Practice Areas
Industries
Education
Washington University School of Law, J.D., 1993
University of Denver, B.A., 1990
Admissions
Illinois
Indiana
Missouri
Not long ago the future of an international aircraft manufacturer’s business was on the line. It had been drawn into a federal wrongful death/product liability case that was the first of its kind to ever to go trial. After three weeks defending the manufacturer in federal court, Alan Farkas obtained a defense verdict, saving the manufacturer’s business and, likely, the business of many others like it. In fact, Alan was so persuasive in his defense that one of the jurors bought one of manufacturer’s aircraft following the trial.
Alan has been successfully litigating complex, high profile aviation and commercial matters like this for more than 20 years. He advises corporations, pilots, airports, and municipalities on regulatory and statutory compliance, formation and organization and liability protection. In the courtroom, he defends clients against claims of negligence, breach of warranty, premises liability and product liability related most often to personal injuries, death or property damage. His clients operate through the U.S., Europe and Australia. Alan has also become deeply involved in representing pilots and manufacturers of model aircraft, drones, and unmanned aerial systems (UAS).
Alan has also been quite effective when litigating on behalf of our transportation clients. Among other matters, Alan has successfully litigated commercial transportation disputes, international shipping disputes, loading and unloading injuries, and a variety of catastrophic personal injury claims.
Alan is regarded as a tenacious trial lawyer who employs a creative, efficient and strategic approach to his cases. He maintains a philosophy that all parties to a legal issue should be dealt with fairly and respectfully.
Prior to joining SmithAmundsen, Alan founded and operated the highly respected aviation litigation firm, Madsen Farkas & Powen. Alan served for eight years as Village Trustee in Deerfield, Illinois, and is the chairman of the Legal Advisory Council of the Experimental Aircraft Association.
Honors
- Martindale-Hubbell AV® Preeminent™ rated
- 40 Illinois Attorneys Under 40 To Watch, Law Bulletin Publishing Company, 2005
- Senior Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
- Selected to the Illinois Super Lawyers List: 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Selected by the Leading Lawyers Network as a "Leading Lawyer" in aviation law and transportation defense law
Memberships & Involvement
- Chairman: EAA Legal Advisory Council
- Board Member: Educational Foundation of the Chicago Area Business Aviation Association (CABAA)
- Charter Member: Aviation Law Institute of America (ALIA)
- Past President: Aviation Law Committee of the Chicago Bar Association
- Fellow: American Bar Foundation, inducted 2018
- Committee Member: Drone Committee of the Flight School Association of North America
- Member: Chicago Bar Association; Illinois State Bar; American Bar Association; The Missouri Bar; Women in Aviation International; Airport Counsel International – North America; Lawyer Pilot Bar Association; Pi Sigma Alpha; Phi Kappa Sigma; Claims and Litigation Management Alliance; 7th Circuit Bar Association
Experience
- Represented a large aircraft association in a novel 7th Circuit suit against the FAA for the FAA's illegal ATC special event policy
- Successfully defended an owner and FBO at trial against multiple claims related to catastrophic aircraft accident
- Helped a world-renowned children's hospital develop a helipad for its new high rise hospital and defended the plans against an administrative complaint brought by a community organization
- Successful defense of urban police officers at trial against civil rights violations
- Successful trial defense of aircraft kit manufacturer against wrongful death/product liability claims
- Defended the nation's third largest city in litigation and before the NTSB related to the overrun of Southwest Airlines flight 1248
- Obtained dismissal of defective engine claims on spoliation motion
News & Press Releases
- January 29, 2021
- The Indiana Lawyer, December 9, 2020
- January 29, 2020
- April 15, 2019
- January 24, 2019
- August 15, 2018
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin , August 3, 2018
- Bloomberg BNA, June 29, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 13, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 8, 2016
- Fitness Club's Music So Loud Neighbors Can 'Shazam' Songs 3 Floors UpDNAinfo, November 11, 2015
- AeroSports Update: Is Mandated Aircraft Liability Insurance In Our Future? - Aero News Network Mentions Alan FarkasAero News Network, September 16, 2015
- January 12, 2015
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, October 20, 2014
- Government Host Spotlight: Alan FarkasChicago Daily Law Bulletin, March 2014
- September 2, 2013
- September 2, 2013
- May 9, 2013
- April 15, 2013
Alerts
- May 18, 2018
- November 17, 2017
- November 17, 2017
- August 21, 2017
- July 7, 2017
- March 17, 2017
- November 2016
- August 19, 2016
- July 13, 2016
- May 13, 2016
- February 15, 2016
Publications
- Aero News Network's 'Propwash' Daily News Brief, October 14, 2019
- Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association Journal, Fall 2018
- The Circuit Rider, April 2018
- EAA Sport Aviation Magazine, October 2017
- Illinois Municipal League Review , April 26, 2017
- Experimental Aircraft Association, July 7, 2016
Presentations & Events
- EAA; Webcast, October 15, 2020
- EAA, Webcast, August 12, 2020
- Aviation Law Symposium, January 24, 2020
- National Business Institute; National Video Webcast, February 12, 2019
- SmithAmundsen, Seminar, Chicago, IL, September 20, 2016
- EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, WI, July 30, 2016
- Experimental Aircraft Association; Webinar, May 17, 2016
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Webinar, March 24, 2016
- Effective Use of Animations in Aviation Litigation & Claim ResolutionAViCON Aviation Claims Conference; RTI, Annapolis, MD, September 10, 2015
- Navigating Legal Traps to Protect Your Certificate and Your AircraftWomen in Aviation Annual Conference, Dallas, TX, March 6, 2015