Our Team

Our Aerospace team has represented some of the nation’s largest prime contractors as well as a large array of subcontractors and suppliers in Colorado and nationally. We also have a broad practice in the telecommunication and high-tech industries, which often intersect with aerospace and defense. It is our experience working in these industries that makes Sherman & Howard unique.

Our team includes:
  • An attorney/solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales who is a former vice chair of the ICC Commission on Arbitration and ADR and who handles aerospace and satellite disputes
  • A former member of the American Arbitration Association’s Aerospace, Aviation, and National Security Panel
  • A certified nuclear engineer with a master’s degree in engineering management
  • A former senior vice president of risk management, chief ethics and compliance officer, and general counsel in the telecommunications/technology industry
  • Lawyers with master’s degrees in engineering and technology
  • Lawyers who previously served as engineers in the aerospace industry

As a result of our varied experience, we possess a nuanced understanding of the industry, wide-ranging perspective, and a depth of experience that enable us to offer unrivaled insight and guidance regarding all aspects of aerospace legal and regulatory matters.

Our Approach

Sherman & Howard operates at the epicenter of the aerospace industry in Colorado, also known as “Aerospace Alley,” and we’ve built a strong multidisciplinary team of attorneys to meet the many and varied needs of clients in virtually every sector of the aerospace and defense industries. Although we are a regional firm, we have a national practice representing clients, including startups, large prime contractors, leading manufacturers, launch service providers, suborbital tourist companies, and a major space port, among others. As industry thought leaders and innovators, we stay on the cutting edge of legal issues and industry concerns to meet the evolving needs of the aerospace and defense sectors. When our clients need specialty areas, we ensure that an attorney familiar with the aerospace industry is there to assist.

Services

We represent aerospace and defense companies on a wide variety of litigation, transactional, and regulatory matters, including:

  • Planning, purchasing, and operation of space assets including satellite design and manufacture contracts
  • Risk management and insurance
  • Arbitration and litigation of space disputes nationally and internationally
  • Launch services
  • On-orbit services
  • Insurance disputes and recovery
  • Leasing of satellites and transponders
  • Satellite financing and project financing for the construction of satellites for lenders, satellite owners, and lessees
  • Government contracts
  • Corporate and transactional matters
  • Security interests in mobile equipment
  • Intellectual property
  • Internal and government investigations
  • Enforcement actions
  • Labor and employment
  • Mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, co-development, and other strategic alliances
  • Real estate, leasing, and land zoning
  • Environmental issues and compliance
  • Federal and state regulatory compliance
  • Data privacy and cybersecurity
  • Export control and technology transfer issues

Experience

  • Represented a major aerospace company in federal court insurance recovery litigation stemming from a launch failure; handled numerous insurance defense counsel motions with outstanding success, which ramped up the settlement value of the case.
  • Assisted an aerospace company suffering unfair competition from the U.S. government in violation of U.S. space policy by addressing the issues with the agencies involved.
  • Represented a client in an ICC arbitration for breach of a contract for satellite launch services and in litigation over satellite carriage agreements.
  • Represented a private astronaut in contract negotiations for a flight to the International Space Station.
  • Advised two major aerospace clients on the separation of senior C-level executives.
  • Drafted launch services agreements, including hosted payload and rideshare agreements, minimizing risks for clients.
  • Represented defense contractors in bid protests and litigation involving the U.S. government, with values up to and exceeding $400 million.
  • Advised aerospace companies on M&A matters including review of contracts and other due diligence issues.

Highlights

Launching Your Space Business

Launching a new space company can be a daunting challenge. That’s why Sherman & Howard gathered several of the most successful people in the aerospace industry to help you learn how to launch and grow your business. More than three and a half hours of recorded content are presented in seven easy-to-digest segments. Watch them at your convenience and be sure to share them with your colleagues.

Meet the team

Blair Carral Carter

Associate

L. Shawn Cheadle

Member

Lee Fanyo

Member

Garth B. Jensen

Member

Taylor John

Associate

Jeffrey R. Kesselman

Member

Ryan J. Klein

Member

B. Joseph Krabacher

Member

William “Bill” Peffer

Member

Jon R. Tandler

Member

Lyle A. Wallace

Member

David B. Wilson

Counsel Member
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