Chris Boam Email & Phone Number

Northern Virginia, U.S.A.

40A&M LLC is a Northern Virginia-based consulting firm focused on Internet and communications technology law and policy issues.Our particular skill is the ability to move seamlessly from the details to the top-line issues and back again. And – ensure that you can too. Whether the desire is for targeted research, in-person advocacy, issue briefings, tracking of legal and regulatory developments, speeches and presentations, or strategic planning, we tailor a result that best meets your needs.40A&M’s issues of expertise include privacy, intellectual property protection online, comparative national market regulation and performance, Internet governance and cloud services take-up, among many others. We have helped high-level executives and similarly supported their working teams with complex international policy issues and policy-making institutions on three continents.

For over six years, I managed the ‘Europe desk’ for Verizon’s Public Affairs, Policy & Communications Department. I tracked and developed regulatory filings and advocacy strategy on communications regulatory law and policy at the European Union (EU) and in its member countries. This is where Verizon’s international business presence was its largest globally. I was actively engaged in Europe’s rewrite of its data protection law and policy and electronic communications regulatory framework, and more recently, discussions regarding possible room for agreement on EU-U.S. trade issues. As an industry expert advisor on information technology issues, I was a veteran speaker and group leader for Verizon at numerous international conferences, where I also played an active role in over a dozen U.S. delegations to the OECD. In this capacity, I also met with government officials of the U.S., European Union (EU), U.K., France, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Canada, Japan and Costa Rica to advocate or support company positions. I was frequently engaged in helping to drive industry consensus on complex issues as diverse and data retention, privacy and trade and jointly developed international association messaging and media on these issues. Lots of fond memories in these efforts.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

I led executive briefings and inter-departmental working groups on international privacy compliance. This included providing internal legal clearance to product and service legal teams as well as negotiating with external customer counsel on related international contract provisions. In this capacity, I also developed internal training programs, policies and online tools for global privacy compliance, led internal legal teams in developing its intra-company agreements, and conducted the training of company personnel in multiple countries. This included – during the final year of my tenure with MCI – serving as its Data Protection Officer for Europe. I also drafted public comments on company interests to government institutions in the U.S., Latin America, United Nations, APEC Member Countries, the EU and its member countries. In this capacity, I worked to develop industry consensus on related issues being considered within government advisory committees and international associations.

The firm's communications practice was part of the litigation group in its Washington, DC office. I developed pre-trial pleadings, expert witness examinations and serve in a five-day U.S. District Court insurance defense trial. I also defended multiple trademarks and applications before the Patent and Trademark Office and drafted pleadings and litigation strategy for lead counsel in a successful D.C. Court of Appeals loan recovery proceeding. In addition, I briefed and updated clients on Internet jurisdictional law and content regulation and developed privacy audit strategies and privacy policies.

In my first real cut at telecom issues, a highlight was the background I developed to brief partners and clients on changes to investment caps resulting from the World Trade Organization Agreement on Basic Telecommunications.

A mid-19th century NY-based firm rich in history, which unfortunately closed up shop in the midst of the 2008 economic downturn. While summering for them after my first year, I assisted underwriter’s counsel in the closing of initial public offerings and drafted memoranda on product tying restrictions and other legal impediments to mergers of financial institutions. It proved to be great experience for '33 and '34 Act securities course work I would take in my 2nd and 3rd years of law school.

From the change in leadership of the House, to the start of law school full time, AWF and its people in DC and Africa shaped one of my favorite work experiences. My brief time with them, before starting law school full-time, not only highlighted to me the emerging power of the Internet - particularly for critical conservation work - but also, gave me my first crack at designing an early web site. As office and IT systems manager for a non-profit, I also honed critical organizational and budgeting skills.

As Staff Assistant, I was proud to be part of a dynamic team of majority staffers to the then House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee (today’s Committee on Financial Services) Subcommittee on Economic Growth & Credit Formation. I had the rare opportunity to work with then Chairman (Paul Kanjorski, D-PA) and Ranking Minority Member (Tom Ridge, R-PA) and the staff to draft and shepherd two pieces of economic development legislation through committee and successful House floor votes. I also drafted speeches, editorials and the Member briefing book on the Subcommittee's jurisdiction. But for me, most memorable was the chance to help develop hearings on oversight of the Federal Reserve System, federal research funding and technology commercialization, and creation of a secondary market for small business loans -- finance- and innovation-related topics that I still try to keep pace with to this day.

I will always be grateful to Congressman Kanjorski for giving me the opportunity to come to Washington and work for my home region, as a 22-year old with the bright-eyed hope to actually apply a political science degree. Memorable issues in constituent mail include the I-81 expansion, problems for the social security 'notch', and fielding queries from those wanting the Federal Reserve to return to the gold standard.

J.D.

Activities and Societies: Student Delegate, Curriculum Committee, on legal writing requirements, 1997-98. Published Giving the Phoenix.

B.S., Political Science

Student Director, Freshman Orientation, 1991-92. Editor, Student newspaper, The Connection, 1990-91.