Thomas Magee

Thomas Magee joined Keller and Heckman in 2000. Mr. Magee provides regulatory, transactional and litigation counsel to investor-owned electric utilities, electric cooperatives and municipalities regarding pole attachments and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) licensing of private wireless telecommunications services.

Mr. Magee has helped to resolve dozens of pole attachment disputes affecting make-ready costs, safety violations, unauthorized attachments, annual rental rates and other terms and conditions of access. He negotiates, arbitrates/mediates and (when necessary) litigates these disputes before federal and state courts, the FCC, and state public service commissions.

Mr. Magee has negotiated and drafted numerous joint use and pole attachment agreements, and he co-drafted the Sample Pole Attachment Agreement used by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s members nationwide. He advocates vigorously for electric utility pole owners in contract negotiations, dispute resolutions, and federal and state rule-making and legislative proceedings.

Mr. Magee is a frequent speaker on pole attachment and joint use issues at utility conferences nationwide, including those sponsored by the Edison Electric Institute, Florida Utilities Coordinating Committee, Heartland Joint Use Group, International Conference on Overhead Lines, International Right of Way Association, Midwest Energy Association, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, North Central Electric Association, RMEL (Rocky Mountain Electric League), Rural Electric Management Development Council, Southeastern Electric Exchange, Utilities Telecom Council, Western Energy Institute, and Wisconsin Joint Use Association.

Mr. Magee also counsels utilities and other critical infrastructure companies on a variety of FCC radio-frequency matters, including spectrum acquisition, smart grid issues, 800 MHz and 2.1 GHz frequency rebanding, radio-frequency interference, Broadband over Power Line, FCC equipment authorizations, and FCC Enforcement Bureau proceedings.

Mr. Magee has negotiated transmission tower leases and local tower siting disputes, and represents municipally-owned cable systems on FCC regulatory matters. He has litigated eligible telecommunications carrier proceedings and counseled schools and libraries on Universal Service E-Rate funding.

Mr. Magee provides pro bono legal assistance to AARP’s Legal Counsel for the Elderly program.

Mr. Magee was an editor of the University of Colorado Law Review and advised a member of Congress on Ways and Means Committee issues.

About the Author

gravitate-admin