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Paul was a majority counsel for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee from June 2001 to January 2005, where he served as a principal advisor on Internet, telecommunications and copyright policy to former Chairman John McCain (R-AZ). Paul also provided legislative analysis and assistance on these issues to the other Republican members of the Committee and their staffs. During his tenure in the Senate, Paul was the lead Commerce counsel on most Internet and business technology matters, and often participated on Congressional staff panels at conferences and other events when such issues were before the Senate. Paul also served as the principal advisor to Senator McCain on intellectual property and digital media content issues, as well as a range of privacy matters from online privacy to homeland security initiatives.
Paul's policy expertise covers a wide range of Internet, telecommunications, and intellectual property issues, including: e-commerce and electronic privacy issues; Internet advertising; spyware; spam; phishing; junk fax and do-not-call restrictions; telecommunications and universal service reform; broadband deployment; Internet access issues; voice and video over IP; the digital television transition; the use of digital content and related copyright issues; and an array of wireless matters such as spectrum allocation, RFID, ultra-wideband, Wi-Fi, number portability, wireless directory assistance privacy, wireless spam, and E-911 implementation.
Paul's leadership in policy development in the Senate can be divided into three major areas:
Internet & E-Commerce: During the 108th Congress, Paul was the lead Senate counsel responsible for spyware legislation. He organized the Senate spyware hearing, drafted the Committee Report of S. 2145, and chaired the only meeting of interested Senate and House staff called to discuss the differences between the Senate and House spyware bills. Paul also held the lead Senate staff position on spam policy throughout the 108th Congress and, in late 2003, led negotiations with House staff to resolve legislative differences that enabled passage of the CAN-SPAM Act. In 2002, Paul was the lead minority counsel on online privacy issues and advised Republican members and staff of the Commerce Committee on the Hollings privacy bill. From 2002 through 2005, Paul was also lead Commerce counsel on digital content issues (see below).
Telecommunications: In 2004, Paul was actively engaged in the drafting and negotiations that led to passage of the telecommunications legislative package (including the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act, the ENHANCE 911 Act, and the Universal Service Antideficiency Temporary Suspension Act). Throughout the 108th Congress, Paul acted as lead counsel on many telecommunications matters, such as RFID, ultra-wideband, E-911 implementation, junk fax, wireless directory assistance, and universal service matters. Additionally, during his nearly four-year term as a counsel for the Communications Subcommittee, Paul worked closely with fellow counsels on other issues, such as broadband, VOIP, Internet access, and spectrum matters.
Intellectual Property & Digital Media: During the 107th and 108th Congresses, Paul also provided legislative analysis and advice to Senator McCain and Republican Committee members on various intellectual property matters, particularly legislation regarding the use of copyrighted works by new technologies, products, or services in the telecommunications, Internet services, and consumer electronics markets. In the 108th Congress, Paul assisted Subcommittee Chairmen Brownback and Smith in developing hearings on digital content matters such as P2P file-sharing, the use of subpoenas under the DMCA, and the FCC's broadcast flag proceeding. Paul also provided analysis and advice on the Induce Act
for Commerce members' staff, and negotiated and drafted revisions to the Judiciary Committee's intellectual property legislative package, particularly the Family Movie Act.
Prior to working in the Senate, Paul counseled a variety of private and public technology companies in Silicon Valley from 1994 until 2001. Before starting his own business consulting practice there in 1999, Paul was a founding corporate associate of the law firm of Gunderson Dettmer (in Menlo Park, California) and, prior to that, was a business and technology associate with the law firm of Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison (in Palo Alto, California). Focusing his practice on the formation, venture financings, strategic alliances, public offerings, and mergers and acquisitions of start-up and emerging growth companies, Paul counseled the management of many Internet, software, database, and consumer services companies. Paul also represented many of Silicon Valley's premier venture capital firms in the financings of their portfolio companies. Before beginning his legal career, Paul was the New York Regional Sales Director for XRT, Inc., an enterprise financial software company.
Paul earned his bachelor's degree in Government at Georgetown University, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, and earned his law degree at the University of California at Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).
February 2005