Channel Law Group


Channel Law Group, LLP Long Beach, California Channel Law Group, LLP is a boutique practice with a broad expertise in telecommunications and media law, litigation, mediation, utility regulation, land use and real estate, franchising, rights-of-way, municipal law, environmental law, business formation and contract law. Our current focus is on providing legal support for telecommunications infrastructure deployment and management, in addition to providing legal services to media companies and cable television affiliates. Channel Law Group’s attorneys have appeared in federal and state court in California and Colorado, including the Ninth Circuit, and before the California, Nevada, New York, Connecticut and Vermont Public Utilities Commissions, and the boards, councils and commissions of numerous local jurisdictions throughout California, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Ohio. Our attorneys are board members and active participants in several organizations, including but not limited to the California Wireless Association (CalWA), the Long Beach Grand Cru and Women in Cable Telecommunications (WICT). Channel Law Group also supports the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA) and participates as a board member and sponsor of its fundraising arm known as the Long Beach Grand Cru.
	Robert Jystad Robert Jystad is Managing Partner of the Channel Law Group and represents wireless carriers and tower companies on land use, leasing and regulatory matters. He has appeared before planning commissions, city councils and county boards in dozens of jurisdictions throughout California and has made appearances at the Federal Communications Commission, the California Public Utilities Commission, the Ninth Circuit and every federal district court in California and the California Supreme Court. Prior to starting Channel Law Group, Robert represented wireless carriers, tower companies, cable operators and competitive telecommunications carriers and specialized in right-of-way and land use litigation and regulation at the federal, state and local level. He negotiated right-of-way encroachment agreements and permits for fiber optic networks and successfully defended use permits for antenna sites in multiple federal court cases.
Robert is a founding board member and Vice President of the California Wireless Association, which represents the wireless industry in California. Robert was published in the New Europe Law Review and has won awards for his academic writing. He has been a member of the California Bar Association since 1996 and is a graduate of UCLA Law School (J.D., 1996) and the Columbia School of Public and International Affairs (M.I.A., 1993). He also has degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary (M.Div., 1986) and the University of California, Irvine (B.A., 1980). He is married to Lynn and has one daughter, Kaia. They reside with two dogs and three cats in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, and in his spare time Robert is an avid golfer and guitar player.
	Julian K. Quattlebaum, III Channel Law Group partner Julian Quattlebaum is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a former partner with the Denver law firm of Sherman & Howard, where he practiced from 1977 to 1986. His practice focused on complex partnership and joint venture arrangements, primarily in the cable television and real estate industries. In 1986, Mr. Quattlebaum joined the legal department of Denver-based Daniels & Associates, the holding company which owned and operated the assets of cable television pioneer Bill Daniels, including numerous cable television systems located across the country and the nation's premier cable television brokerage and investment banking firm. In the role of General Counsel for the various Daniels entities, his responsibilities included legal affairs related to several sports-related holdings, automobile racing enterprises, Daniels’ partial ownership of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Prime Ticket Network, the regional cable television sports network for Southern California.
As General Counsel of this latter entity (which subsequently became Fox Sports West), Mr. Quattlebaum gained experience in a broad panoply of production and rights acquisition and distribution related transactions, as well as financings, litigation management and operational issues. Julian subsequently joined the law firm of Cole Raywid & Braverman as Counsel in their El Segundo, CA office where his primary practice areas consisted of working with start-up cable programming ventures with respect to their organizational, financing and transactional issues as well as dealing with cable television operators’ franchise and other regulatory compliance issues. He holds active licenses for the practice of law in both California and Colorado. He is a member of the mediation panels of the California Court of Appeal and the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Dispute Resolution Services. A native of Savannah, Georgia, Julian lives in Manhattan Beach with his wife, Kanittha, and son, Jake.
	Jamie T. Hall Jamie T. Hall is a partner of Channel Law Group, LLP and works in the area of communications law, with a special focus in land use, municipal and regulatory affairs. Jamie was born and raised in West Texas. He attended The University of Texas at Austin and graduated with Highest Honors with the degree of Bachelor of Journalism in May 2001 and High Honors with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in History in August 2001. In August 2001, he entered The University of Texas School of Law. In August 2002, he entered The Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas as a dual degree student in law and public affairs. Jamie earned his J.D. and Master of Public Affairs (M.P.Aff.) in December 2004. Jamie was admitted to practice law in Texas in May 2005 and in California in December 2005. Jamie interned at the Federal Communications Commission in 2002 and the Texas Association of Broadcasters (“TAB”) in 2003. While at TAB, Jamie conducted a nationwide survey on behalf of a Media Security and Reliability Council subcommittee regarding the Emergency Alert System. Jamie also was a research assistant for TAB’s Freedom of Information Task Force, a group committed to maintaining open government principles.
Jamie also was a team leader for a graduate research team commissioned by the Texas Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund Board, a state agency responsible for managing $1.5 billion in state funds allocated for telecommunications infrastructure. Jamie is committed to giving back to the community as well. Jamie was an intern at the National Senior Citizens Law Center in 2004, where he penned articles for the Nursing Home Law Letter and the Washington Weekly . Jamie currently volunteers at the Long Beach Self-Help Center, a project of Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County.
	Martha Hudak Martha Hudak has been working with Bob, Julian and Jamie since August 2006. Prior to that she served as in-house counsel at Adelphia Communications Corporation both in Santa Monica, CA as Senior Regional Counsel and at Adelphia’s former headquarters of Coudersport, PA as a Staff Attorney. While at Adelphia, Martha was involved in a variety of legal disciplines -- corporate real estate, litigation, dispute resolution, and review of advertising and marketing pieces. However, Martha’s primary area of focus was cable television franchise compliance, negotiation and drafting, and cable regulatory issues. Martha is admitted to practice in New York and New Jersey and is currently seeking admission in California. Prior to becoming an attorney, Martha spent 20 years in the travel industry, primarily in sales and account management. During that time, Martha spent much of her employment with American Express where she managed the relationship between American Express and many of its largest customers. In addition, Martha spent a year at the United Nations where she served as the General Manager of American Express and was the primary point of contact for American Express at the United Nations where she managed an operation of approximately 60 employees.
While at the United Nations, Martha was privileged to assist the United Nations with its electoral observers in South Africa for that country’s first all race elections in 1994. In addition, Martha participated on a team that was charged with merging the operations of a $2 billion company acquired by American Express. Finally, while at American Express she was the recipient of the Centurion Club for Outstanding Sales and Service Award and a two-time recipient of the Chairman’s Award for Quality. Martha grew up in Youngstown, Ohio. She is a graduate of New York Law School (J.D., 1999) and has also received an M.B.A from Maryville University in St. Louis (1990) and a B.A. from Miami University in Oxford, OH (1977). Martha served as Treasurer for the Southern California chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications for 2005 and 2006 and is currently serving on the board as Communications Chair.
	Charles J. McLurkin Charles J. McLurkin became a partner at Channel Law Group in March, 2009. He heads up the firm�s litigation department and has been practicing law in California since 1995. Charles comes to Channel Law Group after serving as Chief of Staff to California State Assembly Member Mike R. Davis (48th Dist.). A native Southern Californian, Charles went to the University of Southern California where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications. After graduation, he pursued a career in advertising. However, early on he realized his passion was to become an advocate. He went to Loyola Law School where he received his Juris Doctor in 1995. Upon graduation, Charles went into litigation, where he handled complex-civil litigation, "Bad Faith" insurance defense, and criminal defense. His Bad Faith areas of expertise include: Earthquake/Dwelling, Toxic Mold, Duty to Defend, Fraud and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Claims.
Besides gaining invaluable litigation experience, Charles�s experience in advertising and his passion for advocacy, led to an expertise in contract negotiation and representation in sports management. He currently represents former USC All-American Defensive End and Seattle Seahawks� 2008 first-round draft pick Lawrence Jackson. Charles has a strong sense of commitment to Southern California. Besides serving as Chief of Staff to Assembly Member Mike Davis, he sits on the board for the California African American Museum. He is also active in many organizations, including the California Wireless Association, Long Beach Grand Cru, Los Angeles County Bar Association, National Bar Association and the John M. Langston Bar Association. Charles resides in Los Angeles with his wife, Monique, and their three children Blair, Pierce and Evan.
	Shannon Harkins Shannon Harkins, the firm's Manager and Senior Paralegal, has been working with attorneys since 1998 and has worked as a paralegal in the telecommunications field since 2000. Though Shannon joined Channel Law Group in March 2008, she has worked with Bob, Julian and Martha over the past 8 years as a legal assistant for Cole, Raywid & Braverman, LLP and most recently with Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. Shannon joined the Channel Law Group team as their Firm Manager and Senior Paralegal and uses her time in fulfilling paralegal and other legal support needs in addition to managing the office. Shannon has experience dealing with the California Public Utilities Commission and the Federal Communications Commission and has provided litigation support in California courts at the federal and state level. In her 10 years of working with attorneys she has gained experience in the practice areas of bankruptcy, civil litigation, entertainment and telecommunications.
Shannon is a graduate of the American Bar Association approved El Camino College with an Associate of Science Degree and Legal Assistant Certificate of Competence. Shannon is also a member of the Los Angeles Paralegal Association. Shannon was born and raised in southern California and currently resides in Long Beach with her husband Jonathan.