Top best Aviation Lawyers Near me in ZIP 20006

Gary Halbert is a partner in Holland & Knight’s New York Litigation Practice Group, practicing out of the firm’s Washington, D.C. office. Mr. Halbert is a former U.S. Air Force instructor pilot, military attorney and crisis communications director, and more recently, the General Counsel to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). His practice areas include NTSB major accident investigations, regulatory matters for aviation and other transportation modes, transportation accident claims, aviation law, transportation mass-disaster law, claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and other product and professional services liability matters.. Immediately prior to entering private practice, Mr. Halbert served as the General Counsel to the National Transportation Safety Board, acting as the senior legal advisor to the Chairman of the Board and overseeing the provision of legal services to the agency. His office provided legal support for accident investigations in all modes of transportation, procurement and leasing activity, fiscal law matters, and the agency’s human resources function, and oversaw the board’s review on appeal of enforcement proceedings undertaken by aviation and marine regulatory agencies. Mr. Halbert also supervised the NTSB’s administrative and civil litigation, legislative drafting and ethics programs. He drafted two of the agency’s recent reauthorization requests to Congress.. Mr. Halbert joined the NTSB after retiring in the grade of Colonel from the United States Air Force, where his diverse operational and staff assignments included service as a military instructor pilot in jet aircraft, commander of student classes going through pilot training, executive officer to a wing commander, and as a judge advocate in progressively responsible positions. His military legal assignments embraced both civil and criminal law functions, including installation claims officer, hospital attorney and criminal prosecution roles. Mr. Halbert handled Federal Tort Claims Act claims for alleged medical malpractice of almost $120 million during his time as legal counsel for a large military hospital, and in a subsequent senior counsel role, devised a strategy that achieved completion of an $18 million military family housing project at no additional cost to the Air Force, after the prime contractor defaulted. Mr. Halbert served as the senior legal officer at two installations, including one of the Air Force’s larger bases, and supervised 14 legal offices with 180 attorneys and staff for an overseas command responsible for 21 installations in seven European countries. At Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon, he oversaw the Air Force Judge Advocate General’s attorney assignments and human resources division for an attorney workforce of over 1,300 attorneys. He also served as the Executive Officer to the Judge Advocate General. In his final Air Force assignment, he served as the director of the Air Force’s strategic and crisis communications office.. Mr. Halbert has accumulated approximately 1,500 flight hours in military jet aircraft, single engine general aviation aircraft and sailplanes.. He is a frequent speaker on interacting with the NTSB investigation process following a major transportation accident, whether it’s an aviation, railroad, pipeline, hazardous materials, marine or highway accident. He is an expert on the NTSB statutory and regulatory structure and investigative process, having supported every major investigation undertaken by the NTSB over his five-year tenure as General Counsel.

David has worked in the industry for more than 25 years, providing legal counsel and strategic guidance to startup and operating foreign and U.S. air carriers of all sizes, foreign governments, and other industry entities concerning all aspects of charter and scheduled commercial and industrial aviation operations (passenger, cargo, combination, warbird, and helicopter). The scope of David's practice ranges the entire industry, from on-demand business jet operations to wet leases and global operations involving codesharing, alliance, and antitrust immunity matters. David's practice also includes advising MROs, manufacturers, and cutting edge technologies such as urban air mobility (UAM) matters.. David has extensive experience with licensing and alliances for both new and established carriers, ownership and control issues, enforcement matters involving DOT aviation economic regulations, FAA hazmat regulations and voluntary disclosures, TSA security matters and enforcement, and Customs/ICE matters. David advises carriers with single aircraft fleets seeking access to the U.S. market for the first time to established global airlines operating hundreds of aircraft in immunized alliances.. David's practice includes (but is not limited to) the following:. * DOT regulations, carrier licensing, operations, bilateral interpretation/negotiation, citizenship, and enforcement* FAA regulations, certification, operations specifications, and HAZMAT/safety enforcement* TSA regulations, including Secure Flight, and security plan enforcement* CBP/ICE regulations, including Visa Waiver, overflight exemptions, and enforcement resulting from aircraft inspections* Acting as outside regulatory counsel in aviation-related transactions* Advising non-carrier industry service providers (loyalty programs, customer service centers, and so on). Specialties: airlines, aviation, air travel, enforcement/carrier administrative agency defense, business aviation, business aircraft, tourism, regulatory compliance, bilateral interpretation and negotiation, acting as regulatory counsel in transactions.. David is also optimistically waiting for Amelia Earhart to touch down on Howland Island.. I am happy to discuss projects and plans with prospective clients in any aspect of aviation, such as operations, leasing, beginning service to the US, enforcement, etc.

As a military spouse, I am passionate about helping service members and experienced in a wide array of administrative law issues challenging the action of various agencies at the agency level and in federal court, including courts of appeal.  Working for a cloud-based law firm, I enjoy the flexibility of taking on a limited number of cases, which allows me to fully devote adequate attention to each client, while keeping my rates reasonable.. Despite the D.C. office address, I live in Southern California near Camp Pendleton.  When not working on legal issues, I also teach SUP Yoga and am kept busy with my full time job of being a Mom to two rambunctious little boys!