It didn’t take long for the newest FCC Commissioner to saddle up and staff up.
On Monday morning, he announced the appointment of four key individuals that will serve in his newly minted office in acting capacities.
Taking the position of Acting Legal Advisor for Media, Consumer Protection and Enforcement is Nirali Patel. She will advise Carr on these matters and is effectively on detail from the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau, where she serves as a Deputy Chief of the Competition Policy Division.
Before joining the Commission, Patel served as Counsel in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications practice of Hogan Lovells US LLP. Prior to that, she practiced communications law at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Sidley Austin LLP. Patel is a graduate of the American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C.
Serving as Acting Legal Advisor for Wireless and Public Safety is Kevin Holmes, who joins the office from the FCC’s Office of Legislative Affairs. There, he worked on spectrum, mobile broadband, and public safety issues. Previously, Holmes worked in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, both as an interim Legal Advisor in the Office of the Bureau Chief and as an Attorney Advisor in the Broadband Division. Earlier in his career, Holmes was a legislative aide to Sen. Spencer Abraham. Mr. Holmes holds an LL.M. in Law and Government from AU’s Washington College of Law, and a J.D. from the DePaul University College of Law.
Taking the position of Acting Wireline Legal Advisor is Nathan Eagan. Eagan joins the office from the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau, where he most recently served as a Legal Advisor in the Telecommunications Access Policy Division. He came to the Commission through the agency’s Attorney Honors Program, and he has worked on a variety of issues, including universal service and broadband deployment. Eagan received his J.D. from The George Washington University Law School, where he was a George Washington Scholar and an Articles Editor for the Federal Communications Bar Journal.
Lastly, serving as Acting Confidential Assistant is Natalie Martinez. For the past three years, Martinez has served as the Confidential Assistant to three successive General Counsels of the FCC. Before that, she served as the Confidential Assistant to the Chief of the Enforcement Bureau for four years. She began her career at the FCC in 2001 as an Office Automation Clerk in the International Bureau.
“I am very grateful that these talented individuals have agreed to join my office,” Carr said. “They bring a breadth of private and public sector experience and a deep understanding of the FCC and communications policy. With their help, we can get to work immediately on delivering results for the American public.”
ACTING GENERAL COUNSEL PICKED BY PAI
Just a few hours after Carr’s announcement, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai revealed that Jennifer Tatel will serve as the agency’s Acting General Counsel.
Tatel has worked in the Office of General Counsel since 2011, most recently as chief of staff and deputy general counsel.
Prior to joining the Office of General Counsel, Tatel served as legal advisor to Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, advising the Commissioner on media and consumer protection issues. She began her FCC career as chief of the Media Bureau’s Industry Analysis Division.
