Robert McDowell

Rob McDowell is co-chair of Cooley LLP’s global communications practice group and a former commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission. At Cooley, he advises telecommunications, media and technology clients on their most significant regulatory, legal and business
matters. He was first appointed to the FCC by President George W. Bush in 2006 and again by President Obama in 2009. He was unanimously confirmed both times by the U.S. Senate. During his tenure, Rob led efforts to expand consumer access to spectrum through his work on the two largest wireless auctions in U.S. history at the time, played a key role in the 2009 digital television transition and led efforts to establish the first federal civil rights rule in a generation by creating a ban on racially discriminatory practices in broadcast advertising