Richard E. Wiley is a Partner in the Washington D.C. law
firm of Wiley Rein LLP, with over 250 lawyers and one of
the nation’s largest communications practice.
A native of Winnetka, Illinois, Dick Wiley (like his two brothers before him)
graduated from New Trier High School where, among various activities, he played
Varsity Baseball, other team sports, the euphonium horn in the Band and Orchestra
and, most of all, enjoyed his challenging Great Books class.
Mr. Wiley later graduated from Northwestern University (B.S. with distinction, and
again participating in Varsity Baseball and the University’s Bands and Orchestra);
Northwestern Law School (J.D.); and Georgetown Law Center (LL.M). After serving
as an Officer in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps at The Pentagon,
he returned to Chicago to practice law and teach law school for eight years.
From 1970-77, Dick Wiley served as Chairman, Commissioner and General Counsel
of the Federal Communications Commission where he was a leading force in the
agency’s initial efforts to foster increased competition and lessened regulation in
the communications field. He is the only person to have held all three positions.
Thereafter, Mr. Wiley was the Managing Partner of Kirkland and Ellis’ Washington
D.C. Office and, beginning in 1983, of his own law firm. Over some 30 years, he was
involved in a host of major communications mergers and acquisitions. And for nearly
a decade, he also led pro bono the effort to develop a new digital HDTV transmission
standard for our country and received an Emmy for his role.
Dick Wiley has been profiled in numerous publications, including The New York
Times (“Telecommunications’ Ubiquitous Man of Influence”), Los Angeles Times
(“The Sixth Commissioner”), International Herald Tribune (“Most Influential Media
Lawyer in the U.S.”), American Lawyer (“Brand Name of Communications Law”),
Toronto Globe and Mail (“Father of HDTV”), D.C. Bar Journal (“Legend of the Bar”),
Broadcasting and Cable (“100 Men of the Century”), etc.
He also has received many industry awards and chaired
a variety of bar associations.
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