About the Organizers
The Telecom Negotiation Conference is organized by CCMI and Voice Report. CCMI is the industry’s leading provider of telecom rate and data information and applications. We are dedicated to delivering relevant highly specialized and strategically focused information in a timely fashion. For a complete listing of our events, go to www.ccmi.com/events.
CCMI publishes Voice Report,the nation’s No. 1 independent source of telecom news and award-winning guidance on how to get the best services and equipment for your organization.
About the Speakers:
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP (LB3) is the telecommunications and IT law firm dedicated to the representation of enterprise users. LB3 has extensive experience in negotiating custom network service agreements, wireless agreements, network outsourcings and related transactions on behalf of large users and information technology companies; assisting enterprise customers when their agreements with carriers “go south;” and representing the interests of enterprise customers before the Federal Communications Commission and other regulatory bodies. Learn more about LB3 and its services at www.lb3law.com.
TechCaliber Consulting LLC (TC2) enables major businesses to get the most usage and power out of their telecom services and data networks while paying the lowest possible amount to the carriers. TC2 is the preeminent partner of major national and multinational companies in structuring the financial aspects of telecommunications contracts and managing voice and data expenditures. Learn more about TC2 at www.techcaliber.com.
"The concepts were clear and well presented. I came away with very practical action items."
– Addie Adams, Commodity Manager, Telecom – Dana Corporation
"Covered a lot of
topics – precise and
fast paced."
– Cheryl Marsh, Senior Contract Specialist – Southern California Edison
D.E. Boehling
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
D.E. ("Deb") Boehling is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP, where her practice focuses on representing large multi-national users of telecommunications services and related technologies in negotiations with service providers.
Ms. Boehling has substantial experience representing clients in evaluating and negotiating AT&T Master Agreements and Service Order Attachments, MCI (now Verizon Business) Global Service Agreements, and comparable custom network service agreements with Sprint, C&W, Equant, SingTel, Telstra and other major domestic and international telecom providers. For more than a decade, she has worked extensively with multi-national corporations to structure telecom deals for services that reach beyond the U.S. borders. In recent years, she has broadened her practice to encompass transactions designed to address businesses' need for flexible, high-bandwidth communications between data centers, campuses and vendor POPs, etc., typically through DWDM services and metro Ethernet rings. She also has years of experience helping enterprises with their growing demand for flexible and dynamic communications services designed to accommodate the mobility of today's workforce and/or to take advantage of the public internet to reduce communications costs. These services allow employees to connect to the LAN or WAN from locations away from their home office, allow the home office to send data or video to its employees at other locations or allow customers electronic access to important information, in each case typically via the public internet or a private IP backbone. This basket of services includes remote access services, internet access services, virtual private network services, specialized local access services, satellite services and voice response unit call processing services. She has negotiated and provided ongoing advice on a variety of managed and unmanaged MPLS contracts as well as telecommunications outsourcing contracts.
From 1991 until joining the firm, Ms. Boehling was an associate in the Washington D.C. office of Morrison & Foerster where, in addition to working extensively with the founding partners of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP, she represented clients in litigation concerning intellectual property issues, including patents. Ms. Boehling received her B.A. with high honors from the University of Virginia in 1987 and her J.D., also from the University of Virginia, in 1991.
Ms. Boehling is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, New York, and in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Colleen Boothby
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Colleen Boothby is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP, where she provides counsel and strategic advice on a wide variety of regulatory, business, and litigation matters to enterprise customers and providers of communications and information technology products and services. She has represented numerous companies (including IBM, Microsoft, First Data, and GE Capital Communication Services) and associations (including the Ad Hoc Telecommunications Users Committee, the Internet Access Coalition, the Clearing House, the High Tech Broadband Coalition, and the Information Technology Industry Council ) in state and federal matters.
Ms. Boothby joined Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP after ten years with the Federal Communications Commission where she served as the legal advisor to the Common Carrier Bureau Chief, legal advisor to the Deputy Bureau Chief for Policy, Deputy and Associate Chief of the Tariff Division, and staff and senior supervising attorney in the Tariff and International Facilities Divisions of the Common Carrier Bureau. Ms. Boothby's expertise covers a broad range of subjects, including the rules and policies affecting prices and contract flexibility for users of communications services; information technology products, information services, the Internet, and public or private intranets; the deployment of broadband technologies; the management and assignment of numbers in the North American Numbering Plan; the 1996 Telecommunications Act and the regulatory proceedings implementing it; universal service funding mechanisms and surcharges; and the regulation (and deregulation) of international, interstate, and local exchange services.
She is a frequent speaker on communications issues before such groups as the Communications Managers Association, ACUTA, and the National Centrex Users Group. Ms. Boothby co-chaired the Common Carrier Practice Committee of the Federal Communications Bar Association from 1998-1999. She served on the Steering Committee of the Administrative Law and Agency Practice Section of the District of Columbia Bar Association from 2000 to 2004.
Ms. Boothby received her A.B. from Pomona College and her J.D. from Boalt Hall, where she was an Associate Editor of the California Law Review. Ms. Boothby is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia.
Ellen G. Block
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Ellen G. Block is a partner in Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP, a firm specializing in the representation of large telecommunications users and companies built on new and emerging technologies.
Ms. Block advises and represents companies heavily dependent on telecommunications, including the nation’s largest banks and credit card associations, on matters before federal and state regulatory agencies concerning the features and pricing of new services and competition in the market for new and existing services. Ms. Block has represented a wide range of telecommunications users (including the AFL‐CIO, the American Red Cross, Ameriprise Financial, Arrow Electronics, the Bank of New York Mellon, Bayer, Bertelsmann, Boise Cascade, Brookfield Properties, Cardinal Health, ChevronTexaco, Chrysler, DuPont, Ecolab, General Motors, the Hartford Insurance Co., Hyatt Corporation, Moody’s Investors Service, Nestlé USA, OfficeMax, PepsiCo, the Prudential Insurance Company, T. Rowe Price, Target Corporation and Union Bank of California) in the negotiation and documentation of agreements for custom telecommunications and related services like telecommunications expense management (TEM) agreements and major equipment purchase and maintenance procurements. She has particular experience in modifying these kinds of agreements in the context of corporate mergers, acquisitions and divestitures. She has appeared as an expert witness in federal court, is a featured speaker at conferences and seminars on telecommunications issues and has authored articles for Business Communications Review, Communications Week and the newsletter of the Communications Managers Association.
From 1988 to 1992, Ms. Block was an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Morrison & Foerster. Prior to that, she was senior regulatory attorney to MCI Communications Corporation, appearing before the FCC on such issues as the pricing of switched and special access, competitive pricing by dominant interexchange carriers and federal preemption of state regulation. She represented MCI in court in cases concerning the FCC’s Computer III decisions and the sharing of facilities by AT&T and its former subsidiaries in the wake of the Bell System divestiture. Ms. Block served as associate general counsel to Common Cause prior to joining MCI.
Ms. Block is a magna cum laude graduate of Brandeis University and holds an M.A.T. from Johns Hopkins University and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. She is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia and New York.
Andrew M. Brown
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Andrew Brown is a partner in Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP (LB3). His practice focuses on the representation of medium and large companies in both their strategic planning and contract negotiations for telecommunications products and services and related technologies. He has been involved in some of the largest enterprise communications deals negotiated on behalf of clients such as Merrill Lynch, General Motors, United Air Lines, DuPont and Aetna. On behalf of LB3’s clients, Mr. Brown regularly negotiates agreements with the major telecommunications providers for global voice and data services, which often include VPNs and MPLS‐based data network services, managed services (including hosting), encryption technology and other security services, global remote access services and related software license agreements. He has also negotiated numerous enterprise agreements for local and wireless services, as well as agreements for the provision of air‐to‐ground communications for the commercial airline industry.
Mr. Brown has significant experience in the field of public safety and homeland security communications. He was instrumental in the development and negotiation of a nationwide emergency toll‐free number for the nation’s poison control centers and represented New York City as lead outside counsel in the development and negotiation of a state‐of‐the‐art enhanced 911 public safety answering center and supporting communications infrastructure. He also frequently advises corporate clients on the legal requirements and best practices for providing employee access to 911 services, including legal and technical challenges associated with the implementation and use of soft phones, voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and wireless LANs/PBXs.
In regulatory matters, Mr. Brown regularly represents the interests of telecommunications users in a variety of federal regulatory proceedings at the Federal Communications Commission and advises enterprise telecom users about complex state and federal regulations, with specific expertise on privacy matters and issues related to E911.
Mr. Brown received his B.S., magna cum laude, from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, and his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. While in law school, he won the William Minor Lile Moot Court competition and was executive editor of the Virginia Journal of International Law. He is a member of the bar associations of the District of Columbia and the state of California.
Justin G. Castillo
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Justin G. Castillo is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby, LLP. He has negotiated agreements on behalf of enterprise customers (including clients in the financial services, health care and energy industries) for a variety of voice and data services, including wireless, interexchange, and local exchange services. In addition, he has represented both large and small telecommunications customers in disputes with carriers before the Federal Communications Commission, in federal court and in arbitration proceedings.
A large part of Mr. Castillo's practice consists of "workouts;" i.e., in renegotiating foundering agreements to avoid resorting to dispute resolution. In the regulatory arena, he has represented clients in proceedings regarding digital television, Universal Service Fund contributions, local number portability charges, and international mobile termination surcharges.
Mr. Castillo frequently addresses enterprise users at conferences on telecommunications issues (including negotiating wireless, local, VoIP and MPLS agreements) and has written several articles about negotiating and enforcing telecommunications and IT agreements.
Before joining the firm, Mr. Castillo served as a Trial Attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Department of Justice, where he worked in the Civil Fraud Section from 1994 through 1997 representing the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and other government agencies in cases involving alleged violations of the False Claims Act. Mr. Castillo clerked for the Honorable John A. Terry of the D.C. Court of Appeals from 1993 through 1994.
Mr. Castillo graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1993. In 1987, Mr. Castillo received both his B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from Yale University. Mr. Castillo is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, New York, California, and Colorado.
Jack Deal
Managing Director
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Jack Deal is a managing director at TC2 based in Baltimore. Mr. Deal has more than 25 years of leadership, technical and financial experience in the telecommunications and professional services industries.
Mr. Deal directs consulting engagements covering every phase of strategic sourcing for wireline, wireless and managed equipment services, from developing the initial procurement strategy through final negotiations. He specializes in complex multinational engagements that include leading carrier technologies such as MPLS, IP trunking and large‐bandwidth Ethernet access. Mr. Deal delivers value through both substantial cost reductions and improved business terms to clients in many industry sectors, including media and entertainment, financial services, manufacturing, transportation/logistics and retail.
As one of TC2’s managing directors, Mr. Deal also oversees TC2’s consulting and professional services practice, including new business development, expansion of existing client relationships, the delivery of customized, high‐value results for clients and review/quality control functions. He also has operational and customer satisfaction responsibilities.
Mr. Deal’s past experience includes sales leadership, management and finance positions at Qwest, AT&T and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. Deal holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from West Virginia University and an M.B.A. from Loyola College in Maryland. He is also a CPA.Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Kevin DiLallo is a partner in Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP, where his practice focuses on telecommunications regulatory and policy matters and corporate and commercial transactions.
Mr. DiLallo has negotiated custom network service arrangements, national wireless service agreements, local services deals, equipment purchases and telecommunications outsourcings on behalf of large corporate users of telecommunications services, particularly in the information technology industry. He has been deeply involved in federal and state regulatory issues affecting the IT industry, principally Internet, digital television (DTV) and other video matters.
Mr. DiLallo spearheaded the successful effort by the Computer Industry Coalition on Advanced Television Service to persuade the Federal Communications Commission to reject a transmission standard for digital television that was anathema to computer applications and convergence, and he helped broker a settlement with the television broadcasting and consumer electronics manufacturing industries in which the affected industries agreed on a market-based approach to defining digital TV broadcasting formats.
Mr. DiLallo has represented large corporate users of telecommunications services in court and administrative proceedings to enforce such users’ rights against carriers under telecommunications agreements and tariffs. In addition to representing clients in numerous appeals of FCC decisions, he was deeply involved in the regulatory and judicial proceedings that resulted in AT&T being allowed to offer individually negotiated service arrangements (under Tariff 12 and Contract Tariffs) and in the regulatory re‐classification of AT&T. In addition, Mr. DiLallo has counseled corporate clients on compliance with federal and state privacy laws, telemarketing laws, and authorization and tariffing requirements for providers of telecommunications services, as well as related corporate law issues.
Mr. DiLallo received his B.A. in 1981 from the University of Virginia, and is a 1986 graduate of Case Western Reserve University Law School, where he was the executive notes editor of the Case Western Reserve Law Review. He is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia; Maryland; the United States District Court for the District of Columbia; and the United States Courts of Appeals for the District of Columbia, 5th and 8th Circuits.
Managing Director
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Ben Fox is a managing director at TC2 based in London. Mr. Fox specializes in leading complex global telecom procurement projects, typically spanning multiple geographical regions, technologies and vendors. The value of these procurements range from $10 million to more than $1 billion, often involve migration of major corporate networks and deliver seven‐ or eight‐figure savings to clients.
Crucial to Mr. Fox’s client work is his expertise in the full range of basic transport services, managed and outsourced service models, sourcing domestic networks and managing global telecommunications procurements. Many of Mr. Fox’s recent projects have involved the large‐scale deployment of MPLS networks, outsourcing of network infrastructure management and rigorous assessment of the costs and benefits of voice over IP, IP telephony and other new technologies.
Mr. Fox has a deep understanding of all the critical tasks required to implement client procurement strategies, including writing tender documents, analyzing baseline costs and inventory, complex modeling of the total cost of ownership of supplier bids and different deal scenarios, and leading negotiations with suppliers. He combines meticulous analysis and preparation with a constructive, rather than adversarial, approach to negotiations to gain maximum benefit for clients. Among other recent achievements, Mr. Fox led the TC2 team that assisted General Motors in negotiating and closing its $1 billion network outsourcing deal with AT&T announced in 2007.
Mr. Fox also has extensive experience in global wireless services, including numerous U.S. wireless procurements, in‐country and pan‐European wireless deals and global wireless procurements encompassing services throughout North America, EMEA, Asia Pacific and Latin America. Mr. Fox has also assisted his clients in assessing the potential benefits of managed mobility services on a global basis.
Mr. Fox became a TC2 consultant after serving in the London telecommunications sourcing group of the Deloitte consulting arm. At Deloitte, Mr. Fox specialized in telecommunications network sourcing and outsourcing projects, including $100 million+ long‐term telecom outsourcing deals for large U.K. companies. Mr. Fox holds a Master of Science in physics from the Imperial College London University.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Joaquin Gamboa is a partner in LB3, where he structures and negotiates communications (including wireless, voice and data network, and Internet), information technology outsourcing and software licensing agreements on behalf of large enterprise users. Mr. Gamboa also serves as outside general counsel and strategic advisor to early-stage technology companies.
Before joining LB3, Mr. Gamboa was with Yodlee Inc., the pioneer and leading provider of aggregation technology. At Yodlee, Mr. Gamboa held a number of senior business and legal positions, including director of strategic alliances, director of business development and head of international business development.
Mr. Gamboa began his legal career as an associate in the Palo Alto office of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison. At Brobeck, Mr. Gamboa’s practice focused on technology and emerging growth companies; he represented private companies and venture capital investors in private equity transactions, underwriters in initial public offerings, and sellers and buyers in public and private mergers and acquisitions.
Mr. Gamboa received his B.A. from the University of California at Berkeley, with Distinction, and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served as associate editor of the Stanford Law Review and member of the Stanford Journal for International Law. He is a member of the District of Columbia and California bars.
Senior Consultant
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Julie Gardner is a TC2 Senior Consultant with a broad range of experience in telecommunications procurement and a specialty in audit and compliance work.
At TC2, Julie assists with RFPs and benchmarks and performs contract compliance/audit work. This work includes contract implementation, new service migration, audit of existing network and services, and cost savings reviews and optimization for interexchange voice and data services, local exchange and wireless services. She assists clients in understanding billing, contract terms, reporting and analyzing spending trends. Her overall goal is to produce tangible savings in the form of audit recoveries, decreased telecom expense, and effective contract/ vendor management.
Julie previously worked in audit at KPMG Peat Marwick in Atlanta and in IT management at Gateway Computer. While at Gateway, Julie was responsible for managing telecommunications expense, contracts and vendors in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. She was particularly recognized for identifying and implementing telecommunications-related cost-saving measures across the enterprise. She identified, negotiated and recovered millions of dollars in billing issues and irregularities, and managed multiple rate reviews and global telecommunications RFPs.
Julie graduated with honors from JM Tull School of Accounting at the University of Georgia. She is based in the Atlanta area.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Janine F. Goodman is a partner at Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP, having joined the firm in 1996. Ms. Goodman represents large telecommunications users in all stages of contract negotiations from development of procurement strategy and vendor selection through contract negotiation and implementation. The contracts have involved both domestic and global voice and data telecommunications services, managed Internet and hosting services, maintenance and equipment transactions, and wireless services. She also assists telecommunications and technology customers with all communications‐related matters that may arise throughout the life of the vendor‐customer relationship, including representing companies in the resolution of billing and payment disputes with their vendors. She has participated in a variety of regulatory proceedings implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, including counseling individual end users on pay phone compensation issues and disability access standards. She has published articles concerning telecommunications contract negotiations and is a speaker on telecommunications matters.
Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Goodman was involved with both general litigation and communications law. In particular, she worked on broadcast and wireless cable matters, and related corporate transactions.
Ms. Goodman is a 1992 graduate of the University of Chicago Law School and graduated from Brown University in 1988, magna cum laude. Before entering law school, she worked for WGBH‐TV, Boston, in the program distribution area.
Ms. Goodman is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and the state of Illinois.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Mark Johnston is a partner in Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP. Mr. Johnston has represented large telecommunications users in contract negotiations with major long distance carriers and operators of computer networks for interstate and international voice and data services. He has also represented companies and trade associations in Federal Communications Commission proceedings implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, with particular emphasis on issues related to the convergence of telecommunications and information technology services.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Johnston practiced in Osaka, Japan, and Brussels, Belgium, as well as Washington, D.C. His practice experience includes foreign forum litigation, negotiation of international licensing and joint-venture agreements, advising clients on European Union competition law and representing clients before the European Commission, negotiation of merger and acquisition transactions, and acting as securities counsel to issuers of debt and equity instruments.
Mr. Johnston is a 1991 graduate, cum laude, of the University of Michigan Law School and a 1987 graduate, magna cum laude, of the University of Illinois.
Mr. Johnston is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia and New York.
Senior Consultant
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Theresa Knutson is a Senior Consultant at TC2 based in Sioux City, Iowa, with over 20 years of finance and telecommunications experience. Many of Theresa's current projects involve full competitive procurements for interexchange voice and data services, local exchange services and wireless services in the US and Canada. Others involve providing benchmark analysis of rates and terms to clients who prefer to do a renegotiation with their incumbent suppliers or are managing through a mid-term rate review.
As a former global telecommunications group leader for a Fortune 500 enterprise, Theresa also brings several key specialties to TC2. She regularly helps clients who are completing merger transactions to consolidate and leverage the best of the rates/terms and conditions among all of the merged entity's telecommunications contracts. In addition, Theresa has a deep understanding of all the critical tasks required to implement contracts once deals are completed, and often works with clients post-transaction to ensure that the value of the deal is delivered on a timely basis. This post-transaction support includes audit services, optimization and cost savings reviews, and implementation of telecommunications reporting services, including improvements in telecom expense management, whether done internally or externally through a third-party provider.
In all of these tasks, Theresa's primary focus is to deliver immediate tactical savings while also positioning clients with a long-term competitive telecommunications strategy that continually delivers incremental savings. On all projects, Theresa works closely with her clients to make sure they have the training and skills necessary to closely manage and monitor their telecom spend.
Theresa's past experience includes leadership positions in audit at KPMG Peat Marwick in Atlanta and leader of Gateway Computer's global telecommunications group. At Gateway, Theresa managed over $25 million a year in transport spend and $50 million a year of IT spend, and was recognized as a hands-on leader with exceptional ability to identify and implement cost-saving measures across a wide span of transport, maintenance and outsourcing spend. Theresa holds a Bachelor of Accountancy degree from the University of North Dakota and is a CPA.
Senior Consultant
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
David Lee is a senior consultant at TC2 with more than 20 years of technical and management experience in technology infrastructure, networking services and telecommunications. He manages large multidisciplinary and international teams, and has developed solutions that apply procurement strategies and networking technologies to solve business problems and reduce costs for his Fortune 100 clients.
Mr. Lee’s work at TC2 derives from a unique combination of professional engineering credentials and deep experience in telecommunications procurement. He focuses on global wide‐area network infrastructure design issues and service-level requirements critical to successful MPLS and IP telephony procurements. Mr. Lee also assists clients in the project management and resolution of technical issues during their MPLS deployments.
As a result, Mr. Lee has led or contributed to several global data and telephony managed services benchmarking, design and procurement projects across several industries. He is regularly quoted in publications such as Network World, Internet Week, Insurance & Technology and Crain’s New York Business, and is a frequent industry speaker on network services, procurement and outsourcing.
Mr. Lee holds an electrical engineering degree from Northwestern University. His past technology and leadership experience includes positions with Deloitte Consulting, Booz Allen & Hamilton, IBM, California Microwave and US Interactive. He is based in Portland, Ore.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Henry D. (“Hank”) Levine is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP, where he specializes in the representation of large users on telecommunications‐related matters. He has negotiated communications contracts on behalf of Fortune 100 companies and the equivalent, including DuPont, New York City, IBM, Honeywell and Goldman Sachs. And he has been heavily involved in settling (or, where necessary, litigating) contract disputes between large users and their carriers.
Mr. Levine spearheaded efforts to challenge the federal excise tax on long distance communications, serving as lead counsel for the taxpayer in two‐thirds of the tax refund actions in which enterprise customers prevailed (before federal District Courts and Circuit Courts of Appeal). As a direct result of these cases the Internal Revenue Service abandoned taxation of long distance and cellular communications and refunded literally billions of dollars to individual and corporate taxpayers. Mr. Levine has also counseled users and carriers on the treatment of wireline and wireless services for FET purposes.
From 1983 through 1992, Mr. Levine was a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Morrison & Foerster, where he founded (and chaired) the firm’s Communications Group. He currently serves as chairman of TechCaliber Consulting, LB3’s telecommunications consulting affiliate, and as general counsel to the Wall Street Technology Association. He has been a member of the Committee on Technologically Enhanced buildings of the National Research Council and the Executive Board of the New York Telecommunications Reliability Advisory Council; was retained by the United States General Services Administration to provide strategic advice and assistance in connection with the FTS2000, FTS 2001 and Networx programs (through which the government purchases much of its telecommunications services); served as counsel to the Ad Hoc Committee of Enterprise Customers in the WorldCom bankruptcy proceeding; and was a key witness in the government’s successful efforts to block the merger of MCI and Sprint.
Mr. Levine’s writings on telecommunications regulation and transactions include more than 40 articles and chapters in several books. He is a frequent speaker on communications issues before such groups as the United States Senate, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners and Columbia University’s Institute for Tele‐Information, and has chaired numerous conferences on telecommunications issues. In recent years, he has served on several occasions as an expert witness on issues surrounding telecommunications contracts and their interpretation. In 1996, Network World named him one of the 25 most powerful people in networking, citing his “unique experience, knowledge and savvy” in “dealing with the pricing, terms and conditions that shape custom network contracts.” Chambers Global and Chambers USA variously describe him as “thought [by clients and peers] to be one of the most knowledgeable lawyers in the industry,” and as the lawyer who “wrote the gospel on telecoms negotiation … he’s more than an attorney – he really knows the technology.” He is also listed in Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America.
Mr. Levine received his B.A. from Yale in 1972 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1976. He also holds a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He is a member of the bars of New York and the District of Columbia, and is admitted to practice before a variety of courts up to and including the United States Supreme Court.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Marc Lindsey is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP. He negotiates and documents information technology, e‐Business, managed services, software licensing, applications development and maintenance agreements.
Since joining Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP in 1998, Mr. Lindsey has negotiated outsourcing agreements, software licensing, development and maintenance contracts on behalf of major corporations; assisted large telecommunications users in the negotiation of network service agreements; structured voice over IP (VoIP), MPLS and other managed services transactions; and negotiated application hosting, disaster recovery and managed security services deals. Mr. Lindsey has assisted Fortune 500 corporations and other major companies structure information technology outsourcing relationships with top-tier service providers. The outsourcing relationships have involved applications development, implementation, maintenance, hosted enterprise applications, data center, network management, infrastructure services, co‐sourcing and multi‐vendor arrangements, and international service delivery. From 1996 through 1998, Mr. Lindsey was an associate in the Charlotte, N.C., office of Hunton & Williams, where he represented clients in commercial litigation concerning antitrust, consumer fraud and class actions. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Lindsey was a systems engineer for GE Aerospace where he specialized in software engineering and systems integration.
Mr. Lindsey received his B.S.E.E. (1989) from Howard University, his M.S.E. (Systems Engineering ‐ 1992) from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D., with honors (1996), from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in New York, the District of Columbia and North Carolina.
Partner
Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP
Laura F.H. McDonald is a partner in the firm of Levine, Blaszak, Block & Boothby LLP. Ms. McDonald represents large enterprise users in a variety of telecom matters focusing on the negotiation of custom and complicated network service agreements and helping customers transition to new services, data center environments and/or providers.
Ms. McDonald works closely with all members of the enterprise client team – legal, procurement, engineering and operations – to enable clients to create comprehensive solutions and contracts, assess their needs and risks, and help streamline the procurement of telecom and data services. On an ongoing basis, she works with clients to strengthen their procurement processes, maximize their contract leverage and identify risks that can reduce savings. She helps enterprises navigate the complex regulatory structure surrounding their transactions, and frequently speaks on demystifying the myths customers encounter in negotiations. She also assists users in resolving disputes with carriers and, when necessary, arbitrating and mediating disputes before the FCC and other forums. And she has been involved in a number of regulatory proceedings representing large users.
In addition, Ms. McDonald organizes and runs intra‐corporate training sessions on telecommunications, and has represented entities interested in investing in telecommunications firms and advised them on the regulatory proceedings that affect entry into the field and the changing regulatory environment. She also has worked with newer entrants into the market in negotiating their deals with carriers.
From 1990 through 1994, Ms. McDonald was an associate in the Washington, D.C., office of Morrison & Foerster, where she represented clients in litigation concerning telecommunications equipment leasing, computer, trade secret and copyright issues, and advised major financial companies on regulatory compliance issues.
Ms. McDonald received her B.A. (1985) and J.D. (1988) from the University of Virginia and clerked for Judge Stanley S. Harris of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before entering private practice. She has published articles concerning telecommunications and intellectual property matters and is a frequent speaker on telecommunications issues.
Ms. McDonald is admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Senior Consultant
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
David Rohde is a Senior Consultant at TC2 based in Washington, D.C. David conducts competitive procurements, rate reviews and benchmarking projects, particularly centering around the current generation of enterprise data networking services. He has assisted retailers, hospitality companies, energy firms and others in the procurement of multimillion-dollar enterprise data networks involving a range of MPLS and dedicated Internet solutions.
David is also TC2's lead analyst on questions of telecommunications industry structure and strategic analysis. He specializes in analyzing the financial position of carriers, evaluating their stability and capability to invest in the areas and technologies most important to enterprise users.
David became a TC2 consultant after serving as an enterprise data services analyst with the Yankee Group. For a number of years prior to that, he was a reporter, editor and columnist with Network World, where he originated the long-standing "Eye on the Carriers" column, and among notable beats covered the maturation of frame relay and ATM services, developments in enterprise voice equipment, and the impact of Federal Communications Commission actions on enterprise networks. David is the author and host of the popular blog, TC2's David Rohde on Telecom, and is a regular speaker at VoiceCon and other industry conferences. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Economics from Northwestern University.
Project Director
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Joe Schmidt is a TC2 Project Director and former Managing Director of TC2's Asia Pacific practice. Joe has broad global experience leading fixed line, wireless, and managed services projects that span the telecom lifecycle.
Joe works closely with TC2's global clients to develop creative solutions that reduce costs, introduce new technologies and services, improve commercial arrangements, and implement strong governance models. A key attribute of Joe's projects is his ability to infuse best practices and lessons learned from working with clients, service providers, and technologies from around the world. For example, a recent project delivered multimillion-dollar savings to a client after Joe compared the merits of using several regional MPLS service providers versus a single global service provider.
Joe also has extensive global experience in wireless transport and managed services, having led projects that cover policy, benchmarking, procurement, and negotiation for domestic, regional, and global services. Joe's recent projects include sourcing wireless services and negotiating deals in Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, throughout EMEA, in major Latin American countries, and in North America. Joe's wireless service projects typically deliver several million dollars in savings, enterprise-friendly contracts, heightened focus on optimization, and enforcement of acceptable use policies.
Joe has over 25 years of telecommunications experience and has lived and worked in the U.S., London, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Prior to joining TC2, he worked for IBM Global Services, where he held senior-level networking positions; Deloitte Consulting, where he was a Senior Manager and head of the London Networking Practice; and Andersen, where he was a Director and original member of the Bandwidth Trading team.
Joe holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance and a minor in Economics from Northern Illinois University. Joe is also a graduate of the ABA School of Bankcard Management.
Senior Consultant
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Mark Sheard is a Senior Consultant at TC2 based in London with a long-standing record of major achievements for public and private sector clients. Recently, Mark has been engaged in a number of projects with significant global footprints covering large-scale MPLS, VoIP, Internet Telephony, wireless/mobile services, and LAN infrastructure networks. Mark's practical application of effective processes to align with the client's preferences and strengths balances best practice with the need to "get the job done."
Intimately familiar with all the key elements of successful telecommunications procurement, Mark is adept at helping clients gather and understand cost baselines and in the production of documentation to enable successful procurements. Regular contributions include thorough scenario modeling of bid costs as well as guiding the client through supplier selection and negotiations. Requested support includes mentoring client project managers, strategic and market guidance, and briefing and guiding executive decision makers.
Mark has a Masters in Telecommunications and Information Systems and an MBA with Strategy Distinction, and is an accredited Project Manager. He is also a Chartered Engineer. Mark's years of varied experience mean that he is sensitive to real-world challenges and is able to help clients deal with political, business and other factors, including resource constraints.
Previously, Mark led the inter-networking team within Deloitte Consulting. This team specialized in strategic sourcing of telecommunications and IT services. Among others, major engagements included acting as the procurement lead for the £400 million London Congestion Charging project, and acting as the program lead and primary negotiator for a 1700-site, £300 million networking outsource deal, delivering £50 million in savings with a full technology refresh.
In other roles, Mark has been the program lead on a £250 million command and control rationalization project for the English Fire and Rescue Services, running a 165-strong team. He was a Director for a UK national installation services company, where he specialized in negotiating and establishing agreements for large scale implementation projects. Originally, Mark had a successful career in the Royal Air Force (RAF), where he commanded 500 staff members across seven sites running the UK's defense satellites operations, and also acted as the RAF's telecommunications authority.
Project Director
TechCaliber Consulting LLC
Larry York is a Project Director at TC2 based in Minnesota. Larry leverages extensive background and skills in client and carrier relationships to achieve optimal results in benchmarking, rate reviews and global procurements. In particular, he has an established reputation across global supplier executives for a collaborative/coaching approach to negotiations.
Larry utilizes insider experience managing large negotiations at two of the three large U.S. suppliers to develop business case support required by account teams to obtain "leading edge" proposal support from supplier executive management. Larry then works with customers to set the stage for successful projects and maximize the ROI for customer negotiations, with particular attention to managing internal and external communications during projects, which many times is the key differentiator between obtaining an average deal and a superior deal.
Among Larry's many achievements, he led strategy development and negotiations for a major RFP worth $250 million, resulting in a major healthcare provider's managed equipment outsourcing agreement with a major carrier. Larry also successfully negotiated a global telecommunications contract for a name-brand consumer products company, providing for risk-free migration to another carrier and saving $30 million over the contract term. And he developed a strategy for a major retailer to exit a consortium and enter into a stand-alone agreement providing more contract flexibility and over $14 million in additional savings.
Before coming to TC2, Larry was a manager in the Presale Division for the long distance predecessor of Verizon, where he provided direction and support for analysts and managers responsible for developing customized billing and management reporting solutions, and where he performed customer negotiations and contract analysis for the national, global, and federal government business segments. He was also a business analyst for Sprint, where he provided direction and support for managers responsible for developing customized billing and management reporting solutions, and he performed contract analysis and customer negotiations for business and government segments.
Larry has also been an audit officer for Wachovia Bank of Georgia and for Price Waterhouse. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Arizona with a double major in accounting and finance.