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Keller and Heckman LLPPartner
Sean A. Stokes
Pro

Sean A. Stokes

5.0
1 review

1001 G Street NW, Suite 500 West, Washington, DC 20001

Telecommunications, Digital Media, Technology, and Telecommunications and Energy, Infrastructure, and Transportation

About Sean A. Stokes

Sean Stokes represents clients nationally on a wide range of communications matters, including broadband, cable television, wireless communications, right-of-way management, pole attachments, barriers to community broadband initiatives, and public-private partnerships. He counsels clients in developing and negotiating agreements involving access to poles, ducts, conduits, dark fiber, and towers. He has represented municipal utilities, electric cooperatives, investor-owned utilities, and local governments in complex negotiations developing city-wide fiber-to-the-home networks and wireless small cell siting agreements. He has also assisted in the creation of public-private broadband consortia seeking federal and state broadband funding.

Sean has advised clients in numerous cases involving complex factual, legal, and policy issues, multiple parties, and large amounts in controversy. His clients include national and state utility associations, municipal leagues, and numerous public and private entities throughout the United States (U.S.). He collaborates with multi-disciplinary teams of legal, financial, engineering, and other technical experts, assisting clients in making comprehensive telecommunications and broadband plans.

Sean has authored numerous industry publications and is the principal author of an extensive guidebook and a model pole attachment agreement for the American Public Power Association (APPA), which assists approximately 2,000 public power utilities. He is frequently invited to speak at industry conferences and has recently presented on topics such as community broadband, small cell, pole attachments, and public-private partnerships.

Sean's extensive career experience includes counseling clients at a boutique Washington, DC telecommunications law firm, as well as Associate General Counsel for the Utilities Technologies Council (UTC), where he helped develop and implement the legislative and regulatory strategy of the nation’s electric, gas, and water utilities regarding the adoption and implementation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Awards

•AV Preeminent Rated by Martindale-Hubbell

Insights & In the News

Communications and Technology Alert: March Open Commission Meeting Agenda, PSHSB Announce...

03.23.2026
Publication

Communications and Technology Alert: Senate NG911 Legislation Introduced; Enforcement Bur...

03.16.2026
Publication

Communications and Technology Alert: March Open Meeting Tentative Agenda; Network Moderni...

03.09.2026
Publication

Sean Stokes Featured in CBAN’s Broadband Action Podcast

In The News
11.14.2024

Events

Partner Sean Stokes to Present at TAG's Infrastructure Society Webinar on BEAD

Speaking Engagement

04.07.2026

 

Sean A. Stokes (Washington, District of Columbia) View website

Awards

AV Preeminent Peer Rated
This elite award is granted to attorneys who have been recognized by their peers for their very high ethical standards, with an average peer review score of 4.5 or higher.
Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV

Client Champion Awards

Client Champion awards recognize those attorneys who excel at service as affirmed by their clients. The awards, based on the quantity and quality of an attorney’s Martindale-Hubbell client reviews, demonstrate an ongoing commitment to delivering excellent client service. Award recipients stand out from their peers with a platinum, gold or silver icon.

Champion Badge Silver

At least three reviews and a score of 4.0 or higher.

Champion Badge Gold

At least six reviews and a score of 4.2 or higher.

Champion Badge Platinum

At least ten reviews and a score of 4.5 or higher.

Martindale Peer Awards

A lawyer who receives a minimum threshold of qualifying responses from fellow attorneys can qualify for one of three prestigious Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings:

Martindale-Hubbell Peer AV Preeminent Rating

AV Preeminent®: The highest peer rating standard. This rating signifies a large number of the lawyer’s peers rank him or her at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal knowledge, communication skills and ethical standards.

Sean A. Stokes got this award in 2021

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Distinguished Rating

Distinguished: An excellent rating for a lawyer with some experience. This rating indicates the attorney is widely respected by their peers for high professional achievement and ethical standards.

Martindale-Hubbell Peer Notable Rating

Notable: This rating indicates that the lawyer has been recognized by a large number of their peers for strong ethical standards.

Avvo Awards

Avvo Top Contributor

Avvo Top Contributor: The Avvo Top Contributor Award is granted to attorneys who have earned significant contribution points in a given year on our sister site, Avvo.com. Contribution points are earned by answering questions in Q&A, publishing Legal Guides, and other useful contributions to the Avvo community.

Avvo Client Choice

Avvo Client’s Choice: The Avvo Client's Choice Award Badge is granted to attorneys with a significant number of 4+ star reviews in a given year.

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Services

Areas of Law

  • Other 3
    • Telecommunications
    • Digital Media, Technology, and Telecommunications
    • Energy, Infrastructure, and Transportation

Practice Details

  • Firm Information
    Position
    Partner
    Firm Name
    Keller and Heckman LLP
  • Representative Cases & Transactions
    Cases
    Representative Matters: Developed strategies
    negotiated dozens of agreements relating to infrastructure siting, acquisition,
    leasing, including pole attachments, conduit leases, dark fiber leases
    indefeasible rights of use (IRUs),
    wireless facilities siting
    Developed
    helped implement legal, regulatory,
    legislative strategies to remove barriers to broadb
    entry
    Negotiated public-private broadb
    partnerships
    Successfully assisted clients in obtaining federal broadb
    funding
    complying with federal program grant obligations
    Negotiated network operating agreement between private broadb
    provider
    electric cooperatives
    Negotiated
    helped create a broadb
    consortium to seek federal
    state broadb
    funding
    Represented a major utility trade association before the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
    in the appeal of the FCC's Small Cell Wireless Order before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, City of Portl
    vs. United States, 969 F.3d 1020 (9th Cir. 2020)
    Assisted a mid-size capital city in successfully developing, negotiating,
    implementing a complex, innovative wireless right-of-way siting ordinance that ultimately had the support of both the wireless industry
    the civic association
    Brought successful petitions to FCC on behalf of two public power utilities to preempt state laws that posed barriers to municipal broadb
    initiatives (FCC decision subsequently overturned for lack of preemptive authority)
    Assisted clients with implementing federal communications regulatory compliance requirements
    including universal service, customer proprietary network information (CPNI),
    the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)
    Won a large federal jury verdict for a small cable operator against national cable TV provider for violating Florida's deceptive
    unfair trade practices laws
    Negotiated cable television
    wireline
    wireless telecommunications franchises
    other agreements affecting the public right-of-way
    Assisted small new cable TV operators with acquiring access to television
    cable programming
  • Additional Links
    https://www.khlaw.com/people/sean-stokes

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    1990, Pennsylvania
    1991, District of Columbia
    Memberships

    Memberships

    •American Bar Association (ABA)
    •Electric Cooperative Bar Association (ECBA)
    •National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA)

  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    George Washington University Law School
    Class of 1990
    J.D.
    Other Education
    Denison University
    Class of 1987
    B.A.
  • Personal Details & History
    Age
    Born in 1964
    October 20, 1964

Activity

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Attorneys FAQs

  • Is this attorney Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review rated?
    Yes, Sean A. Stokes has a 5.0 Peer Rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
  • How many attorneys are in this law firm?
    Keller and Heckman LLP has 80 attorneys at this location.
  • What law school did this attorney attend?
    Sean A. Stokes attended George Washington University Law School.
  • What year was this attorney's law firm established?
    Keller and Heckman LLP was established in 1962.

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