Sean Stokes represents clients nationally on a wide range of communications matters including broadband, cable television, wireless communications, right-of-way management, pole attachments, barriers to community broadband initiatives, and public-private partnerships. He counsels clients in developing and negotiating agreements involving access to poles, ducts, conduits, dark fiber, and towers. He has represented municipal utilities and local governments in complex negotiations developing city-wide fiber-to-the-home networks and wireless small cell siting agreements.
Sean has advised clients in numerous cases involving complex factual, legal, and policy issues, multiple parties, and large amounts in controversy. His clients include national and state utility associations, municipal leagues, and numerous public and private entities throughout the U.S. He collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams of legal, financial, engineering, and other technical experts, assisting clients in making comprehensive telecommunications and broadband plans.
Sean has authored numerous industry publications and is the principal author of an extensive guidebook and a model pole attachment agreement for the American Public Power Association, which assists approximately 2,000 public power utilities. He is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and has recently presented on topics such as community broadband, small cell, and pole attachments.
Sean’s extensive career experience includes counseling clients at a boutique Washington, DC telecommunications law firm, as well as Associate General Counsel for the Utilities Telecommunications Council (UTC), where he helped develop and implement the legislative and regulatory strategy of the nation’s electric, gas and water utilities regarding the adoption and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
