Arnold & Porter fields a multidisciplinary bench of senior lawyers, who act across the entire commercial, cargo and corporate aircraft sector. It consistently acts as counsel to national, international, and regional clients in a range of commercial disputes and transnational litigation, including jury and non-jury trials. The practice is seen as a go-to firm for crisis incidents, its recent experience including litigation resulting from the COVID-19 outbreaks on international cruise ships in early 2020. It was also recently active in cabin air contamination litigation across the US, which was brought by flight attendants and commercial air passengers. Christopher Odell, whose track record includes significant transportation-related mass tort cases, heads the aviation practice, while Kenneth Chernof in Washington DC and New York’s James Herschlein co-chair the complex litigation group. Also highly rated are Thad Dameris, whose commercial disputes and transnational litigation practice covers aviation matters; and Washington DC-based David Weiner, whose workload includes acting in relation to aviation accidents. At senior associate level, Amanda Thomson‘s experience includes representing a European airframe manufacturer in lawsuits arising out of aircraft incidents. All the attorneys listed are based in Houston, unless otherwise mentioned.

Hogan Lovells US LLP‘s Washington DC office houses several aviation specialists, who act across a range of areas and consistently demonstrate ‘extraordinary industry experience‘. In addition to its traditional aviation practices, the department assists with cutting-edge transportation work, such as the development of commercially viable hydrogen-powered aircraft. In other highlights, the team recently advised on COVID-19 flight cancellations, refunds, and consumer protection matters, as well as regulatory issues. Heading the global aviation practice, senior counsel Robert Cohn‘s client base includes US and foreign airlines, low-cost airlines, financial institutions, and airport and infrastructure developers. Lisa Ellman plays a leadership role in the un-crewed aircraft systems and drones sectors. Also integral to the team are counsel Patrick Rizzi, who has extensive aviation law experience and regularly represents clients before the US DOT and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA); and senior counsel Ted Ellett, who advises aviation industry clients on business, legislative, FAA and US DOT regulatory matters. Arjun Garg joined in 2021 as partner from the FAA, where he was Chief Counsel, while senior associate Matthew Clark is a regulatory specialist.

With ‘excellent industry knowledge‘, Holland & Knight LLP is highly active in representing US and foreign airlines in substantial litigation that arises out of airline crashes. It also handles disputes concerning aircraft leases, passenger claims, and class actions involving US and international law. Its regulatory expertise covers licensing, compliance, competition and enforcement defense. Christopher Kelly has particular expertise in defending mass-tort, toxic-tort and commercial claims. In Washington DC, Anita Mosner handles high-stakes aero-political disputes, as well as enforcement claims and litigation surrounding the sale and marketing of air transport services. Providing key support is former National Transportation Safety Board general counsel Gary Halbert, also in DC, while Judy Nemsick and Steven Raffaele‘s practices also cover airline-related litigation. All advisers mentioned are in New York, save where otherwise stated.

With extensive experience in acting for aviation sector clients, Jones Day fields a team that includes civilian and former military pilots, former senior officers of the FAA and Department of Justice, and former aviation manufacturer in-house lawyers. Pittsburgh-based John Goetz heads up the firm’s worldwide airlines and aviation cross-practice initiative, counseling airline and aviation clients in China, Japan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the US. Other names to note are litigation and trial attorney Matthew Papez in Washington DC, who is particularly focused on the aviation and aerospace industries; and Detroit-based Stephen Cowen, whose track record includes representing aerospace clients in breach of contract, patent, trade secret and business tort disputes.

Offering ‘a very good combination of legal and technical skills‘, Nixon Peabody LLP has longstanding experience in acting as national litigation counsel for aviation manufacturers. Clients regularly look to the team to represent them in National Transportation Safety Board, FAA and foreign accident investigations. The practice also assists manufacturing, aviation and other transportation clients with regulatory matters, as well as the establishment of risk management and product integrity procedures. In New York, Joseph Ortego routinely handles aviation sector-related litigation, and regulatory and compliance issues. San Francisco-based Brian Dalrymple, whose is noted for his 'talent and expertise...backed up by engineering knowledge and pilot experience‘, acts in the co-ordination and defense of complex, multi-district and class action litigation, while counsel Tracey Scarpello in Buffalo regularly defends and counsels aviation industry clients.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP‘s broad team routinely represents major airlines in the US and around the world. The ‘very responsive, knowledgeable and trustworthy‘ regulatory practice covers administrative adjudications, enforcements, litigation, aircraft leasing, and airline safety and certification matters. The group also assists with accident investigations and employment matters, and has a robust unmanned aircraft systems  offering. Co-head Charles Donley has enviable experience in aviation licensing, enforcement and operating matters, and fellow co-head Josh Romanow acts for airlines from Europe, Asia, Latin America, Middle East, as well as global travel companies. In Los Angeles, Thomas Liu represents aviation clients in labor and employment litigation, while special counsel Laura Jennings Ochoa also has extensive aviation and airline experience. All named lawyers are based in the Washington DC office unless otherwise mentioned.

A go-to adviser for aerospace manufacturers, Cooley LLP is consistently retained to act in accident litigation, including fatal air crashes and wrongful death claims. It is also sought out by freight carriers to serve as liability and emergency response counsel. Other notable areas include manned and unmanned flights, and airport-related disputes on behalf of airports and fixed-base operators. Practice head William O’Connor in San Diego is a highly rated trial lawyer, while Washington DC-based special counsel Parker Erkmann assists with aviation regulatory issues. Associate Andrew Barr in Denver also routinely acts in aviation suits.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP’s ‘very deep bench of attorneys‘ are praised for their experience in litigation disputes. Representative matters for the ‘extremely responsive‘ practice cover labor and employment issues, antitrust claims, The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, consumer class actions, and personal injury. Airline labor law specialist Robert Seigel in Los Angeles is outside labor counsel for a substantial number of passenger and cargo airlines. New York-based Mark Robertson regularly acts for some of the world’s largest airlines, including American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Atlas Air and Spirit Airlines.

Paul Hastings LLP routinely acts for corporate clients in substantial litigation concerning airline disasters. The aviation litigation practice is headed up by Chicago-based Sheila Sundvall, who has notable experience in representing commercial airlines, manufacturers, aircraft lessors and other defendants in personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits. Sundvall has acted for General Electric, as lead counsel, in major airline accident litigation on a long-standing basis.