About
Ms. Rule is a partner and heads the firm’s Communications Taxes and Fee Practice. Ms. Rule also counsels clients in a variety of transactional, land use, regulatory, litigation and dispute resolution matters.
Her litigation experience includes representing corporate clients and individuals in arbitration proceedings, state and federal court proceedings, and state and federal administrative adjudications. In addition, Ms. Rule has substantial appellate experience at both the state and federal level.
In her transactional and regulatory practice, Ms. Rule assists clients with drafting and negotiation of a wide variety of commercial contracts and license agreements. Ms. Rule also has gained substantial expertise in the taxation and regulatory treatment of evolving and advanced communications services, including cloud-based services and IP-enabled services. Ms. Rule has assisted numerous VoIP providers in understanding the complexities of state taxation of communications services and in complying with ever-changing state and federal regulatory requirements.
Ms. Rule’s clients have included VoIP providers, communications equipment manufacturers, providers of cloud-based communications services, Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECS), prepaid communications providers, gift card providers, mobile payment providers, domestic and international long distance providers (IXCs), wireless and MVNO providers, municipal and commercial providers of communications services, municipal and publicly-owned utilities, consumer advocacy groups, small business owners, real estate developers, commercial landlords, and software developers.
Representative Experience
- Regularly representing clients in both federal and state litigation involving commercial disputes and disputes with regulatory agencies
- Assisting clients in navigating all phases of tax and regulatory fee audits at the state and federal level, including preparing initial responses to auditors, participating in onsite meetings with auditors, serving as an active liaison with audit authorities, and negotiating settlements with taxing authorities
- Performing regulatory audits examining the appropriate classification of IP-enabled and advanced services and advising as to the related regulatory obligations imposed on providers of such services
- Assisting communications providers in gaining access to necessary infrastructure, such as rights-of-way, utility poles and conduits, commercial buildings, and wireless structures
- Assisting on-line retailers with the creation of Privacy Policies, Customer Service Agreements, and Terms of Use
- Advising clients regarding state and federal regulations impacting the prepaid and stored value industries
- Assisting clients in the formation, dissolution and acquisition of corporate entities
- Drafting and negotiation of commercial contracts and license agreements
- Participation in federal and state rulemaking, declaratory rulings, and other policy proceedings before a number of state and federal regulatory agencies
- Obtaining state and federal authorizations for local, long distance, international, prepaid, and wireless communications services
- Drafting, preparing, filing, and maintaining telecommunications tariffs
Publications
Regular Contributor to the Prepaid Press
Washington and Lee School of Law: Women in the Law: Finding the Work/Life Balance (2006)
Alliance for Community Media: National Conference (2002-2003); North East Regional Conference (2003) – Legal Issues Related to Rights-of-Way Regulation by Local Governments
American Foundation for the Blind – Annual Access Award
Education
Ms. Rule is a graduate with honors from Texas A&M University, and she earned her Juris Doctorate from Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1999.
Admissions
Ms. Rule is admitted to practice in the State of Maryland and the District of Columbia and is a member of the bar of the United States Courts of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the United States Federal Circuit.
Practices
- Telecommunications, VoIP, and Advanced Communications Services
- Communications Taxes and Fees
- USAC Compliance, Audit Preparation and Defense
- Broadband Networks and Internet Applications
- Internet Law & E-Commerce
- Wireless Communications and MVNOs
- Communications Infrastructure and Access
- International Telecommunications
- Telemarketing & Mass Market Sales
- Corporate, Contracts and Commercial Transactions
- Dispute Resolution and Litigation
- Debit Cards, Gift Cards and Stored Value
- Satellite: Land Mobile, Marine and Aero
- Cloud Computing and Communications (SaaS / CaaS / IaaS)
- Internet of Things & Connected Devices
Speaking Engagements
- Speaker at Prepaid Press Expo 2012, “Navigating Through Prepaid Regulation & Legislation: Payments Regulations”
- Speaker at TeleStrategies 2012, “Advanced FCC Revenue Reporting: Misperceptions, Mistakes & Missed Opportunities”
