Matthew Johnson is an associate in the Communications & Media practice group. His practice focuses on communications and technology law and policy, drawing on subject matter expertise in the legal and regulatory frameworks governing cable television, streaming video, broadband Internet, and communications infrastructure, as well as appellate review of federal agency decisions, wireless spectrum policy, and competition policy. He represents communications, media, Internet, and technology companies in a wide range of legal, regulatory, litigation, compliance, transactional, and policy matters, before the Federal Communications Commission, state public utility commissions, state and local regulatory authorities, and courts.
Experience
Matthew has represented clients in the following significant matters:
- Representing Comcast Corporation before the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, prevailing on a motion for summary judgment in litigation regarding the imposition of right-of-way fees on broadband Internet services. Comcast of Oregon II, Inc. v. City of Beaverton, 609 F.Supp.3d 1136 (2022).
- Representing Peacock TV, LLC before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, prevailing on a motion to dismiss in litigation regarding the imposition of cable franchise fees on streaming video services. City of East St. Louis v. Netflix, Inc., 630 F. Supp. 3d 1003 (S.D. Ill. 2022), aff’d, 83 F.4th 1066 (7th Cir. 2023).
- Representing NBCUniversal Media, LLC in FCC rulemaking regarding reimbursement of costs resulting from reallocation of wireless spectrum used for terrestrial weather radar operations.
- Advising and representing Comcast Corporation in various FCC rulemakings addressing federal net neutrality regulation, cable television regulation, infrastructure deployment regulation, the ATSC 3.0 broadcast television standard, reallocation and sharing of wireless spectrum for voice and broadband Internet services, preemption of state and local regulatory authority, and other issues.
- Advising and representing Comcast Corporation in various state and local regulatory matters, including in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, Indiana, Tennessee, and Virginia, regarding the regulation of various communications and video services, infrastructure deployment, and other issues.
- Representing NCTA – The Internet & Television Association in various FCC rulemakings addressing cable television regulation and reallocation and sharing of wireless spectrum for voice and broadband Internet services.
- Representing CommScope Inc. in FCC rulemaking on federal net neutrality regulation.
- Advising NBCUniversal Media, LLC on various legal and regulatory issues related to distribution of video programming and streaming video services.
- Advising various clients on FCC-related implications of merger/acquisition and investment transactions.
- Advising communications technology companies on various regulatory and competition issues.
Credentials
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., 2016 Skidmore College, 2005
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
United States District Court, District of Columbia United States Court of Appeals, 7th Circuit