We have comprehensive knowledge of, and experience in, all aspects of satellite and aerospace litigation, including those emanating from satellite design and development, the satellite manufacturing process and satellite launch and operations. We are intimately familiar with the typical terms and provisions of complex contracts that drive these activities and from which many legal disputes arise. We have extensive experience handling lawsuits and arbitrations between U.S. companies and foreign companies that require the exchange of technical data governed by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and are one of the few firms in the country that has handled an international arbitration monitored by the Defense Technology Security Administration.
Disputes in the satellite/aerospace industry can present daunting challenges involving highly complex technical facts and complex legal theories intertwined with federal regulations and the laws of foreign jurisdictions. Underlying our formidable legal expertise is real-world experience. A number of our lawyers have degrees in aerospace engineering and are active members of technical professional organizations, such as the IEEE and the AIAA. One worked at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the design, development and operation of spacecraft systems — including the Galileo Mission to Jupiter, the Mars Pathfinder Mission, and joint development work with Russian and German space programs. Another was an aerospace engineer and operations analyst for Rockwell International, responsible for the design of fuel consumption algorithms for the airborne laser.
Our experience gives our group a tremendous advantage in complex satellite/aerospace litigation. We can communicate effectively about sophisticated technologies with our client’s engineers and technical employees, and with our own expert witnesses. In intellectual property matters involving patents or trade secrets, we can understand our client’s technology and compare it accurately with the technology being used by a competitor.