About Us

Wilkinson Barker Knauer is not just another law firm. Founded over 50 years ago as a boutique specializing in communications law, WBK now provides advice and representation over a range of industries including energy, emerging technologies, media, and telecommunications.

By focusing on excellence and on building depth to meet clients’ needs, WBK has earned recognition by Best Lawyers® as the Law Firm of the Year in communications law six times – including twice in a row (2018 and 2019). Our client-oriented approach extends to our work in energy, intellectual property, privacy and security, consumer protection, business transactions and other related areas. The firm provides advice tailored to address clients’ legal, regulatory, and business strategies. With over 70 lawyers and professionals in its offices in Washington, DC, Austin, TX, and Denver, CO, we combine the services, capabilities, standards, and expertise of a large-firm practice with the value, flexibility, and client-oriented personal style that only a smaller firm can deliver.

WBK has long been committed to community, inclusion, and service, with attorneys and staff devoting substantial time and energy to pro bono work, volunteerism, civic and community leadership, charitable giving, mentoring, service on nonprofit boards, teaching, and more. These activities are actively encouraged and supported at WBK through our Diversity Task Force, Wellness and WBK Best Committees, and our Women’s Initiative.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Wilkinson Barker Knauer, LLP recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion among our lawyers, other professionals, and staff, as well as in the legal profession generally. We are one of the few firms led by an LGBTQIA+ Managing Partner, and our Administrative Partner is a woman. We are committed to building and maintaining a workforce that reflects the diversity of our client base and our communities, and we believe that a culture of inclusion significantly enhances our ability to provide superior legal services to our clients. Every person has a unique skill set and background and can contribute in a unique way; we know that a key component of our strength as a firm is our commitment to leveraging the individual resources and diversity of our team. 

WBK is also proud to announce that our firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus for 2023–24. The goal of the Mansfield Rule is to increase diversity in leadership pipelines within midsize law firms by broadening the pool of women lawyers, LGBTQ+ lawyers, lawyers with disabilities, and/or underrepresented racial and ethnic lawyers who are considered for entry-level and lateral attorney job openings, firm governance opportunities, equity partner promotions, and opportunities to connect with clients. Throughout this certification period, our firm collaborated with Diversity Lab to increase measurement, transparency, and accountability in our internal processes and participated in knowledge sharing of best practices with other participating firms. 

As a Mansfield Certified Plus firm, WBK did not just exceed the requirements for considering candidates but also has achieved significant diverse representation in current leadership roles. 

Diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and ideas allows us to work more creatively, produce innovative solutions, and support each other personally and professionally. We aim to foster an environment that enables each of us to be the best professional that we can be. Our uniquely informal culture means we work together for the good of the group and the common goal of serving clients, without hierarchy or bureaucracy. We are committed to increasing the representation of individuals from diverse backgrounds and to supporting them in rising to positions of leadership in the firm and in the profession, and we intend to continue expanding our efforts in this important area. 

WBK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of gender, age, racial or ethnic background, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or veteran status. 

In 2019, WBK created the WBK Forward program, which spearheads the firm’s diversity and inclusion initiatives. Ronnie Raju leads the WBK Forward program, in her role as the Chief Diversity Partner.  These initiatives are supported by the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the WBK Women’s Initiative. Please email forward@wbklaw.com for more information.

WBK lawyers also work to promote diversity and inclusion in the legal profession and technology industry through service in the Federal Communications Bar Association (FCBA), the LGBT Technology Partnership, and the Women’s Bar Association of D.C., among other organizations.

We also recognize the importance of diversity among the suppliers with whom we work. As a component of our overall commitment to diversity and inclusion, WBK seeks to develop a diverse supplier base reflective of our Washington, D.C. and Denver communities. We require each participant company to be certified as a minority-owned organization, preferably with the National Minority Supplier Development Council or the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council. If you are a certified diverse supplier who would like to work with WBK, please contact Lisa Benden. After review, if the products and/or services offered by your company align with our business needs, we will add you to our list and will contact you if opportunities exist that match the products and/or services you provide.

Practice Areas

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FIVE PILLARS OF WBK

#1 Excellence

Expand on our industry-leading excellence.

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Excellence · Expand on our industry-leading excellence. WBK’s telecom and energy practices already are widely recognized for industry-leading roles. We intend to expand this recognized excellence to our other growing practice areas. As we continue to diversify our legal offerings, we aim to become a recognized leader in each legal arena in which we participate. We each have a role in accomplishing this objective through cross-selling to existing clients, supporting and integrating with attorneys in other offices and practice areas, and being vigilant for both hiring opportunities and client opportunities outside of our individual practice focuses.

#2 TEAMWORK

We are a team that is focused on clients first.

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Teamwork · We are a team that is focused on clients first. All of our clients are firm clients. We are not an “eat what you kill” firm. We aspire to all work together as a team to accomplish our client’s goals, without hierarchy or sharp elbows. We avoid silos; we push work to whomever is most qualified to do the work cost effectively; and we all pitch in to serve every client. Our performance day-to-day is based on putting our clients’ needs first, rather than focusing on our personal practices. Each of us is judged by the Firm’s success.

#3 CONTRIBUTION

Be the best that you can be. Contribute in your own way to the best of your ability.

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Contribution · Be the best that you can be. Contribute in your own way to the best of your ability. We recognize that everyone has a unique skill set, and we want each person to contribute in a manner that is best aligned with their capabilities. A key component of our strength as a firm is our commitment to leveraging the individual resources and diversity of our attorneys and staff, rather than expecting everyone to fit a cookie-cutter mold. We aim to foster an environment that enables each of us to be the best professional that we can be given our personal attributes.

#4 CULTURE

Promote our uniquely supportive and informal environment.

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Culture · Promote our uniquely supportive and informal environment. We are a group of people who have chosen to work together for the common good of the group and the common goal of building and maintaining a nationally recognized legal practice. We support each other personally and professionally using our individual talents and expertise. We aspire to maintain an informal and collegial culture that emphasizes client results, rather than focusing on hierarchy or bureaucracy.

#5 CHANGE

Change is an opportunity—redefine the possible.

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Change · Change is an opportunity— redefine the possible. When the playing field shifts, opportunities are created for our clients. Our 360 degree field of vision in the areas in which we practice enables us to recognize these opportunities and assist our clients to take advantage of them. As a result of changes in the law and the structure of markets, client objectives that previously may not have been possible may be obtainable in the future. We strive to have the foresight to enable our clients to utilize change to achieve their goals.

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While the firm is relatively small, it has all of the positive aspects of a large firm—very well qualified lawyers, very responsive and timely—and none of the negative aspects. And on a personal level, the lawyers are terrific to work with.

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