Aerospace, Defense & Government Services

Deep Sector Knowledge

Latham has served clients in the aerospace, defense and government services industry, including major defense contractors and their suppliers, airlines, airports and related service providers, for more than five decades. Latham lawyers have deep sector knowledge and are experienced counselors of regulatory, transactional and complex, multijurisdictional litigation matters.

Latham’s lawyers understand the unique business and legal challenges its industry clients face, as well as the critical manufacturing and service principles that their businesses require. Clients turn to Latham on short notice for bet-the-company crisis advice, where a thorough appreciation of the industry is required to come to grips with issues quickly and efficiently to deliver valuable advice in real time.

Understanding the Complexities

Latham’s lawyers are familiar with the procurement process and budgets on complex defense programs, the financing needs and structures of the industry, and the enforcement priorities of regulators around the world. The firm’s Aerospace, Defense & Government Services Industry Group is global in its scope, and is able to offer clients the full range of services, including:

• Begin and Define Business – From structuring IPOs to designing employee benefit plans, Latham can give clients the full range of advice needed when beginning a business in this market.
• Grow and Sustain Business – From merger and acquisition advice to the protection of intellectual property rights, the firm can help clients respond to the challenges of operating in the industry.
• Protect and Preserve Business – Whether addressing environmental concerns, anti-corruption measures or export controls, Latham’s team works with clients to help them maintain market share and manage relationships with regulators, and other industry bodies.

Latham & Watkins’ experience advising clients in the aerospace, defense and government services businesses includes:

• Representing companies such as BAE Systems, Alabama Aircraft Industries, Inmarsat, Vought Aircraft Industries, FLIR Systems, The Boeing Company and Booz Allen Hamilton in the acquisition and sale of businesses in the industry, including advising on regulatory, merger control and antitrust issues
• Representing Honeywell International, Inc. in a significant appellate victory after five trials against the US government 
• Representing Singapore Airlines in the global cartel investigations and related civil/class action damage litigation concerning the air cargo industry
• Counseling hundreds of clients on compliance, enforcement and disclosure issues arising under US export control laws, sanctions and embargoes and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
• Conducting internal investigations, compliance reviews and assessments, and compliance program enhancements — often on a global basis — for dozens of US and overseas companies under the ITAR, EAR, OFAC rules, anti-boycott laws and the FCPA
• Representation of PlaneStation Group plc in the acquisition of German regional airport Schwerin-Parchim and in all subsequent airport operating aspects, including public law
• Representing the Aerospace Industries Association in defending against a petition and legal challenge filed by activist groups seeking to require EPA to regulate greenhouse gases from airplanes under the Clean Air Act
• Representing underwriters, placement agents, initial purchasers and issuers in public and private high yield, convertible note and equity offerings of all kinds for aerospace, defense and government services companies such as United Defense Industries, Sequa Corporation, L-3 Communications, and DynCorp International
• Advising Flughafen Hamburg, GmbH, the operator of Hamburg’s international airport, on various planning issues, with respect to the expansion of airport facilities and operations, including administrative permissions and litigation
• Representing US government contractors in dozens of bid protests, ranging from relatively small procurements to ones involving billions of dollars, for companies like Navistar International, ViON Corporation and Rotech
• Representation of Deutsche Bank AG London in proposed financing of German airline Air Berlin