Phillip Spector Joins Milbank’s Space Business Practice

July 29, 2013

Making a significant commitment to its leading satellite and space industry practice, Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy announced that Phillip L. Spector, a widely recognized attorney and business executive in the satellite and telecommunications industries, has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as Of Counsel. His arrival augments Milbank’s preeminent Space Business Group, which represents satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, investors and financial institutions worldwide.

Mr. Spector was formerly Executive Vice President, Business Development, and General Counsel of Intelsat, the world’s largest satellite operator, where his responsibilities included strategic ventures and acquisitions, government affairs and regulatory matters, procurement and provisioning of satellite capacity and multi-billion dollar financing transactions.  Before joining Intelsat in 2005, Mr. Spector was the managing partner of the Washington, D.C. office of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, a member of the firm’s Management Committee, and chairman of its Communications & Technology Group.

At Milbank, Mr. Spector will bring to bear his extensive experience in the satellite industry with key executives and investors at senior management levels.  He will work closely with space business partners Peter Nesgos in New York and Dara Panahy in Washington, D.C.  Additionally, he will pursue a broader corporate and telecommunications practice based on his past representation of many of the world’s major telecom companies.  Drawing from his experience as General Counsel of Intelsat, Mr. Spector’s hands-on involvement with corporate governance and compliance matters – such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Exon-Florio Amendment (CFIUS) notifications, U.S. and multilateral economic sanctions regimes, and various export control laws – will also support the firm’s corporate client base.

“Our space and satellite practice continues to set new standards in corporate transactions, financings, litigation and other areas – it has become one of our most vibrant groups, working with a wide range of major industry stakeholders.  Phil Spector brings the benefits of many years of law firm and general counsel experience, which will add materially to our highly regarded corporate and financing practice in the satellite and space industry.  His deal-making skills and corporate governance expertise will provide our clients the advice and counsel essential to this rapidly growing and competitive sector,” said Milbank chairman Scott Edelman. 

Mr. Nesgos, who leads Milbank’s Space Business Group, added: “Phil will actively support our goal to solidify and broaden our significant market presence in the space business and expand our activity for existing satellite operator and manufacturer clients, along with the major banks and investment funds active in the sector.  We see space and telecoms continuing as a growth-engine for economies on a world-wide basis.” 

“Phil’s experience as Intelsat’s General Counsel and more than 20 years of senior corporate practice in Washington, bring a new dimension to his return to private practice.  Our clients will benefit from his solid understanding of how things work in the U.S. Congress and at various U.S. government departments and agencies, including Justice, State, Treasury and the Federal Communications Commission,” noted Washington, D.C. partner Mr. Panahy.

“Milbank has built the leading practice in satellite and space-related legal matters.  I am delighted to return to private practice, and I look forward to working with the many lawyers engaged in this business across Milbank’s network of offices in the U.S., Latin America, Europe and Asia,” said Mr. Spector.

Mr. Spector earned his law degree (magna cum laude) and a master’s in public policy degree from Harvard University.  After Harvard, Mr. Spector clerked for Judge James Oakes of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and for Justice Thurgood Marshall of the U.S. Supreme Court.  He then served in the White House as Associate Assistant to the President before entering private practice in Washington.