Covington & Burling LLP | Biographies

Jennifer Johnson is Co-Chair of the firm's Communications & Media Practice Group. She represents and advises broadcast licensees, trade associations, and other media entities on a wide range of issues, including:

regulatory and policy advocacy;
network affiliation and other programming agreements;
media joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions;
carriage negotiations with cable, satellite and telco companies;
media ownership and attribution; and
other strategic, regulatory and transactional matters.

Ms. Johnson assists clients in developing and pursuing strategic business and policy objectives before the Federal Communications Commission and Congress and through transactions and other business arrangements. Her broadcast clients draw particular benefit from her deep experience and knowledge with respect to network/affiliate issues, retransmission consent arrangements, and other policy and business issues facing the industry. Ms. Johnson also assists investment clients in structuring, evaluating and pursuing potential media investments. She has been recognized by Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, Legal 500 USA, Washington DC Super Lawyers, and the Washingtonian as a leading lawyer in her field, and was named as Best Lawyers 2014 Washington DC Administrative/Regulatory "Lawyer of the Year." Ms. Johnson’s pro bono activities are focused on the development of the arts and human rights issues.

Representative Matters

Representing the CBS Television Network Affiliates Association and the NBC Television Affiliates on a wide range of legal, policy and business issues concerning network affiliates and the broadcast industry generally.
Representing television industry associations on key legislative, FCC and industry issues, including spectrum allocation, media ownership, retransmission consent, and other issues impacting the integrity of the television broadcast service and spectrum.
Advising on and negotiating affiliation agreements with all of the major television networks and a number of emerging or niche networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, the CW, certain Spanish-language networks, and diginets.
Assisting various clients in the purchase and sale of broadcast properties, such as Raycom Media’s purchase of Liberty Communications, Bonten Media Group’s purchase of BlueStone Television and the New York Times Company’s sale of its broadcast television group to Local TV, LLC.

Honors and Rankings

Named Best Lawyers 2014 Washington DC Administrative/Regulatory Law "Lawyer of the Year"
Recognized in Best Lawyers in America in the fields of Administrative/Regulatory Law (2010-2014); Communications Law (2014)
Recognized in Chambers USA as a leading lawyer in Telecom, Broadcast & Satellite (2007-2013)
Recognized by Washington DC Super Lawyers for First Amendment/Media/Advertising (2009-2011, 2013)
The Washingtonian, named one of the top communications lawyers in Washington (2007, 2009, 2011)
Recognized in Legal 500 for Telecoms and Broadcast (2008-2013)
Law360, Media & Entertainment Group of the Year (2012)