Working on the next evolution of wireless networks, including regulatory and transactional matters to support deployment of small cell and 5G technologies that will enable Smart Cities and the Internet of Things (loT).
Industry leader working with innovators, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to solve questions regarding acceptable communications solutions for airborne unmanned systems (drones and automated air taxis).
Serves as a subject matter expert for the FCC, the FAA and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Provides compliance and strategic advice, and litigation support to companies that must comply with the requirements of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA).
Heads the Telecom, Media and Technology practice and is a member of the partnership admissions and the regulatory practice steering committees.

Jennifer has represented technology and communications companies and investors for over three decades. She brings years of in-depth experience in the technology and communications field to her clients in the industry. She gained her insider’s knowledge of the business while serving as vice president and general counsel of a wireless communications company she helped build and sell to the Sprint Corporation. Jennifer is recognized for exceptional depth in matters related to the wireless networks—spectrum transactions and wireless regulation.

Jennifer represents a number of clients on drone applications, strategies and compliance. She was a voting member on the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Committee that studied and made recommendations to the FAA Administrator about technologies to enable remote tracking and identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). She serves on the steering committee of the ANSI Unmanned Aircraft Systems Standardization Collaborative (UASSC). Jennifer is an active participant in NASA’s UAS Traffic Management (UTM) working groups. She is a subject matter expert on the FCC’s Technological Advisory Council on UAS, and DHS’s Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC), which is studying how to protect critical infrastructure from drones. For the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA)/NASA UAS Working Group, Jennifer is active with members, the FCC and the FAA on spectrum solutions for UAS, including UAS command/control links, tracking and identification, payload communications, collision avoidance and UAS traffic management system.

Issues on which Jennifer advises clients include:

Spectrum sharing, small cells and the evolution to 5G
Unmanned aerial systems/vehicles (also known as drones)
Wireless transactions and wireless policy including merger support
VRS for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Smart Cities and the IoT
TCPA compliance, rulemakings and litigation support
Satellite regulations and transactions, including non-geostationary orbit satellites
Tower and infrastructure development
Air-to-ground services and in-flight broadband
Universal Service Fund and Telecommunications Relay Service Fund
Connected health care
E-rate, educational technology and digital education
Device and technology licensing
Internet Service Provider (ISP) regulatory compliance and diligence.

Jennifer also negotiates and advises technology and communications companies and their investors on a wide range of industry-specific agreements, including:

Spectrum acquisitions
Spectrum leases
Service agreements with major carriers
Wholesale access agreements and program affiliation agreements (including retransmission consent and must-carry agreements)
Roaming agreements
Backhaul agreements
Partnering agreements
Joint build and construction agreements
Mobile virtual network operator agreements
Outsourcing agreements
Collocation and tower agreements
Fiber optic indefeasible-right-of-use (IRU) agreements.

Her clients span the communications and technology sector and include:

Mobile network operators
Aviation/airline companies
UAS/UAM companies
Fixed broadband providers
Cable companies
VRS service providers
Online retailers
Educational technology companies
Broadcasters
ISPs
Tower companies
Defense contractors
Device manufacturers
Foreign governments
Real estate developers
Data centers
Fiber optic/backhaul companies.

Following law school, Jennifer clerked for Commissioner Julie Carnes of the U.S. Sentencing Commission and also for the Media Bureau of the FCC.

"Jennifer is an exceptional lawyer and business partner. She has a unique ability to be technically competent and to think strategically as a partner and advisor. Jennifer's ability to jump on a steep learning curve and quickly grasp and separate the business issues from the legal issues is one of her strongest qualities. I recommend highly Jennifer if you are looking for an impactful, competent and personable legal advisor."

J. Brooke Mastin, SVP Finance & Treasurer, MegaPath Corporation

Education
J.D., Drake University Law School, 1991
M.A., Drake University, 1991

Bar Admissions
District of Columbia

Recognitions

Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Awards, Women to Watch Honoree, 2023.
The Legal 500 US, Media, Technology and Telecoms: Telecoms and Broadcast: Regulatory, 2024.
Euromoney, Expert Guide: Women in Business Law, Technology, Media and Telecommunications, 2022.
Euromoney, Women in Business Law, Technology Lawyer of the Year Finalist, 2021.
Chambers USA, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite, District of Columbia, 2012-2024.
Cablefax, Top Lawyers, 2017-2018.

Affiliations and Public Service

Board Member, TDIforAccess
Member, Federal Aviation Administration Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight Aviation Rulemaking Committee for Unmanned Aerial Systems
Member, Drake University Law School Board of Counselors

Speeches and Publications

Speaker, "Foreign Drones: Overview and Regulatory Analyses," DroneDeploy Horizons 2024, October 22, 2024.
“Emerging Issue: Governing Spectrum on the Moon,” Women and Drones: Vertical Space e-Magazine, summer 2024.
Speaker, “FAA Reauthorization: Highlights for Emerging Aviation, ” Coffee Connections with Desiree Ekstein, Women and Drones, June 11, 2024.
“What to Watch in 2024: Growing U.S. Government Scrutiny of Foreign Drones,” Women and Drones: Vertical Space e-Magazine, spring 2024.
Speaker, “US Regulatory Roundup Overview,” Women in Emerging Aviation Technologies Executive Council, December 6, 2023.
Speaker, “Show Me the Money! Tapping Into Opportunities to Work with the Government,” AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2023 Conference, Denver, Colorado, May 8, 2023.
Speaker, “The Nuts and Bolts of Telecom and Media Transactions” webinar, Federal Communications Bar Association, January 19, 2023.
Event Moderator, Harmonized Skies 2022: US UTM Conference, “Features of the US UTM market,” December 13 and 14, 2022.
Speaker, KAYO Infrastructure Summit, “The Future of Aviation and Urban Air Mobility,” Austin, November 9, 2022.
Speaker, RPAS Symposium 2022 at the International Civil Aviation Organization, “Critical Systems for RPAS Operations: Updates on C2 Link and Detect and Avoid (Annex 10)”, Montreal, November 7, 2022.
Speaker, Tech Industry Leadership Talks featuring Jennifer Richter – “Leading Tech Work by Embracing and Coaching Curiosity,” Full TILT Podcast, September 20, 2022.
Speaker, “Improving Health Care Through Advanced Mobility Technologies,” Akin, September 14, 2022.
Speaker, “Keeping the Lines of Communication Open: Public to Government and Public to Public,” DC 2022 Interoperability Summit’s presentation, September 8, 2022.
Speaker, “Episode 12: SpaceX and T-Mobile Join Forces,” Full Crew Podcast, August 29, 2022.
Speaker, Full Crew Twitter Space Audiocast, August 16, 2022.
Speaker, “BVLOS Drone Communications Challenges,” ElSight Podcast, June 1, 2022.
Speaker, “Hot Topics in New Technologies” webinar, Association of Corporate Counsel NCR Fall Conference, September 29, 2021.
Speaker, “Business Approach to Safety, Security, Liability & IP Protection” webinar, Business of Automated Mobility Forum, June 24, 2021.
Moderator, “Intended and Unintended Consequences of Big Tech” webinar, Women Corporate Directors’ Global Institute & Visionary Awards Celebration, June 11, 2021.
Presenter, “New Administration Changes Impacting Technology” webinar, University of Texas School of Law’s 34th Annual Technology Law Conference, May 28, 2021.
Speaker, “Digital Communities Dialogue – Smart Cities: How Digital Can Serve the Interests of Their Citizens,” Akin Webinar, December 9, 2020.
Speaker, “Drone Security Panel: Keeping Your Company & Customer Data Safe in the Digital Age,” InterDrone Virtual Conference, December 3, 2020.
Panelist, “Available Funding Opportunities for WISPs” webinar, November 5, 2020.
Speaker, “Foundational Policy for Advanced Air Mobility” webinar, July 29, 2020.
Panelist, “Advances in Aerospace Communications,” John Glenn Memorial Symposium, July 17, 2020.
Speaker, “Advanced Aviation Webinar: The Future of Global Unmanned Aviation,” Akin Webinar, July 15, 2020.
Speaker, “Open, Safe and Secure National Airspace,” NASA Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Workshop, June 23, 2020.
Speaker, “Advanced Aviation Webinar: State of the Advanced Aviation Industry,” Akin Webinar, June 17, 2020.
Speaker, Agility Prime, “Take Flight – A Flying Car Expo,” powered by the United States Air Force, April 30, 2020.
Speaker, “Regulatory Perspective,” NASA Urban Air Mobility Ecosystem Working Groups Kickoff Workshop, College Park, Maryland, March 10, 2020.
Speaker, Urban Air Mobility Symposium Silicon Valley, February 27, 2020.
Presenter, “FCC Briefing for Investment Managers on Spectrum Opportunities,” Akin, New York, December 3, 2019.
Speaker, “5G and Digital Infrastructure Investment – Building Future Networks,” TMT Finance World Congress Conference; Women in TMT, London, England, November 26, 2019.
Moderator, “Akin’s Innovation Series -- 5G Isn’t the Next Big Innovation in Wireless – What is?,” Akin, Washington, D.C., November 7, 2019.
Speaker, “Global Aviation’s Perspective on Connectivity” and “The Evolving Aviation Ecosystem,” Connected Skies GUTMA Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon, June 18-20, 2019.
Speaker, “Doing Business in the Drone Age,” FAA UAS Symposium 2019, Baltimore, Maryland, June 3, 2019.
Speaker, “Progress Update: Communications Solutions for UAS and UAM” and “Women and Diversity in Robotics,” AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2019 Conference, Chicago, Illinois, April 29, 2019.
“Compliance, Quality and Safety for the Global UAM Market,” Aviation Week’s Urban Air Mobility Conference, Atlanta, Georgia, April 9, 2019.
“Not Just on the Fly,” MCAA Global TEC Forum, San Francisco, California, April 5, 2019.
“Communication Solutions for Urban Air Mobility,” AUVSI Silicon Valley Chapter, All About Autonomy 2019, Silicon Valley, California, March 1, 2019.
Chair and Moderator, “5G Investment Leaders—Financing the Infrastructure Which Will Enable the Technology of the Future,” TMT Finance World Congress Conference, London, England, November 28, 2018.
“Focus on Drones in the Context of the Internet of Things,” The 6th Annual Internet of Things Global Summit, Washington, D.C., October 4, 2018.
“UTM Technology Issues,” IDE Drone Summit and Expo, Los Angeles, California, September 14, 2018.
“UAS Policy,” 2018 New York UAS Symposium, New York, New York, September 11, 2018.
“Accelerating Needs for Spectrum Solutions for UAS,” InterDrone 2018, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 5, 2018.
“Offensive and Defensive Issues to Consider, Including your Drone Strategy, Compliance, Safety and Cybersecurity,” Continuing Legal Education (CLE), Drones and Automated Air Taxis, Akin, Dallas and Houston, Texas, July 24 and July 26, 2018.
Panelist, “Airspace Interoperability,” Uber Elevate Summit 2018, Los Angeles, California, May 8, 2018.
Panelist, “National Unmanned Aerial System Standardized Testing & Rating Facility (NUSTAR),” AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2018, Denver, Colorado, May 2, 2018.
Moderator, “Earth to Unmanned Systems—How Do Unmanned Systems Communicate,” AUVSI XPONENTIAL 2018, Denver, Colorado, April 30, 2018.
Moderator, “Autonomous Vehicle Operations: Acceptance and Certification Approaches,” NASA Airspace Operations and Safety Program Research & Development (AOSP R&D) Partnership Workshop, Moffett Field, California, April 10, 2018.
“A Beginner’s Guide to Spectrum Policy,” 2018 FAA UAS Symposium, Baltimore, Maryland, March 8, 2018.
Panelist, “Investing in Innovation—Who is Developing the Next Game-Changers in the TMT Space?” TMT Finance World Congress Conference, London, England, November 29, 2017.
Speaker, “The Full Spectrum: Multi-Agency PPP,” Air Traffic Controller’s Association’s 62nd Annual Expo at the Gaylord Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, October 16, 2017.
“3D Wireless: The Promise and Challenges of Next-Generation Space and Airborne Wireless Systems,” Silicon Flatirons Conference, Boulder, Colorado, October 4, 2017.
Moderator, “Spectrum Solutions on the Horizon for UASs,” InterDrone 2017 Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 6, 2017.
Moderator, “Low Altitude UAS Cyber,” ATCA’s Aviation Cybersecurity Day 2017, Arlington, Texas, June 23, 2017.
“Risk Mitigation Activities for Enabling UTM Operations,” ATCA (Air Traffic Controllers Association), Atlantic City, New Jersey, May 16-18, 2017.
“Accelerating Unmanned Systems Enablement,” Satellite 2017, Explore the Connected Worlds Conference, Washington, D.C., March 7, 2017.
“Drones for Good,” Nextgov’s Tech & Tequila, Washington, D.C., February 23, 2017.
“Innovation,” Silicon Flatirons Center Digital Broadband Migration Conference, Boulder, Colorado, February 12, 2017.
“Control, Payload, Tracking and Collision Avoidance: Spectrum Considerations,” NASA UTM Convention 2016, Syracuse, New York, November 9, 2016.
“Spectrum for Unmanned Systems,” Federal Communications Bar Association, Washington, D.C., November 7, 2016.
“Women Leaders Discuss UAV Policy,” Women in Government Relations Event, Washington, D.C., October 18, 2016.
“Extending the Life (and Reach) of 4G Networks: Use Cases for Drones,” CTIA Super Mobility 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 8, 2016.
“Women in Drones,” InterDrone 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 8, 2016.
Moderator, “The Spectrum Bottleneck,” InterDrone 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 8, 2016.
“Satisfying the Spectrum Needs of Small UAVs,” InterDrone 2016, Las Vegas, Nevada, September 8, 2016.
Speaker, Moderator and Host, “Spectrum Solutions for Small Low Altitude Drones,” NASA UTM Spectrum Working Group, Mountain View, California, August 25, 2016.
Speaker, “Managing Low-Altitude Airspace for Safety and Privacy,” Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, Nevada, January 7, 2016.
Speaker, NASA UTM 2015: The Next Era of Aviation Convention, Moffett Field, California, July 28-30, 2015.
“Legislative and Regulatory Update: How Can We Create a Sensible and Harmonized System for Small UAVs?” The Commercial UAV Show Asia 2015, Singapore, June 30 to July 1, 2015.
“Spectrum 101: What Does the Industry Need? What Will Regulators Require?” NextGen Drones 2015, Bethesda, Maryland, June 24, 2015.
“United States Policy,” Small Unmanned Systems Business Expo 2015, San Francisco, California, April 29, 2015.
“Managing the Commons in Wireless Spectrum,” Silicon Flatirons—Exploring Governance Strategies for the Public Domain/Commons in Intellectual Property, Wireless Spectrum and Water Rights, CU-Boulder Law School, Colorado, March 12, 2015.
“United States Policy and the Small UAV Coalition,” Commercial UAV Show, London, England, October 2014.