Henry Rivera

Henry Rivera joined Wiley Rein & Fielding as a partner in August 2006. He "is an internationally recognized expert, author, speaker and conference leader in the communications field. A former FCC Commissioner (1981-1985) and President of the Federal Communications Bar Association (1995-1996), he represents a wide variety of clients before the FCC,   Congress, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the White House.  He was recently named in Guide to the US Leading Lawyers—Best of the Best as one of the top 12 telecom experts in the US and to The Best Lawyers in America in communications law (2007).  Rivera received his J.D. from the University of New Mexico School of Law where he served as editor of the law review The Natural Resources Journal." 

"Henry Rivera is a senior partner in the Telecommunications Group at Vinson & Elkins’ Washington, D.C. office. Rivera has over 30 years of experience in the legal profession, with a majority of that experience in the communications field. Rivera served as a Commissioner of the FCC from 1981 to 1985 during the AT&T Divestiture. Prior to joining Vinson & Elkins, Rivera headed the Communications Section at Shook, Hardy & Bacon from 1998 to 2003. Rivera was assistant managing partner of Ginsburg, Feldman and Bress, Chtd., from 1990 to 1998. He was a partner with Dow, Lohnes & Albertson from 1985 to 1990.

"While with the FCC, he served as chairman of the Advisory Committee on Alternative Financing for Minority Opportunities in Telecommunications and was supervisory commissioner for the Telecommunications Industry Advisory Group, which revised the Uniform System of Accounts. He also served as Senior Advisor to several U.S. international telecommunications delegations and has been a telecommunications advisor to the U.S. Department of State.

"Rivera is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of New Mexico and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. Rivera is a member of the New Mexico, D.C., American, and Federal Communications Bar Associations. From 1995 to 1996, he served as president of the Federal Communications Bar Association and from 1999 - 2001, as the Federal Communications Bar Association’s Delegate to the American Bar Association House of Delegates. Rivera is Chairman of the Board, Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (1994 - present) and Vice-Chairman of the Board of the Foundation for Minority Interests in Media, Inc. (1987- present).

"He is a member of the board of directors of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington, a member of the board of trustees of the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia, and is Vice-Chair, Chair-Elect of the board of advisors for the Archdiocesan Legal Network. He is General Counsel of the Benton Foundation and was vice president and general counsel for the International Diabetes Federation. He is a member of the INTELSAT Panel of Legal Experts and a fellow of the American Bar Foundation." 


 * Director, Foundation for the National Archives