Hogan Lovells Space

Hogan Lovells LLP's space law and regulatory practice is one of Washington DC's leading legal groups serving the satellite, launch, and commercial space industry, operating within a large international law firm formed in 2010 through the merger of Hogan & Hartson (a major DC regulatory firm) and Lovells (a major London commercial firm).

The combined firm's DC roots in regulatory practice and global commercial presence make it a natural fit for the space industry, which must simultaneously navigate US regulatory processes (FCC satellite licensing, FAA launch licensing, State Department space export licenses) and international commercial law (satellite purchase agreements, orbital slot coordination under ITU procedures, cross-border spectrum dispute resolution).

The Hogan Lovells space practice represents satellite operators, launch vehicle developers, Earth observation companies, and commercial space venture investors on: FCC Part 25 and experimental licensing for new satellite constellations; ITU filing strategies for securing and coordinating orbital positions in the increasingly contested GEO arc and LEO spectrum allocations; ITAR/EAR export control compliance for space hardware and technical data; and M&A transactions across the space sector where regulatory clearance and licensing transfer are critical path items.

The firm competes directly with Akin Gump, Crowell & Moring, and Milbank in the DC space law market, where the regulatory caseload has grown substantially with hundreds of new constellation license applications since 2016.