Cooley Space Practice

Cooley LLP is one of the world's leading law firms for commercial space, satellite, and NewSpace ventures, with a dedicated Space Practice group headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Founded in 1920 and now operating across 19 offices globally, Cooley advises launch companies, satellite operators, earth observation startups, in-space manufacturing ventures, and space investors on the full lifecycle of legal challenges unique to the sector — from incorporation and early-stage venture financing through FAA launch licensing, FCC spectrum and earth station authorization, ITU filings, export control (ITAR/EAR) compliance, and M&A transactions.

Cooley's space team is one of the few in BigLaw with attorneys who specialize exclusively in space law rather than treating it as an extension of aviation or telecom practice. The group has represented clients in landmark transactions including satellite constellation financing rounds, cross-border satellite acquisitions, spectrum coordination disputes, and liability frameworks for debris mitigation and on-orbit servicing. The firm also advises sovereign wealth funds, strategic corporate venture arms, and dedicated space venture capital funds on space-sector investments.

The practice's regulatory strength is notable: Cooley attorneys have navigated clients through the FCC's Part 25 and experimental license process, the new streamlined small satellite licensing rules, ITU coordination for non-GSO constellations, and NOAA commercial remote sensing licenses. Export control counsel covers ITAR commodity jurisdiction determinations, dual-use payload licensing, and technology transfer agreements with foreign launch providers.

Cooley is particularly active in the emerging areas of space resources law (advising companies pursuing asteroid mining and lunar extraction under the U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act), space tourism regulatory frameworks, and the liability and insurance structures for commercial orbital debris removal missions. The firm's venture capital practice depth — Cooley represents more VC-backed companies than any other law firm — gives its space clients direct connections to Silicon Valley investors who are increasingly active in NewSpace. Competing firms include Gibson Dunn, Hogan Lovells, and Milbank in the space regulatory and transactional space.