platforms, Voice Peering Forum Summer 2008 (June 24, 2008
- Panelist, New Models for Communications Regulation, NARUC Telecom Winter Meeting (Feb. 18, 2008)
- Regulatory Update, Internet Telephony Conference & Expo WEST 2007, Los Angeles, Calif. (Sept. 10-12, 2007)
- Program Co-chair, Content Access, Acquisition and Protection, Law Seminars International — Internet-Enabled Television Conference, Los Angeles, Calif. (June 14-15, 2007)
- Program Co-Chair, Technologies, Business Models and Regulatory Issues, Law Seminars International — Internet-Enabled TV Conference, Los Angeles, Calif. (June 14, 2007)
- Panelist, Network Neutrality, Law Seminars International — Telecommunications Law, Seattle, Wash. (April 16-17, 2007)
- Moderator, Verizon vs. Vonage: The Implications of the Patent Dispute on the Future of VoIP, Spring 2007 VON Conference & Expo, San Jose, Calif. (March 19-22, 2007)
- Panelist, VoIP in 2007: Should Congress and the FCC Adopt a New Approach to Regulating Broadband-Based VoIP Services?
- Panelist, Internet Telephony Conference & Expo, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Jan. 23-26, 2007)
- Program Co-chair, Law Seminars IPTV (Internet-Enabled Television) Conference, Seattle, Wash. (Dec. 14-15, 2006)
- Speaker, VoLP, IPTV and the Net Neutrality Debate: The Clash Resulting from the Traditionally Regulated Telecommunications Common Carriers Offering Content and Unregulated Technology Companies Offering Traditionally Regulated Services, Law Seminars International: Cutting Edge Issues in Technology, Seattle, Wash. (Dec. 7-8, 2006)
- Broadband and Telecommunications Dealmaking, Law Seminars International 6th Annual Atlanta Conference, Atlanta, Ga. (Nov. 23, 2006)
- Panelist, Regulation for VoIP Providers: What’s the Impact on your Business Plan?, Internet Telephony Conference & Expo, San Diego, Calif. (Oct. 11, 2006)
- Panelist, Net Neutrality, New England FCBA — Net Neutrality Program, Boston, Mass. (Sept. 28, 2006)
- Update on Key Battles over Federal Preemption / State Regulation of VoIP and Other Internet-based Services, Telecommunications Law Seminar (April 2006)
- Structuring and Negotiating Media Distribution Partnerships (March 2006)
- FCC’s VoIP E911 Actions, PTC ’06 (January 2006)
- 911 Provisioning Among Carriers, Voice over IP Seminar (November 2005)
- VoIP and Next Generation 911: Technology Readiness, Regulatory Mandates and Vendor Solutions, TeleStrategies VoIP World 2005 Conference (November 2005)
- The U.S. Experience with VoIP Regulation, IP Libre (October 2005)
- Regulatory and Business Issues for New Broadband Services (September 2005)
- State and Federal Policy Issues Affecting Investment and Deployment of IP Networks, OPASTCO 42nd Annual Summer Convention and Tradeshow (July 2005)
- E911 Regulatory Background and Q&A Session, Educational Webinar on E911 (July 2005)
- Where Will the Money Come From? Do You Need a Franchise Fee? VoIP 2nd Annual Seminar (June 2005)
- The 10 Biggest Policy Issues Facing Your Business and What to Do About Them Now, ISPCON (May 2005)
- Business Relationships and Stress Points on the Regulatory System; the FCC’s NPR on IP-Enabled Services, 10th Annual Telecommunications Law Conference (May 2005)
- Regulatory Issues in Deploying Wireless VoIP, 7th Annual Broadband Wireless World Conference (April 2005)
- Regulatory Roundtable at the VoIPossibilities Conference, VoIPossibilities Conference (April 2005)
- Shifting Sands Evolving Industries—Changing Rules, ABA Conference (April 2005)
- Help! I Need Somebody: Social Issues Surrounding VoIP, The Spring 2005 VON Conference & Expo (March 2005)
- Regulation and Taxation: Where Do We Stand?, 2005 Internet Telephony Conference & Expo (February 2005)
- Understanding the Threat of Peer to Peer Technology, Virtual VoIP Expo (February 2005)
- Wireless VoIP Policy Implications, 2005 IOC Wireless Symposium (January 2005)
- What is VoIP/IP Telephony? Why Is It Important?, VoIP Regulatory Conference (December 2004)
- Issues Relating to Interconnection with VoIP Carriers, Negotiating Telecommunications Agreements Seminar (November 2004)
- VoIP: Vonage, Packet 8, Microsoft XP and Instant Messaging: What’s all the Skype?, Telecom ’04 (October 2004)
- State/Federal Policy Issues Confronting VoIP, Internet Telephony Conference and Expo (October 2004)
- What is VoIP/IP Telephony? Why Is It Important?, Voice over IP (August 2004)
- Access Charges for VoIP: What’s on the Horizon?, Negotiating Telecommunications Deals Seminar (July 2004)
- VoIP and Taxation — Where is it Going?, Texaltel 21st Annual Conference (June 2004)
- What is VoIP/IP Telephony? Why Is It Important?, Voice over IP Seminar (May 2004)
- Changes in the Information Technology and Communications Industry and Regulatory Framework, IT-Law in an Era of Rapid Change Seminar (May 2004)
- VoIP: What Is It and Why Is It So Controversial?, CompTel/ASCENT Legislative Conference (April 2004)
- America’s Network VoIP Summit, (March 2004)
- What is VoIP/IP Technology? Why is it Important?, Voice Over IP Seminar (March 2004)
- State and Federal Regulatory Update, TMC Internet Telephony Conference & Expo (February 2004)
- VoIP Regulatory Issues, CompTel/ASCENT Alliance Spring Convention & Expo (February 2004)
- VoIP and WiFi: Challenges to Traditional Regulation, Telecom Conference 2003
- Policy Trends and the Telecom Recovery (December 2003)
- VoIP: The Promise, the Challenge, the Trends, ASCENT Conference (November 2003)
- Misery Loves Company — What Regulatory Developments Come Next for the ISP, ISP Exchange Internet Services Conference (October 2003)
- Testimony before Committee re VoIP, Pennsylvania State Senate Communications & Technology Committee
- State and Federal Policy Issues Affecting Investment and Deployment of IP Networks, Internet Telephony Conference & Expo (October 2003)
- Federal Communications Bar Association
- Admitted to practice in the District of Columbia
- Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, Juris Doctor, 1993
- College of the Holy Cross, Artis Baccalaureate, 1989