Rick Beckner is a member of the firm’s Telecommunications, Internet & Media group. A former Deputy Assistant Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice, he represents companies in regulated industries in a range of complex litigation and appellate matters before federal agencies, federal district courts, courts of appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Rick also has experience handling competition-related administrative, enforcement and merger proceedings before federal agencies, including the Federal Communications Commission, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
Rick has represented clients in a broad range of telecommunications matters, including those involving “net neutrality” regulation, access charge rates, and wireless service, as well as numerous merger proceedings. He has drafted pleadings in these areas before the FCC, the courts of appeal, and the Supreme Court.
While at the DOJ, Rick was responsible for overseeing the Torts Branch, handling complex tort actions against the United States and senior federal officials in a range of areas, including national security and constitutional tort cases, and cases arising out of the environmental, immigration, law enforcement aviation, and admiralty contexts. He also oversaw the DOJ’s Office of Consumer Litigation, responsible for both civil and criminal enforcement in federal court of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Consumer Product Safety Act, and other similar statutes. As a Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Rick has argued cases involving national security issues, sovereign immunity, constitutional law, and admiralty law.
Experience
- A multinational telecommunications company and telecommunications trade association in connection with the FCC’s attempt to impose common carrier regulation on providers of broadband internet access services. After first granting industry a stay of the FCC’s order, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit vacated the FCC order as beyond its statutory authority, restoring the light-touch regulatory regime that previously governed broadband.*
- A multinational telecommunications company in the government’s attempt to block its vertical merger with a video content company. The district court agreed the merger would not lessen competition and that decision was affirmed by the D.C. Circuit after the government appealed.*
- A refining company in a win before the U.S. Supreme Court in a high-profile case involving the requirements of the Renewable Fuel Standards. The Court reversed the Tenth Circuit’s decision vacating the small refinery exemptions that had been granted to the client.*
- A national adoption organization in a pro bono victory in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Reversing the district court, the D.C. Circuit unanimously found that the client had associational standing and vacated the State Department’s “guidance” prohibiting adoption practices commonly used to advocate for hard-to-adopt children.*
*Represents experience with previous employer.
Perspectives
Recognition
Credentials
Education
- J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1994
- M.S., University of Michigan, 1988
- B.S., Johns Hopkins University, 1987
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
Government & Military Service
- Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice (2006-2009)
Clerkships
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, The Honorable Samuel A. Alito, Jr. (1994-1995)