FCC General Counsel Symons Exiting

Federal Communications Commission general counsel Howard Symons is exited the FCC Jan 20 after three years, most of it as vice chair of the incentive auction task force. Symons was named general counsel back in July after general counsel John Sallet left to join the Justice Department as deputy general counsel for litigation in the antitrust division. The general counsel is the top legal advisor to the commission. Its attorneys represent the FCC before appeals courts, recommend decisions in adjudications, and helps provide the legal underpinnings for decisions like reclassifying ISPs under Title II. Before joining the FCC, Symons chaired the communications practice at Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo and was senior counsel to the house Telecommunication (now Communications) Subcommittee. The exit comes as the spectrum auction Symons helped shepherd met its benchmarks for closing after the current stage of the forward auction.