Kathleen Kirby Named One of 75 “Outstanding Women Lawyers” Nationwide by The National Law Journal

Kathleen A. Kirby, chair of Wiley Rein’s Media Practice, has been named one of the nation’s “Outstanding Women Lawyers” by The National Law Journal (NLJ). Ms. Kirby is among 75 of the “most accomplished female attorneys in the legal profession today, representing excellence in private practice, corporate counsel work, public interest law, legal education, and the judiciary.” A special edition with the complete list was published today.

Ms. Kirby, who is “plugged into the media space” according to the NLJ, represents many of the nation's top media companies in business, transactional, legislative, and regulatory matters. Her clients include Alpha Media USA, Azteca International Corporation, CBS, London Broadcasting, Gannett, Gray Television, the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), CNZ Communications, Liberman Broadcasting, and the National Association of Broadcasters. A former broadcaster, Ms. Kirby has been involved in over 65% of all television and radio M&A deals over the last decade.

The NLJ cited Ms. Kirby's role in guiding Red Zebra Broadcasting's Federal Communications Commission (FCC) license renewal for its Buckland, Virginia radio station; she helped persuade the FCC to reject petitions to deny WWXX(FM)’s license renewal based on the station’s broadcast of the word “Redskins” in identifying the Washington Redskins professional football team. She was also noted for her role as longtime First Amendment counsel to the RTDNA, including advocating for cameras in the courtroom to increase the transparency of judicial proceedings.

Ms. Kirby was recently elected to the Governing Board of the American Bar Association’s Forum on Communications Law and is a former National Co-Chair of the Forum’s Women in Communications Law Committee. She also received the prestigious 2015 First Amendment Leadership Award from the Radio Television Digital News Foundation (RTDNF)—the educational arm of RTDNA. She is a mentor to young lawyers throughout the communications bar, and her pro bono work includes efforts on behalf of the Student Press Law Center and Fairfax County music programs.