Stephen Tucker, Equity Partner

Before becoming a lawyer, Steve practiced as an aeronautical engineer in jet and rocket engine design at the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Corporation Florida Research and Development Center. At that Center, he worked in: Analytical Design, Mechanical Design, Engine Test and The Materials Development Lab. He also worked at Pan American World Airways in the Engineering Flight Test Department.  As a lawyer for over 30 years, Steve's aviation defense practice has primarily focused on representing manufacturers of airframes, engines, component parts, avionics and maintenance concerns in third party liability insurance-related matters involving commercial, general aviation, and military aircraft. He is an FAA licensed private pilot and holds an FCC license in radio design and operation. Insofar as insurance coverage is concerned, Steve has handled matters involving most of the world's major manufacturers of space devices. Space matters have concerned satellite communications, power, propulsion, telemetry and support systems. Notable cases have involved RCA Satcom F2, ASC 2, Westars 4 and 5, the Intelsat 5 MCS system, AMSC 1, Pegasus F2 and GEOS 1 and 2.

Steve has delivered papers and speeches on aviation and space law at virtually all of the world's major institutions and forums addressing the subject. He has been a Guest Lecturer at Stanford University and Georgetown University in graduate courses touching on space law.  He is also a Member of the MIT Enterprise Forum of New York City.

In terms of mass disasters, Steve has served as counsel to individual defendants in connection with major accidents: Southern Airways 242, West Caribbean Airways 708, Mandala Airlines 91 and Air France 447. He was also counsel to a major defendant in the seminal United States Supreme Court case on the defense doctrine of forum non conveniens, Piper v. Reyno.

Steve has delivered numerous loss prevention and product integrity programs on aviation and space liability to his corporate clients. He is a member of the International Institute of Space Law and the Lawyer Pilot's Bar Association.