Cinnamon Mueller

What Cinnamon Mueller does

Cinnamon Mueller is a privately held boutique law firm headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, founded in 2000 and serving independent communications and technology companies across transactional, operational, and regulatory matters. The firm organizes its work into three core practice areas: the TV Practice (multichannel video programming distribution, broadcast signal carriage, retransmission consent, must carry, programming negotiations, FCC and state regulatory compliance, copyright analysis, and music performance licensing), the Broadband Practice (regulatory compliance, grant applications and compliance, facility agreements, internet user agreements, privacy policies, and state/local franchising and permitting), and the Telecom Practice (VoIP agreements and regulatory compliance, facility and interconnection agreements, CLEC certifications, and state and local telecommunications franchises and disputes). The firm markets itself as representing more small and medium cable companies than any other U.S. law firm and serves as outside general counsel to trade associations including ACA Connects, the American Cable Association, and the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association, while also representing members of cooperatives and media organizations such as NCTC, NRTC, and Vivicast.

The firm's business model is professional services revenue generated through billable engagements with mid-market clients — independent cable companies, broadband network operators, telecommunications providers, and trade associations. Its go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, leveraging industry events (e.g., Fiber Connect, The Independent Show), client update content marketing, webinars hosted for association members, and referrals facilitated by its association and cooperative partnerships. Named mid-market customers include Pottawatomie Telephone Company, Interstate Telecommunications Cooperative, Rainbow Communications, BVU Authority, and Springport Telephone Company. Fee structure is quote-based and varies by matter type and complexity; no standardized pricing is publicly disclosed.

Cinnamon Mueller operates with a small bench of five named attorneys led by Managing Partner Bruce E. Beard, including Partners Scott C. Friedman and attorneys Melanie A. McMullen, Alma Hoxha, and industry veteran Scott Abbott (joined July 2022). The team carries more than 75 years of collective experience, with prior in-house tenures at SBC Communications, NCTC, Time Warner Cable, and Millennium Digital Media. The firm is privately owned, holds no disclosed external funding, and operates from a single St. Louis office serving U.S.-based clients nationally.

Name

Cinnamon Mueller

Legal name

Cinnamon Mueller

Website

https://cinnamonmueller.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cinnamon Mueller is a St. Louis-based boutique law firm serving independent small and medium cable, broadband, and telecommunications companies across transactional, operational, and regulatory matters, including FCC compliance, retransmission consent, and broadband grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Telecommunications Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Telecommunications legal services
• Cable regulatory law
• Broadband legal counsel
• FCC compliance services
• Communications law firm

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Boutique law firm providing transactional, operational and regulatory legal services to independent communications and technology companies. Revenue generated through professional legal services engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cinnamon Mueller is a boutique law firm providing transactional, operational, and regulatory legal services to independent communications and technology companies. The firm's practice is organized into TV Practice Services (multichannel video programming distribution matters), Broadband Practice Services (network operator regulatory and contractual matters), and Telecom Practice Services (VoIP, CLEC, and interconnection matters). Services include regulatory compliance, contract negotiation, FCC filings, retransmission consent negotiations, grant applications, and representation in state and federal regulatory proceedings.

Product overview

Cinnamon Mueller is a boutique law firm offering a unified suite of legal services for independent communications and technology companies, organized into three core practice areas: TV Practice Services, Broadband Practice Services, and Telecom Practice Services. The TV Practice handles multichannel video programming distribution matters including retransmission consent, must carry rights, and programming negotiations. Broadband Practice covers regulatory compliance, grant applications, and facility agreements for network operators. Telecom Practice addresses VoIP, CLEC certifications, and interconnection matters. The firm serves small and medium cable companies, broadband operators, telecommunications providers, and trade associations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TV Practice Services Legal services for multichannel video programming distribution, including broadcast signal carriage, retransmission consent, must carry, programming negotiations and disputes, FCC and state regulatory compliance, compulsory copyright analysis, and music performance licensing. Targeted at independent cable companies and MVPD operators.
• Broadband Practice Services Legal services for broadband network operators, including broadband regulatory compliance, grant applications and compliance, facility agreements, internet user agreements and policies, privacy policies, and state and local franchising and permitting. Targeted at independent broadband network operators and ISPs.
• Telecom Practice Services Legal services for telecommunications providers, including VoIP agreements and regulatory compliance, facility and interconnection agreements, CLEC certifications, and state and local telecommunications franchises and disputes. Targeted at independent telecommunications providers, rural telephone cooperatives, and CLECs.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• American Cable AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCinnamon Mueller serves as outside general counsel to the American Cable Association, the leading trade association for independent cable companies. This is a flagship partnership providing the firm with deep integration into the independent cable industry.
• ACA ConnectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm serves as outside general counsel to ACA Connects and represents numerous ACA Connects member companies. This partnership positions the firm as a trusted advisor to the association and its members.
• Mid-America Cable Telecommunications AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCinnamon Mueller serves as outside general counsel to the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association, providing regulatory and legal support to member companies in the mid-America region.
• National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm represents numerous NCTC member companies. NCTC is a programming procurement cooperative for independent cable operators, and the firm leverages this relationship to serve member companies.
• VivicastmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCinnamon Mueller represents numerous Vivicast member companies. Vivicast is a media company serving independent cable operators.
• NRTCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe firm represents numerous NRTC member companies. NRTC provides technology solutions to rural communications cooperatives and companies.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Wiley Rein LLP: Established Washington, D.C. law firm with a top-tier communications practice covering FCC regulatory, broadcast, and broadband matters. Acts as larger-firm incumbent competitor for the same pool of carrier and cable clients.
• Davis Wright Tremaine LLP: Large full-service firm with a substantial media, telecom, and cable practice representing operators and programmers. Competes for transactional and regulatory matters involving the same customer types.
• Hogan Lovells US LLP: Global law firm with a deep communications, media, and technology practice. Serves large carriers and operators on the regulatory and transactional work that adjacent mid-market clients may also require.
• Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C. National law firm with a significant communications and media practice. Represents telecom, cable, and broadband clients on regulatory and transactional matters, providing larger-firm competition.
• Cooley LLP: Major full-service firm representing technology and communications companies, with capability overlaps on broadband, VoIP, and media regulatory matters affecting mid-market operators.

Regional players

• Best Best & Krieger LLP: California-based law firm with a recognized practice in cable, broadband, and telecommunications serving municipal and independent operators, particularly on state and local franchising matters comparable to a slice of Cinnamon Mueller's work.

Direct peers

• Lerman Senter PLLC: Small Washington, D.C.-based boutique focused on communications, cable, and broadcast regulatory law. Directly comparable in size, niche, and customer profile to Cinnamon Mueller.
• Keller and Heckman LLP: Boutique firm with a long-standing telecommunications and cable regulatory practice serving smaller operators, broadcasters, and programming networks. Direct comparability on regulatory and franchising work.
• Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP: Boutique telecom and broadband regulatory law firm headquartered in Denver with a strong FCC practice serving smaller carriers, closely overlapping with Cinnamon Mueller's TV, Broadband, and Telecom practices.
• Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth: A long-standing boutique communications law firm with deep FCC, broadcast, and cable regulatory practice serving independent and mid-market operators. Closest direct competitor to Cinnamon Mueller in independent-cable regulatory counsel.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cinnamonmueller

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cinnamon Mueller