Russell is among the most experienced wireless communications attorneys in the country. Unique among his peers, Russell assists clients on federal legislative, regulatory, and transactional matters. He analyzes legislation on behalf of clients, participates in proceedings before the FCC and other federal agencies, negotiates spectrum agreements, and represents wireless providers in spectrum auctions. He is also frequently consulted on matters involving US spectrum use and policy.
Whether they are in the middle of a transaction with difficult regulatory issues, working with Congress on legislative drafting, or securing critical operational authority, clients value Russell’s accessibility and ability to find creative solutions. He works with major telecommunications providers, trade associations, equipment manufacturers, public safety organizations, and entrepreneurs proposing new products or services.
Russell provides advice to all participants in the robocall/robotext ecosystem. He assists those that make calls, such as health care providers, utilities and vendors on how to structure messaging campaign. He also provides guidance on the appropriate wording for terms and conditions accepted by call recipients. He also counsels communications providers on call handling, including call blocking obligations.
Before joining the firm, Russell was a partner and head of the telecommunications department in the Washington office of a major Chicago-based law firm, where he represented users and providers of telecommunications services and equipment. Previously, he was the executive director and president of the American SMR Network Association, Inc., where he established offices of a national trade association representing a segment of the wireless telecommunications industry.
Russell is among the most experienced wireless communications attorneys in the country. Unique among his peers, Russell assists clients on federal legislative, regulatory, and transactional matters. He analyzes legislation on behalf of clients, participates in proceedings before the FCC and other federal agencies, negotiates spectrum agreements, and represents wireless providers in spectrum auctions. He is also frequently consulted on matters involving US spectrum use and policy.
Experience
Transactions
- Represented Straight Path Communications, as it entered into a historic Consent Decree with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in its merger with Verizon Communications Inc. The Consent Decree permitted Straight Path to retain its most high-value FCC licenses in the face of an FCC investigation into potential rule violations. As a result of the Consent Decree, Straight Path was able to enter into an agreement with Verizon for $3.1 billion in value.
Legislative
- Advised CTIA, the national wireless trade association in the eventual adoption of the TRACED Act, which mandates that communications providers take actions to prevent illegal robocalls.
FCC Regulation
- Serve as primary outside counsel to Wi-Fi Alliance on FCC regulatory matters. Help spearhead efforts to make an additional 1200 megahertz of spectrum available for Wi-Fi, a significant increase in spectrum capacity.
- Assisted Trimble Inc., a major manufacturer of GPS equipment, challenge grant of a license to an entity that proposes a service in adjacent frequency spectrum that would threaten the reception of GPS signals.
- Successfully negotiated a consent decree with the FCC under which Radwin, a manufacturer of advanced telecommunications equipment, was able to pay a modest forfeiture penalty and implement a compliance program. Radwin marketed equipment in the U.S. in a manner inconsistent with the FCC's rules.
- Assisted T-Mobile in urging the adoption of rules governing the so-called "C-band" which was subsequently auctioned and generated more revenues than any other FCC auction.
viewpoints
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — April 2025
May 2, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Esteban Morales
Read about the FCC’s proposal to end the STIR/SHAKEN extension and adopt standards for caller ID authentication on non-IP networks. Read about recent court rulings rejecting intervention in the FCC consent rule case and upholding emergency robocalls under the TCPA.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Regulatory Update — Federal Communications Commission Proposes New Rules For Non-IP Caller ID Authentication
May 2, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin
Read about the FCC’s proposal to end the STIR/SHAKEN extension and adopt standards for caller ID authentication on non-IP networks.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Regulatory Update — FCC Seeks Comment on Petitions Focused on Quiet Hour and Utility Robocalling Rules
March 27, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin
Read about two Petitions for Declaratory Ruling filed with the FCC that seek clarity on current TCPA consent rules concerning telephone solicitations during “quiet hours” and robocalling rules for utility companies.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — March 2025
March 27, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Esteban Morales, Nadia Zivkov
Read about two Petitions for Declaratory Ruling filed with the FCC, which seek clarity on current TCPA consent rules concerning telephone solicitations during “quiet hours” and robocalling rules for utility companies, and a Seventh Circuit holding that communications encouraging a plaintiff to use services that were free to him were not “telephone solicitations” under the definition of the TCPA.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Regulatory Update — FCC Expands and Modifies Call Blocking Requirements at February Meeting
March 6, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin
Read about an FCC Eighth Report and Order on call blocking, in which the FCC adopted two proposals related to requirements to block certain call traffic at its February 2025 Open Meeting.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — February 2025
March 6, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Esteban Morales, Sofia Nuño
Read about an FCC Eighth Report and Order on call blocking that adopted two proposals related to the FCC’s requirements to block certain call traffic and a motion to intervene in an Eleventh Circuit case, Insurance Marketing Coalition Limited v. FCC, in which the court vacated the FCC's interpretation of its one-to-one consent rule requiring separate consent for each seller.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — January 2025
January 31, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Esteban Morales, Grecia A. Rivas
Read about how President Trump’s recent executive order, which directs all executive departments and agencies to pause currently pending proceedings and review any proposed or adopted rules not yet in effect, apparently applies to three FCC TCPA- and TRACED Act-related actions and the Eleventh Circuit’s decision in Insurance Marketing Coalition v. FCC, which vacated the FCC’s one-to-one consent rule.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Regulatory Update — Robocalling Proceedings Potentially Impacted by Regulatory Freeze
January 31, 2025 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin
Read about how President Trump’s recent executive order, which directs all executive departments and agencies to pause currently pending proceedings and review any proposed or adopted rules not yet in effect, apparently applies to three FCC TCPA- and TRACED Act-related actions.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News — December 2024
December 23, 2024 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin, Joshua Briones, Esteban Morales
Read about a recent FCC Order directing over 2,000 telecommunications service providers to cure deficiencies in each of their Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) certifications and robocall mitigation plans, a draft Report and Order proposing to change RMD filing requirement rules, an appeal sent to the Fourth Circuit about whether the disclosure requirements under the E-SIGN Act apply to the TCPA, and a Georgia federal court’s decision to stay a case in light of a pending Supreme Court case likely to provide further guidance on the limits of agency rulings.
Telephone and Texting Compliance News: Regulatory Update — FCC Launches Process to Remove Over 2,000 Providers from RMD; Chairwoman Puts New RMD Rules to a Vote
December 23, 2024 | Article | By Russell Fox, Jonathan P. Garvin
Read about a recent FCC Order directing over 2,000 telecommunications service providers to cure deficiencies in each of their Robocall Mitigation Database (RMD) certifications and robocall mitigation plans and Chairwoman Rosenworcel’s announcement about a draft Report and Order proposing to change RMD filing requirement rules to promote increased diligence and accountability.
News & Press
Mintz Represents T-Mobile before FCC in SpaceX Commercial Direct-to-Smartphone Service Agreement
December 04, 2024
Mintz represented T-Mobile before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) related to the company’s provision of supplemental coverage from space (SCS) in cooperation with its partner in this venture – SpaceX. The new service will give T-Mobile customers the ability to communicate in areas where there is no traditional cell phone coverage.
The Best Lawyers in America 2025 Recognizes 184 Mintz Attorneys across 56 Practice Areas
August 15, 2024
187 Mintz attorneys have been recognized by Best Lawyers® in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, three Mintz attorneys received 2025 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 64 firm attorneys were included in the 2025 edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Mintz is pleased to announce that 120 firm attorneys have been recognized as leaders by Best Lawyers® in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©.
BOSTON – Mintz has earned top rankings in the 2023 edition of Legal 500 United States guide. The firm is recognized in 14 practice categories, and 59 individual attorneys are also recognized in the guide, some in more than one category.
Best Lawyers® recognized 108 firm attorneys in the 2023 edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Notably, two Mintz attorneys – Poonam Patidar and Scott M. Stanton – received 2023 “Lawyer of the Year” awards, and 28 firm attorneys were included in the inaugural edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch.
Mintz Practice Groups and Attorneys Garner Top Rankings in 2020 Edition of The Legal 500 United States
June 12, 2020
Mintz Attorney Russell H. Fox to Speak at 2013 mHealth Summit
December 09, 2013
Events & Speaking
Robocalling and Robotexts: What Consent is Necessary and Recent Changes in FCC Regulation
MyLawCLE
Virtual Event
Five Steps to 5G: Prepping for the Next Generation
3580 Carmel Mountain Road, Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92130
Russell is among the most experienced wireless communications attorneys in the country. Unique among his peers, Russell assists clients on federal legislative, regulatory, and transactional matters. He analyzes legislation on behalf of clients, participates in proceedings before the FCC and other federal agencies, negotiates spectrum agreements, and represents wireless providers in spectrum auctions. He is also frequently consulted on matters involving US spectrum use and policy.
Recognition & Awards
Recommended by the Legal 500 United States for Telecom & Broadcast: Regulatory (2017 – 2023)
Best Lawyers in America: Communications Law (2019 – 2025)
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent
Russell is among the most experienced wireless communications attorneys in the country. Unique among his peers, Russell assists clients on federal legislative, regulatory, and transactional matters. He analyzes legislation on behalf of clients, participates in proceedings before the FCC and other federal agencies, negotiates spectrum agreements, and represents wireless providers in spectrum auctions. He is also frequently consulted on matters involving US spectrum use and policy.
Involvement
- Member, Federal Communications Bar Association
- Fellow, Radio Club of America
