As managing member of Cinnamon Mueller, Chris concentrates his practice in the representation of cable telecommunications companies.  He represents clients before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state and local regulatory bodies.

Given his extensive knowledge and experience, Chris is frequently asked to speak on topics including local cable franchising and broadcast signal carriage. He has authored numerous articles including “Broadcast Signal Carriage and Content Regulation: 2005 Update” published by the Practising Law Institute (PLI), a non-profit continuing legal education organization. Chris is also a faculty member of PLI.

Chris served seven years as an officer in the United States Navy, attaining the rank of Lieutenant Commander.  In 1993 he graduated cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School and he received his B.A. with highest honors from Williams College in 1982.

E-mail: cccinnamon@cm-chi.com

As member of Cinnamon Mueller, Emily concentrates her practice in the representation of cable operators, telecommunications companies, and municipal cable providers.  Her practice includes advising clients on transactional and regulatory matters including system acquisitions, sales and financing; drafting and negotiating programming and other cable-related agreements; and cable franchise renewals, transfers, and compliance.  She also advises clients on FCC compliance and license transfers.  Emily is a 2001 graduate of Loyola University School of Law. She received her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1998.

E-mail: edenney@cm-chi.com

As member of Cinnamon Mueller, Bruce concentrates his practice in the representation of cable, wireless, broadband and landline telecommunications related companies. He advises clients in a variety of regulatory matters, general operational matters and contractual matters. He also represents communication clients before state and federal regulatory agencies, and in mergers, acquisitions and divestitures.

Prior to joining Cinnamon Mueller Bruce was General Counsel for Millennium Digital Media (a/k/a Broadstripe), a cable and internet service provider company. He also served as an attorney for the telephone and wireless operations at SBC Communications Inc. from 1988-2000. Bruce graduated summa cum laude from the Southern Illinois University School of Law in 1984 and received his B.A. with honor from Eastern Illinois University in 1981. He clerked for Chief Justice Howard C. Ryan of the Illinois Supreme Court.

E-mail: bbeard@cm-chi.com

As member of Cinnamon Mueller, Heidi works with Cinnamon Mueller’s cable and telecommunications clients on regulatory, transactional and litigation matters. Heidi earned her B.A. from Villanova University in 2001, and her J.D. from Cleveland-Marshall College of Law in 2005. Heidi is admitted to practice in Illinois.

E-mail: hschmid@cm-chi.com

Ms. Esbin is Managing Partner of Cinnamon Mueller’s Washington, D.C., office.  She advises clients on the Federal Communication Commission’s broadband Internet regulations, cable and telecommunications regulatory matters, and access to content, both traditional and online.  Prior to joining Cinnamon Mueller, Esbin spent two years as Senior Fellow at The Progress & Freedom Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank studying communications law and policy in the digital age, where she was Director of the Center for Communications and Competition Policy.  Ms. Esbin also served for over fourteen years at the FCC, most recently as Special Counsel in the FCC Enforcement Bureau’s Market Disputes Resolution Division.  Before joining the Enforcement Bureau, she spent four years as Associate Bureau Chief at the Commission’s Media Bureau.  There, Esbin represented the Bureau on a number of inter-agency initiatives and led the review of several major industry mergers and rulemakings addressing cable and broadband competition issues.  She has also served as Associate Bureau Chief of the FCC’s Cable Services Bureau, Special Counsel for Competition and Senior Policy Advisor in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and Attorney-Advisor and Assistant Tariff Division Chief in the Common Carrier Bureau.  Between her two FCC engagements, Ms. Esbin was in private practice, specializing in cable and broadband regulatory issues and, prior to joining the FCC, specializing in electric utility regulation.  Barbara held judicial clerkships on the North Carolina Court of Appeals and the North Carolina Supreme Court, respectively.  She received her J.D. from the Duke University School of Law and her B.A. from Antioch College.

E-mail: besbin@cm-chi.com

Melanie is Senior Counsel with Cinnamon Mueller in the Kansas City, Missouri office. Melanie works with Cinnamon Mueller’s cable and telecommunications clients on operational, contractual, business and transactional matters related to the provision of multichannel video, voice and broadband services.

Melanie has more than 20 years’ experience in the cable industry, most recently as the National Cable Television Cooperative’s chief legal officer. She previously served as both Director of Regulatory Affairs and outside counsel to Time Warner Cable and was Of Counsel at the law firm of Lathrop & Gage where she represented a number of cable and telecommunications clients. Melanie also worked as a Legislative Aide to Missouri State Representative Jerry Nolte, managed several successful state and local political campaigns, and has held a variety of elected and appointed political positions.

Melanie serves as a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Media Law Committee and Women in Cable Telecommunications, and is accredited by the International Association of Business Communicators. She received her J.D. from the University of Kansas and her B.S. in Public Relations and Graphic Arts Management from Central Missouri State University. Melanie is admitted to practice in Kansas and Missouri.

E-mail: mmcmullen@cm-chi.com

Scott works with Cinnamon Mueller’s cable and telecommunications clients on regulatory, transactional and litigation matters. Scott earned his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 2003, and his J.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 2006.  Scott is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and Illinois.

E-mail: sfriedman@cm-chi.com

Jake works with Cinnamon Mueller’s cable and telecommunications clients on regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters.  Jake earned his B.B.A. from the University of Oklahoma in 2006.  In 2010, he earned his M.B.A., with highest distinction, and J.D. from the University of Kansas.  Jake is admitted to practice in Illinois.

E-mail: jbaldwin@cm-chi.com

Elvis Stumbergs is an associate with Cinnamon Mueller in the Washington, D.C. office.  Elvis represents media and telecommunications clients before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as well as in other regulatory, transactional, and litigation matters.

Elvis leverages his regulatory experience, and background in traditional and new media, to counsel clients on a range of privacy and data security issues.  He advises on matters including traditional cable television privacy and CPNI compliance, website privacy statements, and other required disclosures.  Elvis also provides guidance about marketing campaigns using various channels such as phone, web, e-mail, and text messaging to help clients maximize the value of their information within the bounds of legal restrictions.

Elvis holds a Certified Information Privacy Professional / United States (CIPP/US) credential, as recognized by the International Association of Privacy Professionals.  He is also active in the Federal Communications Bar Association.

Prior Experience

Prior to joining Cinnamon Mueller, Elvis served as an attorney-advisor at the Federal Communications Commission and was an associate at Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP.

Elvis began his legal career at the FCC as an Honors Attorney in the Media Bureau, Industry Analysis Division. His work in the Media Bureau included participating in rulemakings affecting the broadcast and cable industries, and review of cable television, satellite radio, and direct broadcast satellite industry transactions.  Elvis also served in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, Spectrum & Competition Policy Division, and as a member of the taskforce developing the National Broadband Plan.

At WilmerHale, Elvis represented clients before the FCC and in appellate litigation, and counseled a variety of telecommunications industry and other high-technology clients regarding regulatory matters. He also counseled companies across industries about their privacy-related statutory and regulatory obligations, advised on policies concerning information security, and advised clients about their exposure to enforcement action by the Federal Trade Commission and other regulators.  In addition, Elvis represented clients before the Department of Justice during merger clearance proceedings, as well as during grand jury investigations including allegations of anticompetitive activity.

Before beginning his legal career, Elvis worked in various capacities in the Los Angeles entertainment industry, with a particular focus on television commercial production.

State Bar Admission

California

District of Columbia

Education

J.D., University of California, Los Angeles School of Law (2007)

B.A., cum laude, University of California, Los Angeles (2004)

E-mail: estumbergs@cm-chi.com

Phone: 202-872-6881