About

Responsible for directing the Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings’ (AAWW) legal and regulatory affairs as well as overseeing all compliance matters, Adam R. Kokas has played a leading role in a number of significant company transactions since assuming his current position of executive vice president, general counsel and secretary in 2013. In 2016 he assisted the group enter into agreements with Amazon related to the operation and dry leasing of 20 Boeing 767-300 freighter aircraft. ‘In connection with these agreements, AAWW granted a warrant providing Amazon the right to acquire 20% of AAWW shares vesting in increments with aircraft deliveries. The agreements also provide incentives for future growth of the relationship’, explains Kokas. That same year he also advised on AAWW’s acquisition of airline Southern Air for approximately $110m, giving AAWW immediate entry into Boeing 777 and 737 aircraft operating platforms, which AAWW previously did not operate, enhancing their opportunities for additional growth and its position as a leading global provider of outsourced aviation operating services. Kokas is also recognised for his management skills in relation to guiding his industry-award-winning legal department at AAWW. He shares some key advice for aspiring in-house lawyers: ‘Always look to propose solutions, and not just identify the issues or impediments. It is important for others in the company to understand the legal issues, risks and the like, but also to understand what the “range of the possible” is. You don’t want the legal department to be seen or behave as a department of “no” within the organisation. By being collaborative and solutions-driven, and also providing an appropriate business perspective, other areas of the business should approach the legal team earlier in matters. This can help make you a better and more well-rounded lawyer for the company’. Prior to joining AAWW in 2006 as senior vice president, general counsel and secretary, Kokas enjoyed successful spells at private practice firms in New York. He began his career as a business and banking lawyer at a law firm in New Jersey in 1996. Commenting on how the role of general counsel is evolving, and how he has adapted, Kokas had the following to share: ‘General counsel and chief legal officers more often are members of the C-suite, reporting in to the CEO. [Their] overall responsibilities often have shifted and expanded from primarily legal matters, to also much more of a business focus. [They] often have to weigh legal issues and risks against the long term business goals of the enterprise. From my perspective, I have been a part of this expansion of scope and responsibility, and it has been a very exciting time to be the company’s general counsel. My role encompasses much more than the traditional legal role, and these responsibilities continue to grow in scope and impact. This includes being the company’s corporate secretary, with primary responsibility to the board, governance and shareholders, and overseeing compliance, regulation, litigation, ethics and beyond’.