PRACTICES: Mark A. Dombroff Aviation and Partner - Northern Virginia Transportation Law & [email protected] Litigation 1676 International Drive Publications: Unmanned Aircraft Penthouse Systems (UAS) McLean, VA 22102 Key Trial Control Tactics: A Guide to Winning the Ultimate Verdict Compliance and TEL: 703.336.8700 (Executive Reports Corporation Investigations 1983) Employer Services Dombroff on Demonstrative Group Experience Evidence (John Wiley & Sons Insurance 1983) Mark concentrates his practice on the aviation and transportation Litigation Trial Hearsay (Ford Publishing industry, including litigation, regulatory, administrative and 1984) - Appellate enforcement matters, security, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigations and employee related issues. He serves as Dombroff on Unfair Tactics (John - Business Disputes / Wiley & Sons 1984, 1988) Commercial co-chair of the firm's Unmanned Aircraft Systems practice. In addition, he co-edits the blog Plane-ly Spoken, dedicated to Litigation Organization and - Insurance Litigation providing up-to-date news and analysis of developments in Management: Tactics and - Product Liability regulation and litigation that impact the day to day operations of all Techniques (Law & Business and Toxic Tort types of aviation service providers. 1984) Defense Trial Objections (Ford Publishing Public Policy and Mark started his legal career as a Trial Attorney with the Office of 1985) the General Counsel of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): Regulatory Affairs Dynamic Closing Arguments He then moved to the Aviation Unit of the United States Department (Prentice Hall 1985) INDUSTRIES: of Justice (DOJ). Over his 15 year career with the DOJ, he represented the FAA, all of the military services, the National Dombroff on Direct and Cross Aerospace and Weather Service, the Coast Guard, NASA and all other government Examination (John Wiley & Sons Defense related aviation activities. For his last five years with DOJ, he was 1985) Aviation the Director of the Civil Division responsible for three offices, 100 Federal Trial Evidence (James lawyers and all aviation and admiralty matters both worldwide and Publishing 1985) Hospitality involving the United States. Discovery (Kluwer Law Book Insurance Publishers, Inc. 1986) Mark entered private practice in 1985, where he focuses his Unmanned Aircraft practice on the aviation and transportation industry. He has Expert Witnesses in Civil Trials Systems (UAS) counseled and guided numerous airlines and aviation and other (Lawyers Co-Operative 1987) companies through accident/incident investigations, FAA Negligence Handbook (John PROFESSIONAL investigations and civil litigation. Among others, this has included Wiley & Sons 1985) ACTIVITIES: the Arrow Air crash in Gander, Newfoundland, the US Airways Premises Security: Law and crashes in New York (Flight 405), Charlotte (Flights 1016 and Tactics (John Wiley & Sons 1990) ABA Tort/Insurance 5481), Pittsburgh (Flight 427), US Airways Flight 1549: the “Miracle Practice Section on the Hudson,” Alaska Airlines crash near Los Angeles (Flight Personal Injury Defense Techniques (Mathew Bender 261), the Colgan Air crash near Hyannis, MA, the crash which took ABA Litigation Section 2000) the life of PGA Champion Payne Stewart, the Circuit City accident Evaluating and Reserving ABA Forum on Air & near Pueblo, CO, the crash of The Galloping Ghost at the National Wrongful Death and Personal Space Law Championship Air Races in Reno, NV, and the 2013 crash of a National Airlines Boeing 747 at Bagram, Afghanistan. Injury Cases (Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company 2000) American Bar Association Mark also handles numerous safety, enforcement and regulatory Author of over 200 articles on matters before the FAA/NTSB and other administrative agencies, numerous trial advocacy, Assoc. of Trial Lawyers whether arising from accidents or as independent matters. This litigation and products liability of America includes matters involving not only the FAA and NTSB, but many subjects published in The issues involving State, TSA, Homeland Security, Justice and National Law Journal, The Legal Aviation Insurance Treasury. Times, ABA Journal, Trial Association Magazine, For The Defense and Mark represented Sikorsky Aircraft in the landmark Supreme Court numerous other legal Conrad Foundation case establishing the government contractor defense (Boyle v. publications. (Board Member) United Technologies), as well as in the “friendly fire” litigation resulting in the dismissal of Sikorsky following the Government’s District of Columbia Bar Seminars And Presentations: invoking of the state secrets doctrine to avoid responding to third Association party subpoenas. (Mounsey et. al. v. Allied-Signal et. al.) Speaker and instructor at over Defense Research 250 bar associations, continuing Institute legal education and other meetings throughout the world on International Mark provides counseling and representation to not only the airlines aviation, trial advocacy, products Association of Defense listed but, in addition, to Southwest Airlines, Mesa Airlines, liability, evidence and trial Counsel SkyWest Airlines, Virgin America, Spirit Airlines and a wide range strategy. of other airlines and aviation service providers, including airports, NTSB Bar Association fuelers, ground handlers, fixed base operators, maintenance and overhaul companies, catering companies, security companies, VA Trial Lawyers airframe manufacturers and a number of other aerospace Association manufacturers.
During the course of his career, Mark has tried dozens of jury and non-jury cases, ranging in length from one day to several months. In addition, he has argued before state and federal appellate courts at all levels.
Mark founded The Airline Symposium in January 2007, which had over 130 attendees from all segments of the aviation industry. It addressed what really happens after an accident and was a recognition of the fact that with the safety history of the industry, there was virtually no experience base in the companies with what happens after an accident.
The program dealt with the NTSB investigation, FAA investigation, criminal investigation, civil litigation, employee and union issues, financial and shareholder matters, emergency preparedness issues and family/survivor matters.
In February 2014, The Eighth Annual Airline Symposium was held at The Ritz Carlton Hotel, McLean, VA, with over 300 attendees observing and participating in an accident response exercise in a foreign country. In addition, attendees had a unique opportunity to hear from and question former members of the NTSB, as well as current and former senior staff members and investigators from the FAA and NTSB on a variety of policy, regulatory and enforcement issues.
In July 2013, Mark founded and moderated the first MRO/Manufacturers Symposium in Reston, VA. This Symposium focused on how maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, as well as aviation manufacturers, should prepare for and deal with aviation accidents/incidents and regulatory/enforcement issues.
Recognition
World’s Leading Aviation Lawyers (Euromoney Publications) The Legal 500: Top Aviation Lawyers Attorney General’s Award for Meritorious Service Civil Air Patrol Award for Special Achievement Assistant Editor, The American University Law Review
Representative Matters 9-11 Civil Litigation Representation of the FAA Administrator in 9-11 Commission Hearings Arrow Air Disaster at Gander, Newfoundland Air Florida Disaster at Washington, DC Alaska Airlines Flight 261, Los Angeles, CA Operation “Babylift” – Crash of Lockheed C-5A at Saigon, Vietnam Harduvel v. General Dynamics – Defense of General Dynamics in F-16 Crash Derailment of Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus Train Korean Airlines 007 Shoot Down by Soviet Union Southwest Airlines Flight 1248 – Midway Airport Overrun, Chicago, IL Payne Stewart Learjet Crash Swissair Flight 111 Crash TWA Flight 514 Crash at Mt. Weather, VA Crash of The Galloping Ghost at the 2011 National Championship Air Races at Reno, NV TWA Flight 800 Crash United 232 at Sioux City, IA US Airways Flight 405 at La Guardia Airport, New York, NY US Airways Flight 427 at Pittsburgh, PA US Airways Flight 1016 at Charlotte, NC US Airways Flight 1549: The Miracle on the Hudson River Representation of Sikorsky Aircraft/UTC in Boyle v. United Technologies (Government Contractor Defense), US Supreme Court and Friendly Fire Litigation, Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Liability Counsel for Cessna Aircraft, Piper Aircraft and Commander Aircraft in Numerous Cases throughout the United States Liability Counsel for Over 400 Airports including Meigs Field, Palwaukee, Charlotte, Dulles, Livermore National Counsel for 3SI Security Systems, Inc. handling All Product Liability, Commercial and Employment Matters National Liability Counsel for Piper Aircraft Irrevocable Product Trust Empire Airlines Accident in Lubbock, TX Trans States Airlines Accidents in Ottawa, Canada Counsel for Avantair, Clearwater, Florida in FAA Regulatory and Enforcement Matters Crash of Presidential Airways, CASA 212 aircraft in Afghanistan Colgan Air Crashes near Hyannis, MA and Buffalo, NY National Airlines crash at Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan
Education J.D., The Washington College of Law, The American University B.A., The American University
Bar Admissions Virginia Maryland District of Columbia Pennsylvania
Court Admissions Supreme Court of the United States U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Military Appeals U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia