Partner Frank A. Silane was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers at the Annual Spring Meeting of the College in Phoenix, Arizona on March 10, 2012.. The American College of Trial Lawyers is composed of the best of the trial bar from the United States and Canada and is widely considered to be the premier professional trial organization in America. The Firm now has two partners who are Fellows of the College.

Partners Desmond T. Barry, Jr. and Michael J. Holland both spoke at the Blue Angels Air and Transportation Law Conference held November 8-12, 2011 in Pensacola, Florida. Des and Mike moderated "Fire Chat" panels in which leading aviation litigators discussed major cases and developments in aviation law over the last fifty years.

Bart Banino was a speaker on two panels at the IATA Cargo Claims and Loss Prevention Conference in Shanghai, China in November 2011. Bart gave a speech on FAA enforcement actions on a panel involving the shipment of dangerous goods and was also on a multi-jurisdictional "experts panel" answering questions about the handling of cargo claims.

Desmond T. Barry, Jr. and Jonathan DeMay will be speaking at the ABA annual Aviation and Space Law Litigation program in Washington, D.C. on October 20-21, 2011. Des will be moderating a panel on "Getting Business and Keeping Clients Happy"; Jon will be participating in the "Emerging and Current Issues" panel.

Partners Desmond T. Barry, Jr. and Frank A. Silane have been appointed by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in connection with that Court's Alternative Dispute Resolution Program.

Partners Desmond T. Barry, Jr., Christopher R. Christensen, Katherine B. Posner and John Maggio were named in Super Lawyers – New York (2011). Chosen by their peers and through independent research, Des Barry was selected among the top in the field of Aviation Law; Kathy Posner was selected among the top attorneys for Insurance Practice; and Chris Christensen for Civil Litigation Defense. John Maggio was named as a Rising Star in Aviation Law.

Michael J. Holland was a speaker at the September 2011 ALTA Aviation Law Conference in Cartagena, Columbia. The title of his presentation was "The European Union Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS): A Worldwide Challenge for Aviation and the Environment."

In commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the U.S., the ABA TIPS Section has dedicated a year-long initiative to Disaster Preparedness & Response with a series of teleconferences and webinars. Two of our partners have participated in the development and presentation of two of the Series Webinars. On September 6, 2011, Desmond T. Barry, Jr. moderated the Aviation Law Committee's Webinar, "The Call: Aviation Disaster Preparedness & Crisis Response." On September 13, 2011, Marshall S. Turner moderated the International Law and Governmental Law Committee's Webinar, "International Approaches to Disaster Preparedness and Response."

Katherine B. Posner and Michael J. Holland have been accepted to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York's Mediation Panel.

(August 2011): Partners Marshall S. Turner and Katherine B. Posner have been nominated and were selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of the Guide to the World's Leading Aviation Lawyers as two of the world’s leading practitioners in the field of aviation law. The guide, published by Euromoney as part of its Expert Guide series, identifies leading professionals in areas of business law. Nominees are selected through independent surveys of clients and peers.

(August 2011): Condon & Forsyth partner, Marshall S. Turner, was quoted in the New York Times article, "Airlines Face Uphill Battle in E.U. Emissions Case, Legal Experts Say," which appeared on August 2, 2011. The article notes that U.S. air carriers, led by the Air Transport Association of America (ATA), have decided to sue the E.U. for its plan to impose carbon emissions caps on international airlines as set forth by its Emissions Trading System (ETS) due to begin January 1, 2012 (though carriers would not have to start paying until April 2013).

The aviation industry has been closely watching this case, being heard by 13 judges sitting on the European Court of Justice, as they tackle key issues of state sovereignty and international aviation agreements. While some aviation law experts, such as Mr. Turner, believe that the E.U. ETS has serious drawbacks when applied to aviation, Mr. Turner opined it is unlikely the airlines will prevail against the E.U. legal system. To read the article, please click here.

(July 2011): Partners Desmond T. Barry, Jr. and Frank A. Silane have been nominated and were selected for inclusion in the 2011 edition of The International Who’s Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers as two of the world’s leading practitioners in the field of product liability defense. The guide is published by London-based Who’s Who Legal, which identifies leading lawyers in 31 areas of business law from more than 100 countries. Nominees are selected through independent surveys of clients and peers.

(July 2011): Katherine Posner is pleased to report that she led her team to judgment for the defense dismissing in their entirety the consolidated declaratory judgment cases of Fleet Business Credit and Highland Capital Management against Underwriters at Lloyd’s et al. as a result of a two-week bench trial before Judge Barbara Jones in the Southern District of New York.

Condon & Forsyth LLP selected by Legal 500 as one of the top aviation law firms for 2011.
(June 2011):In recognizing the firm, the editors noted: “Condon & Forsyth LLP is a well-established boutique aviation defense firm which focuses on advising insurance clients in the aviation sector, and is recognized by peers for its niche expertise … Condon & Forsyth’s widely admired practice provides a consistently high level of service and continues to enjoy a solid reputation as one of the leading firms for aerospace mass tort and product liability litigation. Its attributes include ‘industry knowledge that is always in-depth’ and ‘its excellent value for the money’. Among the practice’s high-profile roles is its representation of American Airlines in property damage and wrongful death litigation arising from the World Trade Center terrorist attacks; and acting as lead counsel to Colgan Air regarding the crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo, New York, in 2009.”

Special mention was given to “The internationally renowned Desmond Barry and Christopher Christensen in New York, [who] along with Los Angeles-based Frank Silane, ‘give practical and user-friendly advice’ and ‘look for solutions’. … Scott Cunningham and Richard Lazenby in Los Angeles, as well as Stephen Stegich, David Harrington and Marshall Turner in New York … Stephen Stegich and Katherine Posner lead the coverage practice from the New York office, while the Los Angeles practice group is led by Roderick Margo.”

Condon & Forsyth LLP Named U.S. Aviation Law Firm of the Year.
(April 2011): Condon & Forsyth LLP has been named United States Aviation Law Firm of the Year (2011), by Finance Monthly magazine. This international award, based on industry voted independent polls, recognizes firms built on their depth of expertise who consistently deliver excellence within the legal profession. Winners are chosen on the basis of independent research and interviews with clients and industry leaders worldwide. We extend our sincere thanks to our clients for their continued trust in our firm.

On June 26 and 27, 2011, John Maggio spoke at the 82nd Annual Meeting for the Association of Transportation Law Professionals ("ATLP") in Memphis, Tennessee, providing the annual modal update on aviation and serving on a panel regarding recent developments concerning federal preemption. Anthony Battista moderated the federal preemption panel and is a Vice President of the ATLP.

Katherine Posner has been elected as a Member of the Board of Trustees of Vaughn College of Aeronautics and Technology.

On June 2, 2011, partners Christopher R. Christensen and Jonathan DeMay, as well as associate Allison Surcouf, participated in the New York City Bar ABA Section of Litigation, Aviation Litigation CLE Seminar. Jonathan DeMay, as one of the Program Co-Chairs, helped assemble the panelists and speakers at the Program. Chris Christensen moderated a discussion of "The Latest Trends and Tactics in Prosecuting and Defending Foreign Mass Accident Litigation." Allison Surcouf co-presented "Recent Developments in Aviation Law: Trends and Significant Decisions."

Katherine Posner and Rod Margo were both speakers at the 2011 Annual McGill Conference on International Aviation Liability & Insurance, May 6-7 in Montreal, Canada.

Diana Gurfel Shapiro was invited to attend The Sedona Conference®, Working Group 1 (WG1) Mid-Year Meeting on April 28-29, 2011 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The Sedona Conference® Working Group Series is a series of think-tanks consisting of leading jurists, lawyers, experts and consultants brought together by a desire to address various "tipping point" issues in each area under consideration. The mission of Working Group 1 is to develop principles and best practice recommendations for electronic document retention and production in civil litigation." Attendance to the Conference was limited to 50 members of WG1 selected by application. For information regarding The Sedona Conference®, click here.

Desmond Barry and Katherine Posner were speakers at the IADC's Corporate Counsel College in Chicago, Illinois April 14-15, 2011. Des spoke on "The In-House Counsel Partnership: The Changing Times - Round Two." Kathy was a panelist on "Labor and Employment - Is it a New World? What Has Changed and What Will Change Next?".

Diana Gurfel Shapiro spoke at the SMU Air Law Symposium in Dallas, Texas on March 31, 2011. She presented a paper on the use of search and information retrieval in electronic discovery.

Katherine Posner spoke at the Aircraft Transactions Forum in Scottsdale, Arizona on March 1, 2011. She presented a paper on aviation insurance.

Katherine Posner has written a chapter for the book Inside the Minds: Negotiating Insurance Policy Disputes. The title of the chapter authored by Kathy is "The Unique Role of the Aviation Coverage Counsel." The book was released in March by Aspatore Publishers.

Rod Margo Is Aviation Lawyer of the Year 2010:
Rod Margo has been named the leading aviation lawyer in the world in the Who’s Who Legal Awards. Editor in chief Callum Campbell said, “In a highly competitive field, receiving the Who’s Who Legal Aviation Lawyer of the Year Award is an outstanding achievement. Rod Margo received more votes from clients and peers worldwide than any other lawyer in our research. This is the first time he has won the award, and the consistently positive feedback we received from our sources across the globe reflect his exceptional talent and pre-eminence in the field. We have no hesitation in declaring him the leading lawyer in the world for Aviation expertise.”

Condon & Forsyth LLP once again has been selected by Legal 500 as one of the top aviation law firms for 2010. In recognizing Condon & Forsyth LLP, the editors noted: “[the firm] has a great depth of experience and handles all types of claims arising from aviation operators. It is a…firm whose excellent aviation product liability practice forms part of a comprehensive service for the aviation industry, representing airlines, insurers and manufacturers of aircraft, components and…It acts for insurers such as AIG, Aon Risk Services, Global Aerospace and Marsh Aviation, and several major manufacturers including GE and Honeywell.”

Clients recommend Desmond Barry, who “conveys complex legal issues in an easy-to-understand way” and provides “solution-driven advice. Together with the practical, problem-solving Stephen Stegich…Alongside Barry and Stegich, Katherine Posner, Christopher R. Christensen and Anthony Battista round out the substantial depth of the New York team, which was further enhanced by David Harrington’s arrival…Los Angeles-based Frank Silane provides high-quality representation…”.

Legal 500 provides the most comprehensive worldwide coverage currently available on legal service providers in more than 100 countries. Its aim is to provide independent, unbiased commentary on the leading law firms and lawyers.

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business’ 2010 Client’s Guide Recognizes Condon & Forsyth LLP:
The annual Chambers USA guide, which ranks lawyers and law firms based on in-depth interviews with attorneys, clients, and corporate counsel in the US, has again recognized the firm of Condon & Forsyth LLP. Chambers USA 2010 states that the firm “has a long history in the aviation industry and is one of the leading litigation practices in the sector. Its forte lies in disaster litigation where it represents a number of foreign carriers… it is also the counsel of choice for a number of domestic clients…”. The firm is recognized for its accident litigation team which “also takes on product liability cases and insurance coverage matters…Its continued involvement in litigation arising out of 9/11 ensures that it maintains a high profile in the industry.” Source quotes in Chambers about the firm include: “It has a good stable of talented lawyers whose dedication is unquestionable.”

Managing partner Desmond Barry, was ranked by Chambers USA 2010 as “the glue that binds the team together”, noting how “he excels in complex product liability and aviation litigation…”; Praised for his knowledge, Rod Margo was ranked as understanding “the most subtle nuances of the law better than anyone”; Michael J. Holland was named as “a capital fellow and a straight shooter…his forte lies in representing airlines in tort and commercial litigation”; and, Frank Silane, was honorably ranked for his representation of “…airlines, aircraft manufacturers and insurers in wrongful death and personal injury litigation.”