Aviation & Space

Representative Work, Projects & Clients

Partnering with our aviation and space law attorneys in Bucharest delivers game-changing results:

• World's Largest Aviation Services Provider: ongoing legal assistance to the largest aviation services provider globally, with due diligence, conflict mitigation, administrative review, brand protection and employment matters pertaining to their ground services operations on Romania's biggest airport -the Bucharest Henry Coanda International Airport in Otopeni.
• Representing the Armed Forces Suppliers Industry Association (FNPTRR), with national social dialogue representation within the tripartite committee including the Labor Ministry and the trade unions, and with litigation in Bucharest courts.
• Representing the Security Industry Association (PATROSEC) with national social dialogue representation within the tripartite committee including the Labor Ministry and the trade unions.
• Won the annulment of Government Decision No. 519/2004 for the national security industry association (80% market share), saving €10+ million in unwarranted statutorily-imposed costs for the industry. The case was tried in the Bucharest Tribunal - Contentious Administrative Section, with the defendant, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, appealing the Tribunal's ruling before the Bucharest Court of Appeals, which upheld the Tribunal's ruling favourable to our client.
• Representing the National Federation of Transportation Industry (FNPTRR) with national social dialogue representation within the tripartite committee including the Labor Ministry and the trade unions.
• Airforce Manufacturing Supplier: Guidance contextual to overtures preceding ITAR agreements within NATO frameworks / military aircraft foreign assistance with aircrafts and parts supplies, training, hardware upgrades and maintenance programs for Romania through framework memorandum of understanding with Romania's National Defense Company.

∑ Advisory and Contract Drafting, Negotiation, and Review for the Space Industry

Specialized legal advisory services and strategic guidance in space law, providing key insights into regulatory compliance and legal implications for local and international space ventures, allowing our clients to focus on what they know best: science, engineering and technology.

• Contracts and Agreements:
  
  • Drafting and negotiating contracts for satellites, drone operations, and space missions, ensuring compliance with international treaties like the Outer Space Treaty.
  • ‍Drafting joint ventures for space collaborations, licensing for aerospace IP, and supply chain contracts ensuring ITAR/EAR compliance.
  • Negotiating government contracts under public procurement rules, export agreements per Wassenaar, and cross-border tech transfers for drones or satellites.‍
• Regulatory Compliance for Drones and Satellites: From spacecraft registrations to advising on ANCOM licensing for satellite communications and drone operations, ensuring adherence to Romanian and EU regulations.‍
• GDPR and Data Privacy: Ensuring satellite data (e.g., Copernicus Sentinel-2) complies with GDPR and Romania’s Law 190/2018, avoiding fines up to €100K.‍
• AI Applications in Space: Guiding firms on AI ethics, data governance, and liability for autonomous systems (e.g., navigation, robotic HW, rovers), a growing trend with ESA’s ARTES program.‍
• Space Frameworks: Supporting operators with legal frameworks for commercial spaceflight, from passenger contracts to liability waivers.‍
• Space Debris Mitigation: Advising on EU Space Act (EUSA) standards for debris reduction, saving firms €500K in redesign costs.‍
• Environmental Compliance: Ensuring space operations meet environmental regulations, like debris tracking for sustainable practices.

𖥀 Dispute Resolution and Litigation

With a 89% win rate over 25 years, we’re your steadfast crew in legal storms, whether in Romania or cross-border.

• Satellite Collision Disputes: Representing clients in liability claims (e.g., €10M disputes from collisions), guided by the Liability Convention.
• Drone Operation Conflicts: Litigating airspace violations or drone-related privacy breaches, protecting your operations.
• Contract Breaches: Resolving disputes over launch delays or satellite malfunctions, ensuring fair outcomes.
• International Arbitration: Handling cross-border disputes for international firms via arbitration, leveraging Romania’s Outer Space Treaty commitments.
• Space Debris Claims: Defending against or pursuing claims for damages caused by space objects, a rising concern with 65,000 new satellites by 2030 (ESA est.).
• Patent Dispute Resolution & Litigation: defending, challenging or enforcing patent rights, including in courts when everything else failed.
• Advocating in IP suits, accident claims, or regulatory disputes, like aviation crashes under Montreal Convention, space collisions per Rescue Agreement, or defense contract breaches.
• Handling export violations under ITAR/EAR, drone privacy issues via GDPR, and international arbitrations for satellite interference.
• Defending antitrust in aerospace markets, employment disputes in defense firms, or liability for autonomous drones.
• Litigating cross-border matters for aviation alliances or space consortia.
• Corporate disputes: Resolving M&A conflicts in satellite mergers; product liability for defense systems; regulatory defense for operators.

ꯞ Intellectual Property and Innovation Protection

Our technology law expertise, paired with our unique art law crossover, makes us your ideal partner for protecting space innovations.​

• Patent Strategy for Space Tech: Securing patents for satellite designs, AI algorithms (e.g., GMV’s GNC systems), or drone tech, potentially adding €1M+ to your valuation.
• Copyright for Earth Observation Data: Protecting satellite imagery (e.g., Digital Dryads’ logging maps) as intellectual property, including NFT-style applications.
• Trade Secrets for R&D: Safeguarding proprietary tech (e.g., OX Origin’s CAD software) from competitors, ensuring market edge, drafting Non-Disclosure Agreements protecting your business assets and interests when prospecting collaboration potential and synergies with investors and with other business and technology partners
• IP Litigation: Drafting oppositions to granted patents, designs and models, enforcing patents, designs and models, defending your innovations in court, whether against infringement or misuse by partners.

Ѻ Regulatory Compliance and Licensing

We ensure your space operations are legally sound, from Bucharest, Romania to the stars.​

• ANCOM Licensing for Satellites: Streamlining permits for CubeSats (e.g., ISS projects) or satcom (e.g., LOGYOS’ mobility apps), cutting approval time from 12 to 6 months.
• Drone Licensing and Compliance: Assisting with Romanian CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) regulations for drone operations, including airspace and privacy laws.
• EU Space Act (EUSA) Readiness: Preparing for 2026 EUSA standards on safety and resilience, saving firms 10% of revenue in compliance costs.
• Export Controls: Advising on ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and EU export laws for space tech entering Romania.
• Spectrum Access: Securing spectrum rights for satellite networks (e.g., Starlink’s 2025 rollout), ensuring compliance with ANCOM and ITU regulations.
• Obtaining licenses for spectrum use under ITU, aviation operations via EASA, defense tech exports, and space resource utilization, including royalties from satellite data or drone tech.
• Advising on patent commercialization via Unitary Patent, tech transfer deals, and funding like ESA grants or venture capital for space startups.
• Facilitating defense tech partnerships, aerospace financing, and IP-backed loans for UAV firms.
• Managing securitization of aerospace assets and revenue streams for open-source space projects.
• On corporate matters: Global licensing for aircraft manufacturers; equity structures in space ops; monetizing AI tools for cross-sectoral defense providers.

⎇ Space Cross-Industry Applications

We support businesses leveraging space tech in diverse sectors, ensuring legal clarity and growth.

• Agriculture: Advising on satellite data use (e.g., Copernicus for precision farming), ensuring GDPR compliance and IP protection for crop analytics.
• Health: Supporting eHealth innovations (e.g., space-derived telemedicine), navigating GDPR and medical device regulations.
• Smart Cities: Guiding urban planning projects using space data (e.g., ESA’s ARTES), ensuring data privacy and contract clarity.
• Telecommunications: Assisting with satcom deployments, from licensing to spectrum disputes.
• Transportation and Logistics: Supporting space-enabled logistics (e.g., GPS for autonomous systems), ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Mining and Geology: Advising on asteroid mining frameworks or satellite-based resource exploration, protecting IP and contracts.
• Environmental Monitoring: Ensuring compliance for satellite monitoring of deforestation or fisheries (e.g., Digital Dryads), avoiding €50K fines.
• AI-Driven Space Tech: Protecting AI innovations (e.g., autonomous rovers, predictive analytics) with patents and data governance.

⎄ Cross-Border Support for International Businesses

We bridge Romania with international markets, making your expansion seamless.

• Market Entry Compliance: Guiding foreign firms (e.g., Lockheed Martin, via Artemis Accords) on Romanian laws, from FDI to GDPR.
• Cross-Border Licensing: Securing ANCOM approvals for satcom or drone operations in Romania.
• GDPR for International Firms: Ensuring space firms comply with GDPR for satellite data, avoiding €100K fines.
• Dispute Resolution for Global Players: Representing international clients in Romanian courts or arbitration, leveraging our technology law practice and 89% win rate.
• IP Protection for Innovators: Securing patents for space tech (e.g., AI algorithms) in Romania, ensuring market entry success.

⎆ Military Satellite Operations Compliance

We guide military satellite operators, whether Romanian, U.S., or EU-based, through the complex legal waters of international and national regulations. This includes ensuring compliance with the Outer Space Treaty (1967) and Romania’s commitments under the Artemis Accords (2022), as well as NATO-aligned cybersecurity standards for satellite communications. We advise on spectrum allocation through ANCOM and the ITU, ensuring secure military satcom operations, and help navigate export controls (e.g., ITAR for EU/U.S. firms) for cross-border collaborations. Our team’s 25 years of tech law experience ensures your military satellite projects sail smoothly, avoiding €100K fines for non-compliance. Need us at 1am to secure a military launch permit? We’re your crew, with fair fees, cultured discipline and a committed professional engagement.

⍓ Defense Drone Operations and Liability

Military drone operations demand precision, legally and operationally. We support Romanian Air Force units (e.g., those using IAR 330 Puma SOCAT helicopters) and U.S./EU defense contractors with Romanian CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) licensing for drone testing and deployment. We draft contracts to limit liability in drone-related incidents, such as airspace violations or data breaches, and represent clients in disputes (e.g., €5M claims from drone malfunctions). With Romania’s growing role in NATO, we also ensure compliance with EU defense regulations (e.g., EUSA) and NATO’s cybersecurity frameworks, protecting your operations from regulatory storms. Our passion for aviation and 89% win rate in litigation make us your ideal partner.

⌺ Military AI Applications in Aerospace

AI is transforming military aviation,  from autonomous drones to predictive analytics for defense satellites. We provide legal support for AI-driven military aerospace projects, ensuring compliance with emerging EU AI Act standards ( and NATO’s ethical AI guidelines. This includes advising on liability for autonomous systems (e.g., AI-guided drones), data governance for military satcom, and IP protection for AI algorithms. For example, we can help a U.S. contractor like Lockheed Martin (via Artemis Accords) or its venture with a Romanian space-cyber firm to secure patents for AI navigation systems in Romania, adding €1M+ to their valuation. Our tech law expertise and cosmic passion ensure your AI innovations are legally sound and market-ready.

⚙︎ Aerospace Defense Procurement and Contracts

Military aerospace projects often involve complex procurement processes. We can assist Romanian firms (e.g., Aerostar Bacău, a supplier to Airbus) and U.S./EU contractors with public procurement compliance, including ANCOM and FIDIC agreements for defense contracts. We draft and negotiate contracts for military aircraft (e.g., I.A.R. 99 Șoim upgrades), drones, and satcom systems, ensuring alignment with ESA and NATO standards. We also provide litigation support for contract disputes, leveraging our 89% win rate to secure outcomes, whether it’s a €10M deal for a Romanian SME or a U.S. firm’s €50M NATO project. We’re hands-on, thinking of your business first, always.

⎋ Aviation Regulatory Compliance for Military and Civil Operations

We navigate the skies of aviation law for both military and civil operators, ensuring compliance with Romanian CAA and EASA regulations. For military clients (e.g., Romanian Air Force with F-16s), we handle licensing for test flights and ensure adherence to NATO safety standards. For civil operators (e.g., Romanian airlines flying Airbus A320s), we secure ANCOM permits for avionics and advise on EU Green Deal compliance for sustainable aviation (e.g., reducing emissions via satellite data). Our 25 years of tech law experience and passion for aviation, rooted in Romania’s pioneers like Henri Coandă, make us your trusted co-pilot, whether you’re a local operator or a EU/U.S. airline expanding in Romania.

⦿ Aircraft Manufacturing and Supply Chain Integrity

Romania’s aviation manufacturing legacy (e.g., I.A.R. Brașov, Aerostar Bacău) meets modern challenges like supply chain integrity. We support manufacturers and suppliers with legal frameworks for aircraft production, from I.A.R. 99 Șoim jets to Airbus A400M components. This includes contract drafting for supply chains, ensuring compliance with EASA Part 21J standards, and advising on counterfeit parts prevention (e.g., via the Aviation Supply Chain Integrity Coalition, 2024). We also litigate supply chain disputes, such as €5M claims over defective avionics, ensuring your operations soar smoothly. Our business-first mindset and cosmic enthusiasm make us a unique partner in this high-flying sector.

⍻ Aviation Accident Litigation and Investigations

When turbulence hits, we’re your steady crew. We represent clients in aviation accident litigation, whether military (e.g., Romanian Air Force IAR 330 crashes) or civil (e.g., Airbus A320 incidents at Henri Coandă Airport). With our 98% win rate and deep commitment, acumen and experience handling tech-heavy forensics, we handle wrongful death, property damage, and liability claims, coordinating with interdisciplinary teams (lawyers, technical experts) for investigations by the Romanian CAA and NTSB (for U.S. clients). We also advise on insurance claims and regulatory fallout, ensuring fair outcomes without the “masters of the universe” attitude. Need us at 1am post-incident on a crush site to legally witness, preserve or verify evidence, ensure custodianship chain, manage media and PR communiqués etc.? We’re there, boots on and ties tight, with the necessary clear minds and disciplined rigour required at such distressful times for our client.

⨊ Aviation Cybersecurity, Space-Cyber, and Data Protection

Aviation increasingly relies on digital systems, whereas military jets (e.g., F-16s) and civil airliners (e.g., Airbus A220s) face cybersecurity risks. We help Romanian and U.S./EU operators comply with GDPR and Romania’s Law 190/2018 for avionics data, avoiding €100K fines. We also advise on NATO cybersecurity standards for military aviation, protecting against breaches in satcom or drone systems. For example, we can secure a U.S. contractor’s avionics data compliance in Romania, ensuring their €10M ESA contract. Our tech law expertise and love for aerospace make us your ideal partner to navigate these digital skies.

Clients

Our space law firm Romania assists a vast range of clients in aviation, space, and defense, locally and globally:

• Inventors & Pioneers: Aerospace engineers, drone developers, satellite designers, pilots, defense innovators, inventors, and independent pioneers seeking IP protection and commercialization.
• Corporations and Institutions: Aircraft manufacturers, space launch companies, satellite operators, drone/UAV firms, defense contractors, airlines, airports, air traffic controllers, cybersecurity providers for aerospace, venture funds, component suppliers, insurance entities for space risks, logistics for aerospace transport, government agencies, aerospace research institutes, and cross-sectoral partners (e.g., AI developers for autonomous systems, tech integrators for defense simulations, software development firms for space applications in agriculture, health, wheather and environmental monitoring, urban planning, smart cities, telecommunications, mining and geology, transportation and logistics etc.).

Service Features

• Pioneering and Insider Expertise: Led by STEM-passionate founders, offering unique aerospace legal insights as industry pioneers.
• Romania-Focused Global Reach: Mastery of EU and Romanian frameworks like EASA, EU Space Programme, PESCO for smooth expansions.
• Proactive Innovation Safeguards: Forward-looking audits and strategies to mitigate risks in fast-evolving sectors.
• Tech-Integrated Approach: Specialized in drones, satellites, AI in defense, with secure collaboration tools.
• Ethical and STEM Advocacy: Emphasis on sustainable space practices, diversity, entrepreneurship and education in aerospace.
• Client-Focused Agility: Transparent fees, rapid multilingual support for international clients.