Industry Contacts
Related Practices
Our aerospace team, co-chaired by Brandt Madsen and Alan Farkas, offers a myriad of legal services to airplane and helicopter pilots, municipalities, airports, aircraft owners, operators, fixed base operators (FBOs), insurers, maintenance and manufacturing companies, brokers, buyers, sellers, lessees and lessors.
Our team advises clients on legislative affairs affecting the aerospace industry (including substantial input on both the original and amended pilots’ bill of rights), administrative rulemaking, regulatory compliance/enforcement concerns, business deals and aircraft transactions, liability protection, and litigation.
We have also been at the forefront of UAS/Drone issues, including regulatory exemptions, certificates of authorization, product development, operations, and defense of certificate actions and civil penalties.
The aerospace practice provides clients comprehensive, expanded services through the firm’s various practice groups, including augmented assistance with equipment acquisition and financing, negotiating and documenting contracts, creditors' rights assistance, intellectual property, and labor and employment representation and counseling.
Litigation
Our litigation services include, but are not limited to, the defense of airports, commercial airlines, product manufacturers, pilots, operators, aircraft owners, certified flight instructors, and other aviation businesses in mass disaster, commercial disputes, employment claims, and complex tort cases. Service offerings in personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, commercial losses, and property damage matters include:
- General aviation crashes and accidents
- Air carrier aviation crashes and accidents
- Helicopter crashes and accidents
- Litigating aspects of the Warsaw Convention, the Montreal Convention, the Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs), and the General Aviation Revitalization Act (GARA)
- Representation in NTSB and FAA hearings and investigations
- Accident reconstruction
- On site crash investigation
- Crisis response and management
- Insurance coverage disputes
Administrative Actions
We provide counsel in the following FAA enforcement matters:
- Emergency revocation proceedings
- Civil penalties
- Certificate actions related to pilot training
- Airport operations
- Faulty record keeping
- Substance abuse
- Medical disqualification
- Environmental hazards
- Operational breaches
- Appeals of administrative decisions
- Employment disputes
- Drone/UAS operations
Consulting
Our attorneys advise clients on issues related to aircraft ownership and aviation business operations including:
- Negotiating, drafting, and/or analyzing contracts, operating agreements, leases, and other corporate agreements
- Identifying the best business structure for their needs, and assisting in incorporation
- Assisting product manufacturers with drafting and revising user and operator manuals and instructions
- Federal Aviation Regulation Compliance
- Charter, FBO, and airport operations
- Labor and employment matters
- Tax issues
- Aircraft, equipment, and property purchases and sales
- FAA Certification
- Liability protection
- Employment and training
- Drone/UAS operations
News & Press Releases
- January 29, 2020
- September 2019
- Law360, May 28, 2019
- April 15, 2019
- January 24, 2019
- August 15, 2018
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin , August 3, 2018
- Law360, May 28, 2018
- SmithAmundsen, February 20, 2018
- October 27, 2017
- Equality Illinois, August 1, 2017
- Bloomberg BNA, June 29, 2017
- Indiana Lawyer, February 8, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 13, 2017
- Crain's Chicago Business, September 10, 2016
- The American Lawyer, August 2016
- Equality Illinois, July 8, 2016
- Above the Law, April 18, 2016
- Above the Law, April 13, 2016
- WGN-TV, October 6, 2015
- Crain's Chicago Business, August 7, 2015
- Chicago Daily Law Bulletin, October 20, 2014
- May 9, 2013
Alerts
- December 4, 2020
- November 18, 2020
- November 18, 2020
- November 18, 2020
- November 18, 2020
- November 18, 2020
- October 26, 2020
- October 22, 2020
- September 14, 2020
- September 10, 2020
- August 31, 2020
- July 24, 2020
- July 1, 2020
- June 5, 2020
- May 27, 2020
- May 26, 2020
- May 18, 2020
- May 15, 2020
- May 14, 2020
- May 14, 2020
- May 11, 2020
- May 8, 2020
- May 5, 2020
- May 5, 2020
- April 30, 2020
- April 28, 2020
- April 23, 2020
- April 22, 2020
- April 17, 2020
- April 17, 2020
- April 17, 2020
- April 13, 2020
- April 10, 2020
- April 7, 2020
- April 6, 2020
- April 4, 2020
- April 3, 2020
- April 1, 2020
- April 1, 2020
- March 31, 2020
- March 31, 2020
- March 30, 2020
- March 30, 2020
- March 27, 2020
- March 27, 2020
- March 27, 2020
- March 27, 2020
- March 27, 2020
- March 26, 2020
- March 26, 2020
- March 26, 2020
- March 26, 2020
- March 25, 2020
- March 24, 2020
- March 24, 2020
- March 24, 2020
- March 24, 2020
- March 22, 2020
- March 20, 2020
- March 20, 2020
- March 19, 2020
- March 18, 2020
- May 18, 2018
- May 18, 2018
- November 17, 2017
- November 17, 2017
- November 17, 2017
- November 17, 2017
- August 21, 2017
- August 21, 2017
- August 21, 2017
- August 21, 2017
- February 10, 2017
- February 10, 2017
- February 10, 2017
- November 30, 2016
- November 30, 2016
- November 30, 2016
- August 19, 2016
- August 19, 2016
- August 19, 2016
- August 19, 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
- DRI's For the Defense, December 2016
- Experimental Aircraft Association, July 7, 2016
- USLAW Magazine, Spring 2016
Presentations & Events
- EAA; Webcast, October 15, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, Webcast, September 23, 2020
- EAA, Webcast, August 12, 2020
- Aviation Law Symposium, January 24, 2020
- National Business Institute; National Video Webcast, February 12, 2019
- Eleventh Annual McGill Conference; Dublin, Ireland, October 19, 2018
- Avicon 2018 Conference; Stevensville, MD, September 14, 2018
- Experimental Aircraft Association AirVenture, Oshkosh, WI, July 25, 2018
- 2018 The National Warbird Operator Conference; Houston, TX, February 15-18, 2018
- ABA Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Aviation and Space Law Committee Conference, October 19, 2017
- Oshkosh, WI, July 27, 2017
- Tenth Annual McGill Conference on International Aviation Liability and Insurance; Montreal, Quebec, June 22, 2017
- Central Illinois Chapter of the CPCU Society, Seminar; Normal, IL, November 3, 2016
- Defense Research Institute, Seminar; Boston, Massachusetts, October 20, 2016
- SmithAmundsen, Seminar, Chicago, IL, September 20, 2016
- EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, WI, July 30, 2016
- Experimental Aircraft Association; Webinar, May 17, 2016
- Aviation Insurance Association; 2016 Annual Conference, Miami, Florida, April 30, 2016 - May 3, 2016
- Illinois Chamber of Commerce, Webinar, March 24, 2016