Experience

Telecommunications Legal Counsel: 1994 - Present

  • Representative telecommunications clients: Edge Communications Solutions, LLC; Beratend, LLC (CLEC); Broadwing Communications, LLC (CLEC); CanyonCreek Communications Corporation (CLEC); Cinncinatti Bell (ILEC); Edge Communications Solutions, LLC; GlobeTel Communications Consultants, Inc.(CLEC); Corban Towers, Inc.; GXT Telecommunications, Inc.; Hawaiian Pacific Internet; NetPro, Inc. (OSP).

  • Acted as outside counsel and general counsel to various companies in overall legal representation. Advised business personnel on relevant legal issues; Prepared and negotiated Asset Purchase Agreements; Acquisition Agreements; CLEC Applications (CPCN, SPCOA, etc); Conduit Occupancy License Agreements; Dark Fiber IRU Agreements; Fiber Optic Relocation Agreements; Fiber Optic Construction and Installation Agreements; Master Service Agreements; and others.

Allegiance Telecom, Inc. (CLEC communications company), Dallas, TX-[www.algx.com]

  • Represented company as Regulatory Counsel before state utility commissions regarding telecommunications matters; in-house Triennial Review Order; was responsible for state regulatory (PUC/PSC) representation Arizona, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

T-Speed Broadband Communications, Inc., Dallas, TX [www.t-speed.com]

General Counsel and Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

  • Represented company in general counsel capacity as lead litigation counsel, corporate counsel adviser, and regulatory counsel. Was responsible for overseeing company's employee and policy procedures. Performed duties of Corporate Secretary.

Diamondback International, Inc. (CLEC communications company), Richardson, TX. - [www.diamondbackint.com]

Executive Vice-President, Legal, Regulatory Affairs and Finance

      • Company offers route development, project management, facilities management, central office engineering and switch services for the telecommunication industry. Company awarded 5th place in Dallas 100 for year 2000.

    • · Provide General Counsel legal and advisory representation to telecommunication's company.

    • · Qualify company for CLEC certification in Texas before the PUC.

    • · Strong AIA Construction and telecommunication's vendor contract negotiations.

    • · Responsible for full range of labor and employment issues.

    • · Provides full range of telecommunication's related legal advice similar to responsibilities at GTE and MCI.

GTE (ILEC communications company), Irving, Tx. [www.verizon.com]

    • · Provide legal, regulatory and policy advice to company's local markets regional business units.

    • · Negotiate and draft complex interconnection/resale/unbundling agreements and amendments implementing the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 to facilitate CLEC's entry into the local market exchange.

    • · Develop strategy for appeals of arbitration decisions related to Interconnection agreements.

    • · Advise clients regarding company's rights and obligations under the 1996 Act and interconnection agreements.

    • · Supervise efforts to ensure local exchange carriers' and incumbent local exchange carriers' compliance with terms of interconnection agreements and interconnection and collocation provisions of the 1996 Act.

    • · Negotiate dark fiber, swap agreements, leases, licenses, joint construction projects and all other contractual requirements for the engineering and construction of both the local and long distance networks.

MCI WorldCom, Inc., Dallas, TX: [www.worldcom.com]

Associate Counsel - Network and Facilities Telecommunications

Law & Public Policy: Litigation/Real Estate

Recognition:

    • · MCI's MAP Award for Performance in Law and Public Policy, 1999

    • · MCI's MAP Award for Performance in Law and Public Policy, 1998

Franchise Activities

    • · Negotiate, draft and finalize franchise/license documents with local governments, in support of area-wide local service and long-distance construction projects; advocate corporate positions before government regulators at state and local levels; negotiate customer-driven network expansion sites.

    • · Identify legal restrictions hampering competition and provide counsel to cross-business unit teams in developing communication for state PUC/PSC's and local units of government; monitor and negotiate development of Ordinances of General Application among municipalities through the U.S.

    • · Initiate industry partner coalitions to develop common principles of regulatory strategy; negotiate with Municipal Leagues, Chambers of Commerce, industry groups and state legislatures to initiate, draft, and support favorable Right-of-Way legislation; participate in industry groups to develop uniform policies regarding franchise issues; participate in state Communications Task Forces to develop statewide rules and regulations for the telecommunications industry in Iowa, Minnesota, Nevada, Utah and Wisconsin.

Restoration and Upgrade Activities

    • · Evaluate relocation issues and determine reimbursement rights and the need for grant of alternate Right-of-Way (ROW); Negotiate, draft and finalize reimbursement agreements and grants of alternate ROW;

    • · Coordinate the following: (1) relocation with multiple carriers and multiple entities; (2) efforts of outside counsel, R&U, network operations and engineering; (3) major function groups on collection of fiber cuts data and evidence; (4) OSP Services on demands and collection for reimbursements of relocations of systems;

    • · Provide training and form development; Cover southeast region of U.S. (one-third of country).

Other Legal Experience:

    • · Trial Lawyer and Real Estate Attorney; complex commercial and business litigation; real estate litigation; commercial real estate law; contract negotiation and administration; partnership matters; administrative law; employment relations.

    • · First Chair experience with individual, corporation, and bankruptcy litigation practice in federal and state courts; coordinated and developed litigation strategy.

    • · Assisted in administration and operation of law firms; prepared case files for trial from interview through trial; assisted experienced or inexperienced lawyers with trial preparation and argument; taught legal principals and legal terminology in post secondary school in Dallas.

Montgomery Ward & Co., Inc., Chicago, Ill.: [www.wards.com]

General Attorney - Real Estate

    • · Counseled the fifth largest retailer in the United States in most facets of its real estate transactions, including merger/acquisition, leveraged leasing, investigation and analysis of acquisition, financing (interim, take-out, construction, long-term, and junior); sale-leaseback, joint venture, partnership, syndication, lease negotiations, shopping center development (Reciprocal Easement Agreements, Joint Improvement Agreements, A.I.A. construction contracts).

    • · Prepared and negotiated legal documents for merger, acquisition, development, improvement, and leasing of 50 Jefferson-Ward conversions throughout the Eastern United States; prepared and negotiated most legal documents for the acquisition, joint venture, and construction of major tenant retail stores for regional shopping centers.

General Growth Companies, Des Moines, Iowa: [www.generalgrowth.com]

Corporate Counsel

    • · Counseled one of the largest publicly-held (REIT) shopping center developers and managers in the United States, including counseling on most business litigation; negotiation and drafting leases with major tenants, independents, and large-scale, mixed-use commercial projects.

    • · Advised clients in landlord/tenant rights and remedies, center management responsibilities, and federal and state regulatory requirements.

    • · Responsible for legal documentation of sale of 20 shopping centers to major lender (Aetna).

Iowa Department of Agriculture, Des Moines, Iowa:

Assistant Secretary of Agriculture, Director of Regulatory Division

    • · Director/administrator of five divisions (approximately 180 employees); counseled Secretary of Agriculture and Department regarding regulatory process and administrative aspects of state government.

Speaker/Panelist

National Conferences of State Legislatures, Commerce and Communications Committee - Telcom Deregulation - A Threat to State and Local Land-Use and Zoning Policies? April 1998; United States Telephone Assn.- Rights-of-Way and Access to Municipal Facilities: The Road to Competition - A Tale From Two Cities: Perspectives from Local Governments, June 1997; Strategic Research Institute- The Impact of the Telecom Act of 1996 on Competition in Local Telecom & Cable Markets - Telecommunications Right-of-Way Ordinances; Municipal Strategies to Protect PROW Authority, December 1996; Strategic Research Institute- Cable/Telco Video Franchising, State and Local Realities -Michigan Revamps Its Telecom Policies and Cities Respond, June, 1996.

Law Review Articles and Other Publications

  • Williams, Freeman and Harlan, Municipal Regulation of Telecommunications: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and the Facets of the Paradigm, The Urban Lawyer, Vol. 28, No. 4 (recent developments in government operations and law).

  • Harlan and Cunningham, Real Property: Landlord and Tenant, Mortgages and Liens, 40 Sw. L.J. 271 (survey of 1985 Texas real estate case law).

  • Iowa American Legion, Iowa Government in Brief,.

  • Harlan, Insurance Requirements and Restoration Obligations for Commercial Landlords and Tenants, International Council of Shopping Center Law Conference Manual.

  • Harlan, Remedies: Actions to Be Taken by Landlord or Tenant in Response to a Default by the Other Party, International Council of Shopping Center Law Conference Manual.

Education

  • Juris Doctor Financed entire education as a disabled veteran from the Vietnam Era, while working full-time for the Iowa House of Representatives: Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa;

  • Master of Science Completed Masters while on full-time active duty in the United States Air Force; Emphasis in economics, education, and history: Chapman University, Orange, California;

  • Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude, Emphasis in accounting and economics; graduated with honors, while serving full time active duty in the United States Air Force; Chapman University.

Other Activities

  • State Bar of Texas, appointed 3 yr. Term: Committee on Professionalism, 6/1/01 - 5/31/04

  • Dallas Bar Association, appointed: Legal Ethics Committee, 2001 - present

  • Dallas Bar Association, appointed: Fee Dispute Committee, 2001 - present

  • Construction Law Section Member

  • Solo & Small Firm Section Member

  • Prestonwood Baptist Church - PowerPoint Radio Ministry, Board of Directors