Akin Space Law & Policy

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP's Space Law & Policy practice is one of Washington DC's premier legal groups advising clients across the commercial and government space sectors. The practice, part of a major Am Law 100 firm founded in 1945 with deep DC regulatory and government contracting expertise, serves satellite operators, launch vehicle companies, GPS technology providers, remote sensing companies, and government contractors on the full spectrum of space-specific legal challenges.

Practice areas include FAA commercial launch licensing, FCC spectrum licensing and ITU orbital slot filings, export controls (ITAR/EAR for space hardware and technology), NASA and DoD contract negotiations, orbital debris mitigation regulatory compliance, and emerging commercial space frameworks under the Commercial Space Launch Act. The team includes former senior officials from Capitol Hill committees overseeing NASA and DoD space programs, as well as former FCC and FAA staff with direct experience in the regulatory processes space companies must navigate.

Akin Gump competes with other major DC space law practices at Hogan Lovells, Crowell & Moring, and Wilson Sonsini in an increasingly active legal market as commercial space regulation and spectrum disputes intensify globally.