Andrew D. Lipman practices in most aspects of communications law and related fields, including regulatory, transactional, litigation, legislative, and land use. Andy’s clients in the private and public sectors include those in the areas of local, long distance, and international telephone common carriage; Internet services and technologies; conventional and emerging wireless services; satellite services; broadcasting; competitive video services; telecommunications equipment manufacturing; and other high-technology applications. Additionally, he manages privatizations of telecommunications carriers in Europe, Asia, and Latin America.
To open the US local telephone market to competition, Andy has been involved in most new legal and regulatory policies at the Federal Communications Commission, at state public service commissions, in Congress, and before courts. He helped shape crucial provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and used similar approaches to promote the opening of foreign markets. He also obtained one of the first competitive local service and interconnection agreements in continental Europe and the first competitive fiber network application in Japan. Andy’s practice includes strategic analysis of companies’ telecom user agreements, renegotiating existing agreements, and negotiating new, more favorable telecom user agreements.
For nearly a decade, Andy served as senior vice president, legal and regulatory affairs, for MFS Communications, the nation’s largest competitive local services provider. One of the founders of MFS, Andy helped guide the company from startup to its eventual sale for $14.4 billion to WorldCom.
Frequently writing and speaking on telecommunications, Andy’s work encompasses more than 170 articles and five books, including two Dow Jones books on telecommunications. He occasionally appears on National Public Radio, C-SPAN, Bloomberg News Network, and ABC News, and he served on the editorial advisory boards of Phillips Publishing Company, Internet Law and Regulation, Telecommunications Alert, Telecommunications Reports, Telecommunications Regulatory Monitor, and The Satellite Compendium.
Andy served as general counsel to the International Teleconferencing Association and as legislative/regulatory counsel to the International Satellite Users Association. He sits on the board of directors of five public companies trading on the NYSE, NASDAQ, and Toronto Stock Exchange. Additionally, he co-founded the Association of Local Telecommunication Services (ALTS)—the national trade association for competitive telecommunications carriers—and served as its first chairman.
Prior to joining Morgan Lewis, Andy was a partner in the corporate practice of another international law firm, where he was also a member of the executive board and leader of the telecommunications, media and technology practice. Before entering private practice, he participated in the legal honors program at the US Department of Transportation and served in the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. He also served as an extern law clerk to Judge Raymond Sullivan of the California Supreme Court.
Lawyer of the Year, TMT M&A Awards USA (2024)
Recognized, Power 100 List, Capacity Magazine (2023)
Named, The Legal 500 Hall of Fame (2017)
Ranked, Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite, District of Columbia, Chambers USA (2002–2004, 2006–2007, 2009–2024)
Hall of Fame, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 (2020, 2023)
Leading Lawyer, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2024)
Recommended, Media, technology and telecoms - Telecoms and broadcast - regulatory, The Legal 500 US (2011–2021, 2023)
Recommended, Media, technology and telecoms: Telecoms and broadcast: transactional, The Legal 500 US (2011–2018)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Communications Law, Washington, DC(2007–2015, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2023–2025)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Administrative/Regulatory Law, Washington, DC (2015, 2017–2025)
Recognized, Washington, DC Super Lawyers (2007–2014)
Recognized, Washington, DC’s Top Lawyers, Communications, Washingtonian (2009, 2011, 2013)
Recognized, Data: Telecoms & Media, Who’s Who Legal (2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016–2019)
Recognized, The Best of the Best, Guide to the World’s Leading Lawyers (2001, 2003–2004, 2006, 2008–2010)
Recognized, Best Lawyers, The Washington Post Magazine (2008)
Recognized, Leading Lawyers in America Lawdragon 3000 (2006)
Leading Telecom Lawyer, Guide to the World’s Leading Technology, Media and Telecommunications Lawyers (2005)
Top 50 Telecom Visionary, NetEconomy Magazine (2002)
Top Six International Leader in the Telecommunications Field, Chambers Global Directory of the World’s Leading Lawyers (2001–2002)
Leading Lawyer Under the Age of 45, The American Lawyer (1995)
Leading Telecommunications Lawyer, National Lawyer (1995)
Member, Federal Communications Bar Association