Our leadership
Learn more
Commercial space and satellite companies operate at the center of several fast-moving trends: increasingly congested orbital environments, autonomous spaceflight safety, satellite-operator coordination, AI-enabled decision support, sensitive flight and mission data, dual-use technology, cross-border investment, and growing government scrutiny.
Our experience maps directly to those issues. We advise launch providers, satellite operators, space technology companies, aerospace manufacturers, defense contractors, investors, and other technology businesses on the legal and regulatory questions that arise as space-enabled products move from prototype to scaled commercial and government deployment.
How we help
We support clients across the commercial space lifecycle and the full spectrum of space and satellite business models. Our work spans commercial SaaS, data analytics, satellite communications, Earth observation, and space infrastructure products, as well as U.S. and international government contracting programs where national security, export controls, sensitive orbital data, and procurement rules are central to execution.
We assist clients with:
- Complex acquisitions and investments, including satellite mergers, satellite technology investments, satellite and ground segment transactions, ground-station assets, and launch-sector acquisitions.
- Regulatory approvals and national security review, including matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and other foreign investment review bodies; Federal Communications Commission and Team Telecom issues; Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency matters; mitigation of foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI); and launch-related security plans.
- Export controls and national security counseling for dual-use space and aerospace technology, including classification, licensing, and technology control plans under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), as well as matters before the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls and the Bureau of Industry and Security.
- Government contracts and procurement support, including prime contract and subcontract issues, contract novations, bid protests, contract claims, cost issues, and procurement disputes before the Government Accountability Office, boards of contract appeals, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.
- Investigations, sanctions, and compliance program design for aerospace, defense, and government-facing technology companies.
- Data, cybersecurity, and AI governance for businesses handling sensitive technical, operational, mission, and customer information, including counseling on AI-enabled products and incident response involving controlled technical data.
Why space and satellite work is legally distinct
Space and satellite businesses face legal issues distinctive to highly technical, capital-intensive, and often dual-use sectors. Commercial offerings may involve orbital data, operator coordination, autonomous decision frameworks, communications networks, remote sensing, ground infrastructure, high-performance software, and sensitive customer or mission information. Those capabilities create opportunities across commercial satellite operations, insurance, investor intelligence, defense applications, and government contracting. They also create exposure around data rights, customer contracting, export classification, procurement rules, national security review, foreign investment, software licensing, AI governance, and regulatory interoperability.
Our work sits where those issues meet: satellite operations, launch support, sensitive technical data, government-facing space technology, cross-border regulatory clearance, export controls, national security, and commercial growth. We pair sector-specific regulatory depth with a cross-practice team that supports clients as they scale commercial offerings, government relationships, strategic partnerships, investor-facing products, and international operations.
