David J. Harrington joined Condon & Forsyth as a partner in 2009. Dave's practice is primarily focused on aviation and aerospace law, including accident investigation and litigation, although he is well versed in handling all types of complex civil and commercial litigation, including multi-district mass tort and product liability litigation.

Dave has significant experience representing numerous companies, including foreign and domestic air carriers and aircraft manufacturers in complex civil litigation, in cases involving claims for wrongful death and personal injury, premises liability, breach of contract and breach of warranty. In addition, he has significant experience in handling accident investigations, complex liability issues, damages assessment and settlement negotiations. Having litigated claims governed by the Warsaw and Montreal Conventions, Dave is also well versed on international aviation treaties and federal aviation statutes.

He has successfully taken a lead role in the settlement negotiations of more than 250 wrongful death cases arising from the 2001 American Airlines Flight 587 accident, the second-worst aviation disaster in U.S. history. Dave has defended a foreign aircraft manufacturer in a military jet accident that involved the government-contractor defense, as well as having represented airline pilots, on behalf of an air carrier, in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) enforcement proceedings and working along side corporate aviation departments in various regulatory matters, including finance and leasing negotiations and Part 121 and 135 start-up activities.

Dave has extensive and practical knowledge on National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation procedures and is highly experienced with the Aviation Disaster Family Assistance Act of 1996. He has advised numerous air carriers and aircraft manufacturers on how to prepare for and what to expect during an NTSB investigation and was asked by the NTSB to give a special presentation to its Board Members and investigators on the role of outside counsel during the course of an NTSB accident investigation.

Dave was counsel for American Airlines during the NTSB investigation and multi-district litigation arising from the 1999 Flight 1420 accident at Little Rock, Arkansas and recently was counsel to UPS (United Parcel Service) in the NTSB investigation of the DC-8 accident at Philadelphia International Airport that was the subject of an NTSB Public Hearing in July 2006. Most recently, Dave is lead counsel for Colgan Air in the February 12, 2009 crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, near Buffalo, NY.

Prior to entering private practice, Dave served in the United States Navy for 10 years as a naval aviator, flying the F-14B Tomcat, as well as performing operational intelligence work for the Office of Naval Intelligence, personally developing and delivering threat capability briefs to numerous Navy and Marine Corps units as well as to senior Naval leadership. He also holds a commercial pilot’s license as well as an engineering degree.

Dave is a member of the American Bar Association (Former Co-Editor, ABA Section of Litigation, Committee on Aviation Litigation, Aviation Litigation Quarterly)(Former Co-Editor, Aviation and Space Law Committee, Tort and Insurance Practice Section ABA-TIPS), the Defense Research Institute and the Tailhook Association.

He is admitted to the bar of New York (1999), the District Courts for the Southern, Northern, Eastern and Western Districts of New York, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuits, all State Courts in New Jersey, as well as the District of New Jersey.

He is a graduate of Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 1999) and Marquette University (B.S., with honors, 1988).

Along with Condon & Forsyth LLP being selected as one of the top aviation law firms for 2011 by Legal 500, special mention was made of Dave as being highly recommended for his work. Dave has also been honorably mentioned in Chambers USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2006-2007).