Morocco,South Africa,Australia,China,Hong Kong SAR China,Japan,Korea,New Zealand,Singapore,Thailand,Austria,Belgium,Czech Republic,Denmark,Finland,France,Germany,Hungary,Ireland,Italy,Luxembourg,Netherlands,Norway,Poland,Portugal,Romania,Slovak Republic,Spain,Sweden,United Kingdom,Argentina,Chile,Mexico,Peru,Bahrain,Oman,Qatar,UAE,Canada,Puerto Rico,United States
Supporting your aerospace and defense business across the world
Innovation and nimbleness are keys to success in the aerospace and defense industry. We support your business entering new markets, developing and protecting new technologies and executing new business models, while ensuring you comply with applicable regulatory regimes in every chapter of your journey. We help you rise to the opportunities and challenges presented. With decades of experience, our lawyers understand both the regulatory requirements for the sector and the sensitivity to the business trends and challenges unique to the sector.
Aerospace and defense is a highly technical sector with an evolving regulatory landscape, and evolving market demands and business trends. To help you succeed in this complex environment, we provide tailored and pragmatic solutions on a global scale and across all business functions. We work with you to ensure smooth and successful day-to-day operations with personnel, real estate, intellectual property protection and commercial dealings. And we guide you through business transformation and business expansion – both organically and through acquisition, restructuring, outsourcing and strategic alliances, dispute resolution, IT structuring and digitization. We collaborate with clients in scenario planning processes to anticipate the potential consequences of significant business challenges on a global and local scale, such as the pandemic and security breaches.
“The team is extremely knowledgeable on the substantive law and has a deep understanding of the sector and the business needs of the client.”
Chambers 2022
We act for the full range of industry stakeholders whether their products or services focus is land, sea, air or space. We advise parts makers, technology developers and system integrators, service providers, air and space management solutions and aircraft operators.
In aerospace and defense, governmental entities are not only the regulators overseeing companies’ compliance but also the companies’ customers. We understand this dynamic as we guide clients through procurement and contract execution challenges.
From 90+ offices in 40+ countries throughout the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, we are positioned to work cross-border like no other firm. Our teams deploy quickly and seamlessly around the world, providing clients with efficient, experienced and effective service to help achieve their business goals.
Advising Arlington Capital Partners, a Washington, DC-area private investment firm specializing in government regulated industries, on various projects, including:
its complex, cross-border divisional acquisition of Doncasters Group’s Blaenavon forging business, a leading manufacturer of precision metal components for the aerospace and defense industry;
its acquisition of Pegasus Steel, a provider of fabricated steel structures used for building nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers and other vessels for the US Navy; and
the subsequent formation of defense manufacturing company Keel through the merger of Pegasus Steel with the newly completed acquisitions of Metal Trades and Merrill Technologies Group.
Advising Montana Aerospace AG, a manufacturer of complex lightweight components and structures for the aerospace industry, on its successful initial public offering and listing on the SIX Swiss Exchange. The IPO consisted of a base offering of 17,153,997 new shares and an over-allotment option for 2,573,099 over-allotment shares held by Montana Tech Components AG, the previous sole and future majority shareholder
Advising CAE Inc., a Canada-based simulation and training company, in various matters including:
the joint USD1.05 billion acquisition with their US subsidiary CAE USE Inc., of the L3 Military Training business from L3Harris; and
providing ongoing advice to CAE Aircrew Training Services in respect of its concession contract with the UK Ministry of Defence and other third party contracts relating to the Medium Support Helicopter Aircrew Training Facility
Advising Airbus on several strategic projects, including strategic sourcing, the design and creation of a global flight training curriculum, and transactional projects. Examples include advising Airbus:
as joint shareholder in the AirTanker joint venture, in connection with the acquisition by Equitix of the shares in that JV from Rolls-Royce and Babcock;
on the establishment of a joint venture by Airbus Helicopters with a special purpose vehicle owned by the Hungarian state, with the purpose of developing a competitive industrial base for helicopters and associated services; and
on its acquisition of Navtech, a global provider of flight operations solutions
Advising Thales Australia on a variety of privacy issues, including providing training for the client’s internal data protection correspondents, and reviewing and updating privacy and related contract terms for a variety of engagements proposed to be entered into by the client.
Advising the UK Ministry of Defence on various matters, including on:
a procurement project where we structured the procurement, drafted the design contract, hosted bidder engagement and feedback sessions and prepared for the manufacture procurement;
the acquisition of a manufacturing plant; and
the Armed Forces Recruiting Programme, a GBP1.8 billion project to combine the MoD's recruitment across all three Armed Services. Our advice covered negotiation of contract terms, procurement laws and commercial strategy, day-to-day assistance in many months of competitive dialogue, handling of bidder clarification questions and internal / ministerial communications, as well as data governance and data protection, infrastructure, employment and TUPE, financial and performance management, and intellectual property advice.
Advising Sabena Aerospace Engineering on various matters, including:
the creation of a joint venture with SONACA to offer innovative services in the field of military aeronautics, in particular in respect of the F-35 maintenance offerings; and
litigation proceedings against Equatorial Congo Airlines (ECA) in relation to a previously seized Boeing 737 and the hangar storage and maintenance fees, which ECA refused to pay to our client. We successfully represented our client before the Enterprise Court of Brussels, who found jurisdiction over a very significant part of our claim and rejected all claims from ECA, who subsequently appealed this ruling, during which time we were able to reach a settlement which allowed for recovery of approximately 80% of the damage suffered (EUR1.2 million).
Advising Heart Aerospace, a Swedish company developing electric airplanes for commercial short haul flights, on a variety of matters including IP, investment programs, commercial contracts and acquisitions
Advising a Babcock and Lockheed Martin joint venture on all aspects of its GBP6 billion (through-life projected value) single source bid for the provision of training facilities and simulators for the Fixed Wing Training element of MFTS, including funding and sub-contract arrangements
Advising Albers Aerospace, a leading aerospace manufacturer and services provider, in its acquisition of Garret Container Systems, a manufacturer of highly engineered aluminum storage and shipping containers and tactical kits
