Subject: Re: [NEXTEL-1] FCC Lawyers

From: [email-masked]
Date: Sun, 15 Dec 2002 22:36:59 EST

In a message dated 12/14/2002 2:03:32 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
[email-masked] writes:

> Also verify that they work for YOU the customer.  Same thing goes for 
> attorneys. 

You know, Todd, this last point of your's is incredibly important.  One thing 
with attorneys, is that they have ethical obligations (and liability 
coverage, as your client is finding out) that "consultants" don't have, and 
most importantly a duty of confidentiality.

Example:  A couple of years ago, an airline contacted one of these 
consultants, asking the consultant to find another 800 MHz channel at a major 
airport to add to their system.  The consultant reported back that there 
weren't any.  About six months later (by which time I had started to work for 
the airline) the consultant called and said that someone had a channel there 
that they wanted to sell.  I was assigned to do the contract.

In doing my due diligence, I found that the licensee/seller was in the 
advertising business in a city half-way across the country, yet he had a need 
for an 800 MHz channel for "internal use" at the exact same coordinates, 
power, etc. as the airline's system.  Turns out the application was filed by 
the consultant.

Alan Tilles

---

From: "Todd Ellis" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 16 Dec 2002 06:16:41 -0500

OWWW!!!  I feel for the client.

Now, here's my soapbox.  Rant on.

This is why you use PEs for your consultants.  They are bound by charter and
law to follow an ethics policy as stated by the licensing board which is
dictated by the general statutes in their state.  They also must have
insurance to cover any incidents of errors or omissions, not unlike
attorneys.  It's the big leagues versus the sandbox softball crowd.
Attorneys must answer to the Bar, and engineering consultants must answer to
the Board.

We see a lot of fly-by-nighters out there that drive our clients bananas.
Our firm has been around for 42 years for only one reason - we have repeat
business and don't screw the client.  As an employee-owned firm, now we have
something bigger on our backs.  We have our own skins, our engineers have
their personal licenses, and our firm has our master engineering license in
North Carolina at stake.  We put our money where our mouth is (and generally
not our foot).  We're not cheap, but you get what you pay for.

Can your consultant say the same thing?

Sorry to p*ss anyone off, but isn't professionalism what our industry needs
more of??

And incidentally the Universal Licensing Services Company has several
complaints filed with the Consumer Division of the FCC for fraudulent
actions.  One is asking for $$ to do a renewal 15 MONTHS in advance, and
then forgetting to file the renewal with the result being loss of the
license.  We have a client that fell into that barrel, too.

Todd Ellis
  -----Original Message-----
  From: [email-masked] [mailto:[email-masked]]
  Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 10:37 PM
  To: [email-masked]
  Subject: Re: [NEXTEL-1] FCC Lawyers

  You know, Todd, this last point of your's is incredibly important.  One
thing with attorneys, is that they have ethical obligations (and liability
coverage, as your client is finding out) that "consultants" don't have, and
most importantly a duty of confidentiality.

  Example:  A couple of years ago, an airline contacted one of these
consultants, asking the consultant to find another 800 MHz channel at a
major airport to add to their system.  The consultant reported back that
there weren't any.  About six months later (by which time I had started to
work for the airline) the consultant called and said that someone had a
channel there that they wanted to sell.  I was assigned to do the contract.

  In doing my due diligence, I found that the licensee/seller was in the
advertising business in a city half-way across the country, yet he had a
need for an 800 MHz channel for "internal use" at the exact same
coordinates, power, etc. as the airline's system.  Turns out the application
was filed by the consultant.

  Alan Tilles
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