Shawn H. Chang

A former Chief Counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives, Shawn uses his extensive Capitol Hill experience to assist clients with matters pertaining to communications, technology, commerce, consumer protection, and transportation. He provides strategic advice on legislative, public policy, and legal issues, with an in-depth knowledge of the inner workings of Congress and administrative agencies. Shawn is a former chair of Wiley’s LGBT & Allies Affinity Group.

Representative Matters

• Provide extensive and detailed legislative tracking, review, analysis, and drafting services for a variety of firm clients seeking to monitor or influence public policy development in Congress. Expertise in drafting legislation and amendments related to the Communications Act.
• Advise clients on broadband infrastructure programs created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), including the Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program, the Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program, and the Capital Projects Fund overseen by the Treasury Department.
• Represents clients before Congress on a diverse range of communications-related issues, including net neutrality, regulatory treatment of broadband communications services, Universal Service Fund (USF) subsidy programs, public safety telecommunications network, data security and privacy, and spectrum-related policies, including spectrum auction.
  
  • Helped secure critical legislative victories for clients, including successfully advocating for the creation of the Emergency Broadband Benefit program and the Affordable Connectivity Program. The programs provide monthly subsidies to qualifying low-income households to help offset the cost of broadband services.
  • Successfully urged lawmakers to weigh in on proceedings before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that reflected clients’ interests and perspectives.
• Represents clients before the FCC and the U.S. Department of Commerce on issues include wireline and wireless competition matters, data security and privacy, and reforms to Universal Service Fund (USF) programs.
  • Successfully advocated for changes to the FCC’s draft Lifeline modernization order, including a more gradual transition time frame for phasing out voice services as supported service and phasing in broadband services.
  • Successfully advocated, on behalf of clients, extensions to the transition deadline from teletypewriter (TTY) to real-time text (RTT).
• Represents clients before, and led outreach efforts to, stakeholder groups that are influential before regulatory agencies to help foster a collaborative advocacy environment and coalition-building on behalf of clients. The stakeholders include civil society and consumer rights advocacy groups, scholars and members of academia, nonprofit advocacy organizations, and think tanks.
• Develops strategies to address complex legislative and regulatory challenges, including specific tactics on how to influence the decision-making process at independent regulatory agencies and how to leverage the Executive branch to influence certain legislative outcomes.

Professional Experience

• U.S. House of Representatives, Energy and Commerce Committee, Communications and Technology Subcommittee
  • Chief Counsel (2013-2014)
  • Senior Counsel (2012-2013)
  • Counsel (2009-2012)
• Maintained relationships between the Communications and Technology Subcommittee and the White House, Executive agencies, the U.S. Senate, and congressional committees.
• Counseled the full Committee and Subcommittee ranking members and other members of Congress on communications and technology issues.
• Supervised and managed the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology’s daily operations and its Democratic staff.
• Provided assistance to the Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection (formerly the Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee), specifically in advising members and staff on jurisdictional issues between the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission on regulation of privacy and data security practices, as well as on consumer product safety and privacy issues relevant to the communications industry.
• Participated and assisted with the work of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations as it relates to the communications and high-tech sectors.
• Served as lead staffer on spectrum, wireless, and international telecommunications issues.
• Negotiated and drafted the Public Safety and Spectrum Act of 2012, which created the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) – the entity responsible for building the first nationwide interoperable broadband network for first responders – and authorized the FCC to conduct “incentive auctions” of radiofrequency spectrum.
• Led the negotiation and drafting of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act Reauthorization (STELAR) Act of 2014 that reauthorized expiring compulsory licenses for satellite television providers.
• Served as a member of several U.S. delegations to international forums on Internet governance and drafted resolutions expressing positions held by members of Congress.
• Led the negotiation and drafting of updates to the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2004 to help facilitate and improve the reallocation of federal-use spectrum to non-federal users.
• Led the drafting and passage of the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act of 2010 and the Local Community Radio Act of 2010.
• Drafted and negotiated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s broadband stimulus programs and the Digital Television Delay Act. Assisted with the drafting and negotiation of the Data Accountability and Trust Act.
• Devised, coordinated, and implemented strategies to advance Democratic policies and priorities.
• Conducted oversight of federal agencies by organizing hearings, drafting correspondence, issuing document requests, and holding in-person meetings.
• Deputy Policy Director, Free Press (2007-2008)
• Legislative Assistant, Office of Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (2006-2007)
• Legislative Assistant, Office of Congresswoman Diane E. Watson (2002-2005)
• Legislative Assistant, Office of Congresswoman Patsy T. Mink (2002)

Affiliations

• Board Member, Telecommunications Policy Research Conference (TPRC) (2015-Present)
• Maryland State Bar Association (2008-Present)
• Federal Communications Bar Association
  • Nominations Committee (2019-Present)
  • Legislative Committee (2019-Present)
  • Co-Chair, Wireless Telecommunications Committee (2017-2020)
  • Co-Chair, Legislative Committee (2010-2013)
• Faculty, Practicing Law Institute (2012-Present)

Recognitions

• Named by The Legal 500 US a "next generation lawyer" (2017-2019) and "recommended lawyer"(2016-2019) in Telecom and Broadcast Regulatory Law and "recommended lawyer" in Telecom and Broadcast Transactional Law (2016, 2022).