Cinnamon Mueller boasts a team of attorneys with extensive experience in the communications and technology sector.

Bruce E. Beard

Bruce Beard is the managing partner with the law firm of Cinnamon Mueller, and head of the firm’s St. Louis, Missouri office. He is an expert with thirty years of telecommunications law experience involving regulatory advocacy and compliance, transactional expertise, litigation and operational matters. His experience includes broadband, video, telephone, and wireless.

Practice Overview

Mr. Beard’s practice focuses on representing cable, broadband, wireless and landline telecommunications companies on a wide variety of operational, compliance and transactional matters. He also assists the firm’s advocacy for the American Cable Association. Mr. Beard provides M&A assistance for buyers and sellers of cable systems. To date, he has assumed full deal responsibility and served as regulatory and consent/assignment counsel on over 75 transactions.

Mr. Beard also provides comprehensive FCC and contractual due diligence reviews associated with sales, financing and corporate compliance matters. He advises clients on retransmission consent contracts, programing agreements, compulsory copyright compliance, infrastructure agreements, pole attachment agreements, leases, sales agent agreements, non-compete agreements and other contractual matters. He provides representation at every stage of the customer relationship, ranging from service contracts and privacy matters to compliance with regulatory obligations. He also advises companies on the launch of VoIP services and compliance with voice related regulatory requirements. He also represents companies and individual land-owners in tower leases.

Mr. Beard’s practice includes representation before the FCC, the Illinois Commerce Commission, Missouri Public Service Commission, and other state agencies and local municipalities.

Personal History

Mr. Beard has been with Cinnamon Mueller for over 10 years. Immediately prior to joining Cinnamon Mueller, he served as General Counsel to Millennium Digital Media (a/k/a Broadstripe), a cable triple-play provider. As General Counsel at Millennium, he oversaw the company’s launch of VoIP, the acquisition and sale of several systems, managed over 130 local franchise relationships and orchestrated the sale and liquidation of MDM iNet.

Prior to joining Millennium, Mr. Beard had a 12-year career with SBC Communications (n/k/a AT&T). He joined the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company (SWBT) legal department in 1988 supporting the Procurement and Marketing Departments, reviewing contracts and providing legal analysis to clients. Two years later, he was assigned to SWBT’s Federal Regulatory legal group where he handled regulatory accounting, the Cost Allocation Manual, structural separation and affiliate transaction issues. In 1994, he transferred to Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems to provide counsel on general operational matters, advertising and marketing reviews, tower leases, roaming agreements, litigation management and personnel issues. He was also responsible for wireless regulatory matters at the state and federal level, including advocacy related to the implementation of the 1996 Telecommunication Act.

Mr. Beard was General Counsel for the SBC Wireless Midwest operations following the Ameritech merger. He oversaw the integration of the Ameritech wireless operations and legal department with SBC’s Cellular One-Chicago operations and legal department.

Prior to joining SBC, Mr. Beard was an attorney with Thompson & Mitchell (n/k/a Thompson Colburn) from 1985-1988. He practiced in the litigation department handling business litigation, barge line and railroad personal injury defense, and appellate matters. He handled numerous appeals, including briefing and oral argument before the United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit on an international contract dispute matter.

Mr. Beard also served as an Adjunct Professor at Webster University, teaching Telecommunications Law in the Telecommunication MBA program. He also served three terms as a teaching assistant for the Dale Carnegie Effective Communications and Human Relations Course.

Judicial Clerkships

Illinois Supreme Court, Law Clerk – Chief Justice Howard C. Ryan 1984-1985.

Education

Southern Illinois University School of Law, Carbondale, IL JD, summa cum laude (1984)

Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL - BA, with honor, History Major with Political Science and Economics Minors (1981)

Honors and Awards

• 2018 Cablefax Top Lawyer Honoree
• American Cable Association Board of Directors 2001-2008
• SBC 1994 Best Regulatory Brief Award “Equal Access for Commercial Mobile Radio Service Providers”
• SBC 1995 Best Regulatory Brief Award “In the Matter of Interconnection and Resale Obligations Pertaining to Commercial Mobile Radio Services”

Events/Presentations/Speaking Engagements

Mr. Beard is a regular speaker before industry groups and on webinars. He is a regular speaker at independent cable industry events including the National Cable Television Cooperative/ACA Independent Show, the NCTC Winter Educational Conference, the Montana Cable Telecommunications Association, and the Iowa Communications Alliance. Mr. Beard has provided guidance on the following topics: retransmission consent negotiations, closed captioning obligations, EAS responsibilities, CALM Act compliance, accessibility compliance, broadband stimulus opportunities, and general regulatory updates.

Publications

• Retransmission Consent 2017: Prepare Now, Come Out Ahead this Fall, Independent Cable News, April 2017, with Scott Friedman
• Cable and Telecom Deals-a Lawyers Perspective, Independent Cable News, July 2014, with Jake Baldwin.
• CALM Act- What You Need to Know, Independent Cable News, November 2012, with Jake Baldwin.
• The Heavy Hitting Cost of Unauthorized Pay-Per-View Broadcasts, Independent Cable News, April 2012, with Andrea Person.
• Implied Warranty of Habitability in the Sale of a New Home, Redarowicz v. Ohlendorf (1982), 92 Ill.2d 171, 1982 Southern Illinois University Law Journal 447.

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association
• Illinois Bar Association
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis;

Community Activity

• Alumni Board of Trustees-Eastern Illinois University Delta Chi Fraternity (2016-Present)
• Board of Directors-Chaminade College Preparatory School Club Lacrosse, Director and Past President (2006-2017)
• St Louis CYC Youth Basketball Coach (2002-2012)

Melanie A. McMullen

Melanie McMullen is a partner in Cinnamon Mueller’s Kansas City office. She has more than 25 years of industry experience and has been recognized as a Pathfinder by the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association for the significant impact she’s made on the industry. She brings a unique mix of business and legal experience to her practice, with significant expertise negotiating video distribution agreements, advanced media rights and broadcast retransmission consent. She also advises clients on cable franchising, regulatory due diligence, transactional and operational matters.

Practice Overview

Ms. McMullen’s practice focuses on securing video content rights and helping video and broadband companies understand the legal issues that inform the business decisions related to the provision of multichannel video and broadband services. She serves as outside General Counsel to the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association and has represented a top 10 CLEC’s video interests for several years, including through two substantial acquisitions valued at $2 billion and $10.5 billion, respectively.  She is particularly adept at analyzing carriage rights and obligations to assist clients with the integration of new systems, the standardization of channel lineups and the creation of new product offerings and, for some clients, essentially serves as their Programming department. She also advises new and existing video providers on a variety of operational matters, including entry into the video business, pole attachments, bulk and commercial service contracts, customer and regulatory notifications and marketing disclaimers.

Personal History

Ms. McMullen joined Cinnamon Mueller in 2011 after several years as the National Cable Television Cooperative’s chief legal officer. At NCTC, she managed the company’s Legal, Human Resources and Membership Affairs departments and managed the company’s legal strategy to secure favorable court rulings and settlements around membership and antitrust issues. She was one of the original architects of the NCTC’s pre-committed purchasing model, which NCTC continues to use today.

Ms. McMullen started her career directing government relations, franchising activity and regulatory affairs for Time Warner Cable in Kanas City as the industry faced passage of the 1992 Cable Act and the 1996 Telecommunications Act. She represented the company for 10 years as its Director of Regulatory Affairs, followed by several years as outside counsel, both with the law firm of Lathrop & Gage and as an independent consultant. In addition to her regulatory affairs duties at Time Warner Cable, she helped create and launch TWC Sports (formerly Metro Sports), the company’s regional sports network, and developed a private networking business with a number of local school districts valued at $5 million. She also worked as a Legislative Aide in the Missouri House of Representatives, held elected office twice, and worked on several successful state and local political campaigns, including a $30 million bond issue to expand the Kansas City Zoo, a $250 million bond issue for capital improvements and the hotel/rental car tax initiative that funded construction of the Sprint Center in Kansas City.

Education

J.D., University of Kansas School of Law, Lawrence, Kansas, 1990

B.S., Public Relations/Graphic Arts, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, MO, 1986

Events/Presentations/Speaking Engagements

Ms. McMullen has spoken on the acquisition of sports rights and broadcast retransmission consent at the NCTC/ACA Independent Show and the Mid-America Cable Show and regularly attends industry events, including the NCTC’s Winter Educational Conference, The Independent Show, the ACA Summit, INTX, the Mid-America Cable Show and the Consumer Electronics Show.

Honors & Awards

• Pathfinder, Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association, 2014
• Beacon Award/Strategic Planning (TCI Merger Strategic Plan), Cable Television Public Affairs Association, 1999
• Beacon Award/Communications Planning (TCI Merger Internal Communications Plan), Cable Television Public Affairs Association, 1999
• Coming Through Award (EduBiz Project - $5 million new business), Time Warner Cable, 1998
• Beacon Award/Government Relations (Kansas City Franchise Renewal Strategic Plan), Cable Television Public Affairs Association, 1994
• Accredited Business Communicator, International Association of Business Communicators

 Professional Affiliations

• Board Member, Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association
• Media Law Committee, Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
• Elected Committeewoman, Republican Central Committee (Clay County, MO 35-2), 2008-2010
• Presidential Delegate, Missouri State GOP, 2008
• Judicial Appointee, Clay County Constitutional Charter Commission, 2004-2005
• Elected Board Member & Chair, Kearney-Holt Regional Recreational Committee, 1999-2004
• Women at the Leading Edge, Central Exchange, Class of 2000
• Leadership Northland, Northland Regional Chamber of Commerce, Class of 1995

Scott C. Friedman

Scott Friedman is a partner with the law firm of Cinnamon Mueller.  He has over nine years’ experience in communications and copyright law with a primary focus on the cable, broadband, and telecommunications industries. 

Practice Overview

Mr. Friedman works with cable, broadband, and telecom companies in all facets of their businesses.  In particular, he helps cable, broadband, and telecom companies evaluate the impact and applicability of Federal and State laws, regulations, and legislation within their respective industries.  Mr. Friedman also assists clients on business matters, including retransmission consent and satellite programming contracts, subpoena compliance, web hosting and technical service agreements, cable system acquisitions, litigation, state and local franchising, pole attachments, regulatory compliance, Federal Trade Commission rules, and debt collection issues. 

Mr. Friedman also focuses on advising and representing the American Cable Association, the leading national trade association for small and medium-sized video and broadband companies.  Along with partner Barbara Esbin, Mr. Friedman has successfully represented the trade association in numerous FCC rulemakings and in responding to proposed mergers and acquisitions, gaining regulatory relief for smaller video distributors in the areas of broadband Internet, must carry and retransmission consent, access to programming, basic tier encryption, disabilities access compliance, set-top boxes, outage reporting and regulatory fees.  Mr. Friedman also heads up the CM team responsible for preparing bi-weekly regulatory updates for Association members.

Personal History

Mr. Friedman joined Cinnamon Mueller in 2006 after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Law School.  Mr. Friedman grew up in the cable industry – both his father and grandfather operated small cable systems at various times during his adolescence.  Feeling the urge to follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, Mr. Friedman began working for Cinnamon Mueller during law school and even coordinated with ACA president Matt Polka to study retransmission consent issues in 2004. 

Prior to joining Cinnamon Mueller, Mr. Friedman took part in the University of Wisconsin Law School’s prosecution project.  Mr. Friedman worked in the Winnebago County District Attorney’s Office, and conducted jury trials, preliminary hearings, plea negotiations, and bail hearings, drafted criminal complaints and court briefs, and negotiated juvenile matters.  To this day, Mr. Friedman credits much of his speaking and negotiating abilities to the on-your-feet courtroom experience he gained participating in this project.

Outside of the office, Mr. Friedman enjoys playing tennis and coaching his son’s soccer and hockey teams.  An avid weather fanatic, he is a national weather service trained severe weather spotter.                                                       

Judicial Clerkships 

Judge Daniel Moeser, Dane County Circuit Court Branch 11, Wisconsin (2005).

Education 

• University of Wisconsin Law School, Madison, WI – J.D. (2006)
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI – B.A. History, B.A. Political Science (2003)

Events/Presentations/Speaking Engagements 

• Presenter, “Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Subpoena Compliance,” American Cable Association Webinar (2014)
• Presenter, “EAS CAP Webinar” Iowa Telecommunications Association (2012)
• Regular attendee at the ACA’s Annual D.C. Summit, NCTC/ACA’s The Independent Show, the Minnesota Telecom Alliance’s Annual Convention, and BroadbandVision (f/k/a TelcoVision and TelcoTV)

Publications                                                                                      

• Co-Author, “Retrans Redux: Lessons for Doing Battle with Broadcasters,” Independent Cable News (2014)
• Co-Author, “The Need for Obtaining Retransmission Consent, Broadcasters Step Up FCC Action,” Rural Telecom Magazine (2012)
• Co-Author, “Next-Generation EAS:  The Emergency Alert System, Common Alerting Protocol, and National Test – Oh My!” Independent Cable News (2011) 

Professional Affiliations 

Illinois Bar Association, Wisconsin Bar Association.  

Kelsey E. Rejko

Kelsey Rejko is an associate attorney with Cinnamon Mueller.

Practice Overview

Ms. Rejko’s practice focuses on representing cable, wireless, broadband and landline telecommunications companies on an array of programming, operational and transactional matters. Ms. Rejko also assists cable, broadband, and telecom companies in assessing the impact of Federal and State legislation, FCC rulings and legal opinions on their business. Ms. Rejko has significant educational background and experience in regulatory compliance, contract negotiation and drafting, broadband and telecommunications law.

Personal History

Ms. Rejko is a 2018 graduate of UCLA law school, where she focused her studies on telecommunications, broadband and media law. Ms. Rejko served as President of the UCLA Sports Law Federation, and UCLA Law Admissions Ambassador.

During law school Ms. Rejko served as a legal extern with UCLA Athletics, where she gained hands on experience with regulatory compliance, interpreting bylaws, regulations and policies. She further developed contract drafting and negotiation skills and oral advocacy and legal writing skills, working directly with industry professionals through her clinical coursework.

As a legal intern at Wasserman Media Group, Ms. Rejko worked directly with the senior vice president of broadcasting and coaching to draft and review broadcasting and podcast contracts and sponsorship, appearance and merchandising agreements.

Ms. Rejko also served as legal intern with Roy Sports Group Hockey in St. Louis where she gained experience updating consulting agreements, researching non-solicitation/non-compete clauses and proposed changes to agreements.

Ms. Rejko is a native of St Louis. Outside of the office, Ms. Rejko enjoys both indoor and sand volleyball, horseback riding and is an avid St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues fan.

Professional Affiliations

• Missouri Bar Association
• Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Education

• Juris Doctor, UCLA School of Law, Los Angeles, California 2018
• Bachelor of Science in Parks, Recreation and Tourism, Valedictorian, School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri – Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, 2015