Jonathan D. Blake — Partner at Covington & Burling LLP

Mr. Jonathan D. Blake is employed at Covington & Burling in the position of Partner. He co-heads the firm's Technology, Media and Communications group, which embraces the fields not only of communications and media law where he practices but also technology transactions, Internet law, privacy, security, education, and intellectual property. For the years 1997 through 2003, The National Law Journal named him one of America's top 100 lawyers, and he is often profiled by publications such as Chambers as a leading communications practitioner. He was also Chairman of Covington's Management Committee from 1996-2001. Consistent with the firm's integrated and coordinated approach to client service, Jon has worked on major deals, litigation, rulemaking and legislative matters, domestically and internationally, often in connection with the firm's other communications industry lawyers -- Steve Weiswasser (content), Kurt Wimmer (media, new and old, broadcasting and satellite), Gerry Waldron (legislation, new technologies and common carrier), Jennifer Johnson (broadcasting and digital) and Ellen Goodman (spectrum, new technologies and public broadcasting). He has also worked closely with the firm's deal lawyers who specialize in communications and media transactions -- Ralph Voltmer, Eric Greenberg and Christine Enemark, with appellate and trial litigators who specialize in the same fields -- Bob Long and Steve Anthony, and the firm's intellectual property lawyers who handle the IP needs of the firm's communications and media clients. Launching new technologies and new business ventures has often involved Jon and the firm in multi-faceted projects and strategies. For example, in launching the country's first cellular telephone services, he advised major clients on issues ranging from spectrum allocation to FCC licensing matters, from major deals to resolution of critical interconnection issues, and from legislation to court appeals. He has similarly played a leadership role in the decades-long, and still ongoing transition of television service to new digital technologies. He advised the special committee of independent directors of Adelphia in connection with their efforts to investigate possible wrongdoing by that company's previous management. He is also involved in defending 64 cellphone and other auction winners against the largest qui tam suit ever brought. He studied at Yale University (LLB, 1964; BA 1960) and at Oxford University for M.A. in Law.