Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell’s airports practice is the oldest and largest dedicated airport law practice in the country.  It is characterized by a comprehensive, creative, and strategic approach that comes from a deep understanding of the airport industry and from experience at more than 100 airports—from the largest fortress hubs in the world to small general aviation airports.

Operating airports today is like running a small (or sometimes large) city, a complex business, and a sophisticated political machine – all at the same time.  Airports face increasing pressure to address air service, congestion, security, competition, and financial challenges.  Airports must also address competing needs to generate revenue while keeping their rates and charges competitive, to be sensitive neighbors, and to contribute to the economic development of their communities.  These demands are challenging for any enterprise, but in a highly regulated government-operated industry, the burden on airports can seem overwhelming.

Airport law does not respect the boundaries of traditional legal disciplines.  Instead, solving the problems presented by the operation and development of airports often implicates a panoply of legal issues, including compliance with federal obligations; land use, noise, and environmental concerns; collateral commercial development; public finance; national security; and day-to-day legal issues connected with operating what are large businesses serving as public utilities.  We provide a wide range of creative legal services to address these problems in their larger context.  We collectively have hundreds of years of experience advising more than 100 airports in a breadth of issues.