United States Third Circuit

In the context of interconnection agreements formed and approved pursuant to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, interpretation and enforcement actions that arise after a state commission has approved an interconnection agreement must be litigated in the first instance before the relevant state commission. A party may then proceed to federal court to seek review of the commission's decision or move on to the appropriate trial court to seek damages for a breach, if the commission finds one. (Opinion following panel rehearing)

Appellate Information

• Argued 02/13/2007
• Decided 07/18/2007
• Published 07/18/2007

Judges

• Before:  SCIRICA, Chief Judge, and FISHER, Circuit Judges, and DIAMOND, District Judge.

Court

• United States Third Circuit

Counsel

• For Appellant:
  
• Barry W. Krengel, Dolchin, Slotkin & Todd, Philadelphia, PA, Deborah J. Israel, Louis J. Rouleau, Michael B. Hazzard (Argued), Womble, Carlyle, Sandridge & Rice, Washington, DC, Attorneys for Appellant.


• For Appellees:
  
• Thomas A. Leonard, Richard P. Limburg, H. David Seidman, Obermayer, Rebmann, Maxwell & Hippel, Philadelphia, PA, Austin C. Schlick (Argued), Kellogg, Huber, Hansen, Todd, Evans & Figel, Washington, DC, Joseph M. Ruggiero, Verizon Communications, Arlington, VA, Cynthia L. Randall, Verizon Communications, Philadelphia, PA, Attorneys for Appellee.