Pat Rizzi's practice focuses on aviation regulatory law, aviation litigation, aviation transactions, and complex litigation. He has extensive transportation regulatory experience, advising passenger and cargo airlines, airports, infrastructure and development companies, on-demand air taxi operators, aerospace manufacturers, unmanned aircraft system operators, banks, investment firms, and government agencies on international and domestic aviation regulatory issues. He advises clients in areas such as operations, compliance, customer service, licensing, advertising, airport access, comparative selection proceedings, international route rights, alliances, marketing arrangements, aviation-related transactions, government investigations, airport privatization, and airline/aviation financing transactions, among others.

He also has a substantial amount of federal court and administrative litigation experience on behalf of aviation clients, as well as complex litigation experience primarily defending corporate clients in class action and complex lawsuits in federal and state courts throughout the United States.

Prior to joining Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells), Pat spent over 13 years in the Washington, D.C. office of another major international law firm. 

REPRESENTATIVE EXPERIENCE

Represented clients before the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) on various matters, including international route authority proceedings, domestic airport access, consumer-related rulemakings, transactions, and investigations.

Regularly counseled aviation clients on operational and compliance issues under U.S. aviation regulations and laws, including safety, competition, licensing, advertising, customer service, and airline alliances, and on proposed aviation-related rulemakings by U.S. government agencies.

Formulated advocacy strategies and drafted filings about aviation issues for submission to various government agencies, including the DOT, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Customs and Border Protection, Transportation Security Administration, Canadian Transportation Agency, and Transport Canada.

Defended clients in enforcement investigations and related proceedings instituted by the DOT and FAA.

Counseled air carriers, aerospace/aviation companies, banks, and investment firms regarding financing transactions and restructuring issues for airlines and repair stations.

Counseled airports on AIP and PFC issues, land usage, minimum standards, federal grant assurances, operational and other compliance issues, and FAA audits.

Advised financial and infrastructure companies on airport privatizations.

Advised companies on regulations, rulemakings, acquisitions, and compliance involving unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Counseled governments on civil aviation policy.

Represented new entrant carriers seeking initial certificate authority from the DOT.

Represented airlines in federal court litigation involving regulatory issues.

Republic Airline Inc. v. U.S. Dep’t of Transportation, 669 F.3d 296 (D.C. Cir. 2012) (granting airline’s petition for review and vacating DOT Order withdrawing slot exemptions from airline)

Northern Air Cargo v. U.S. Postal Service and Peninsula Airways, 674 F.3d 852 (D.C. Cir. 2012)

Northern Air Cargo v. U.S. Postal Service and Peninsula Airways, 789 F. Supp.2d 120 (D.D.C. 2011)

Northern Air Cargo v. U.S. Postal Service and Peninsula Airways, 741 F. Supp.2d 41 (D.D.C. 2010) 

Defended companies in the automobile industry in class action and complex commercial litigation.*

Ford Motor Co. v. Sheldon, 22 S.W.3d 444 (Tex. 2000) (de-certifying class)*; Ford Motor Co. v. Sheldon, 113 S.W.3d 839 (Tex. App. 2003) (reversing class certification)*; Ford Motor Co. v. Ocanas, 138 S.W.3d 447 (Tex. App. 2004) (reversing certifications of statewide and nationwide classes)*; Gordon v. Ford Motor Co., 687 N.Y.S.2d 369 (App. Div. 1999) (affirming trial court's denial of class certification)*; In re Ford Motor Co. Vehicle Paint Litigation, 182 F.R.D. 214 (E.D. La. 1998) (denying certification of a nationwide class)*; In re Ford Motor Co. Ignition Switch Prods. Liab. Litigation, 174 F.R.D. 332 (D.N.J. 1997) (denying class certification)*; Portwood v. Ford Motor Co., 685 N.E.2d 941 (Ill. App. 1997) (dismissing complaint on time-bar grounds), aff’d, 701 N.E.2d 1102 (Ill. 1998)*; Roland v. Ford Motor Co. (Ga. Super. 2006) (denying certification of statewide class).* 

*Matters handled prior to joining our legal practice.

RECENT PRESENTATIONS

September 2014

Speaker, "Practical Aspects of Public Private Partnerships," ABA Project Finance and Development Committee Meeting, ABA Business Law Section Annual Meeting.

August 2013

Speaker, "Air Cargo Transfer Rights and the New Air Cargo Business Environment," 2013 Alaska International Air Cargo Summit. 

February 2011

Co-Chair, 2011 Update Conference: Are the Clouds Lifting, ABA Forum on Air and Space Law. 

2005

Member, Program Planning Committee, 2005 Annual Meeting, ABA Forum on Air and Space Law. 

HOGAN LOVELLS PUBLICATIONS

12 FEBRUARY 2015

"The FAA Has Issued Five More Exemptions for Commercial Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)." Unmanned Aircraft Systems Alert, Hogan Lovells 

06 FEBRUARY 2015

"The FAA Has Issued Five More Exemptions for Commercial Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems." Unmanned Aircraft Systems Alert, Hogan Lovells 

27 JANUARY 2015

"New FAA Exemptions for Commercial Use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems." Unmanned Aircraft Systems Alert, Hogan Lovells 

14 OCTOBER 2014

"Federal Aviation Administration grants exemptions for commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems." Aviation Alert, Hogan Lovells 

PUBLISHED WORKS

AUGUST 2014

"FAA Regulation of Airports." Aviation Regulation in the United States, American Bar Association, co-author 

SPRING 2003

"Expand the Display Bias Rules." The Air & Space Lawyer, ABA, Vol. 17, No. 4, co-author