“I anticipate and solve problems, drive solutions, and shape policy to achieve the objectives of clients in the aviation and aerospace industry.”
Marc Warren is a respected leader in the international aviation bar, and advises many of the world’s leading aviation and aerospace operators and manufacturers. Marc is the co-leader of the Adams and Reese Aviation and Aerospace Practice Team and resident in the firm’s DC and Jacksonville offices.
Marc has deep connections to industry regulators, associations, and leaders, based on decades of providing dependable, authoritative service, with a well-recognized commitment to air safety and the public interest. He has built an unparalleled reputation for wisdom in aviation matters.
Marc’s clients include major airlines, defense, transportation, logistics and infrastructure companies, trade associations, and public venues. Marc steers clients through FAA and Department of Transportation regulatory compliance, government investigations, and enforcement matters.
Marc has deep and extensive experience in aviation matters including those involving U.S. and foreign airlines, aerospace manufacturing, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), commercial space transportation, advanced air mobility, airports and infrastructure, business aviation, certification and licensing, safety management systems, hazardous materials transport, government contracts, rulemaking and policy, litigation, and government investigations.
Marc’s wide-ranging experience also includes mergers, acquisitions, national security and military law, and international legal and policy issues. His practice also provides full-service, multi-disciplinary capabilities in areas such as antitrust and competition, investigations, crisis response environmental, international, regulatory, government contracts, administrative compliance and enforcement, business transactions and litigation matters, including arbitrations.
A former FAA acting chief counsel and deputy chief counsel, and a senior legal officer for the Army, Marc has technical aviation and senior leader advisory experience.
Marc is helping to shape the future of aviation by developing innovative solutions for drone delivery and urban air mobility systems, and for more effective and efficient use of airspace and airports. He employs novel funding strategies and guides clients in finding proper ways to implement new technologies. Clients turn to Marc to secure and protect government-issued certificates and licenses, relying on him to ensure that their core authorities are maintained.
Before his FAA appointment, Marc served in the US Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps, from which he retired in 2007 after having been selected for promotion to brigadier general.
Marc has served as a leader in a variety of industry legal associations and is a frequent speaker at domestic and international conferences.
Marc is a co-author of the Adams and Reese Aviation and Aerospace Liftoff Blog.
Representative Matters
- Served as deputy designed agency ethics official for the US Department of Transportation and principal ethics advisor for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
- Senior officer responsible for all divisions of the Office of The Judge Advocate General, providing legal support to the Chief of Staff, Army and the Army staff.
- Senior legal advisor to coalition military forces during the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
- Senior legal advisor to the U.S. military counter-terrorism force.
- Represented the US government in numerous commissions, investigations, courts-martial, and administrative and appellate actions. In the area of aviation, concluded the two largest aviation safety enforcement civil penalty cases in history.
- Serves as primary aviation regulatory outside counsel for major passenger and cargo airlines, and aviation industry trade associations, in a broad range of matters, including compliance and enforcement, operations, maintenance, pilot training, and competition.
- Advises airlines and logistics companies on FAA airport grant assurances, including Part 16 actions, disputes over aeronautical uses of land, rates and charges, and environmental and financial processes in airport and cargo hub construction, renovation, lease and use agreements, and gate access.
- Guides professional sports teams in resolving FAA obstruction and radio/radar interference issues impeding new stadium construction.
- Advises major logistics companies and manufacturers on civil UAS certification and operations.
- Counsels major airplane manufacturers on certification and compliance issues.
- Provides legal and prudential counsel to leaders of complex operating organizations responding to crises and reforming their relationship with FAA and DOT.
Education
Bar Admissions
Court Admissions
Community Involvement
- The Army and Navy Club, Washington, D.C., President
- Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), Member, Board of Advisors and Distinguished Fellow, Gemunder Center for Defense & Strategy
Areas of Practice
Acknowledgements
- Outstanding Young Army Lawyer - American Bar Association
- Transport: Aviation and Air Travel – Regulation, Legal 500, 2018, 2020, 2021
- Transportation: Aviation: Regulatory (Nationwide), Chambers USA, 2016-2023
- Transportation Lawyer of the Year, Federal Bar Association, 2012
- Clayton B. Burton Award of Excellence, Florida Bar Association
- Judge Robinson O. Everett Distinguished Life Service Award, Judge Advocates Association, 2015
- University of Florida Hall of Fame
- Florida Blue Key
Professional Affiliations & Memberships
- American Bar Association
- Member, House of Delegates
- Forum on Air and Space Law, Immediate Past Chair
- Standing Committee on Armed Forces Law, Senior Advisor
- American Bar Foundation, Life Fellow
- Aviation Lawyers Association (formerly, International Aviation and Transportation Safety Bar Association (IATSBA)), Former President
- Judge Advocates Association, Board Member and Former President
- University of Florida Law Center Association, Member, Board of Trustees
- The George Washington University Law School, Adjunct Professor (National Security Law Nation-building, and Aviation Law)
News
- "Organization Delegation Authorization: An Overview," co-author with Paul Alp, Adams and Reese Liftoff Blog, February 2024
- "Just One More Thing: Lt. Columbo and Operational Realities," Adams and Reese Liftoff Blog, February 2024
- “Issues Facing the Airline Industry,” March 18, 2020
- “Organization Designation Authorization Demystified,” Air & Transportation Law Reporter, September 2019
- “Keeping Railroads Secure from Drones,” Law360, co-author, August 7, 2019
- “Defending The Fence: Legal and Operational Challenges in Hamas-Israel Clashes, 2018-2019,” JINSA’s Gemunder Center Hybrid Warfare Task Force, co-author, March 2019
- “Israel’s Next Northern War: Operational and Legal Challenges,” JINSA’s Gemunder Center Hybrid Warfare Task Force, co-author, October 2018
- “Drone Industry to Boom with Pending ATC Reform,” Lawyer Monthly, July 14, 2017 Contributor, Investigations – “Under Pressure and Out of Time”, co-author, January 2017
- “The FAA’s Move to Performance-Based Oversight: Developments, Challenges, and Shifting Legal Landscapes,” The Air & Space Lawyer, Volume 29, Number 1, 2016
- “Belligerent Occupation,” in U.S. Military Operations: Law Policy, and Practice (Geoffrey S. Corn et. al., eds., Oxford Univ. Press, 2016), 2016
- “UAS Integration; A Call to Action,” The Air & Space Lawyer, Volume 27, Number 2, 2014
- “Forward,” The Law of Armed Conflict: An Operational Approach, Aspen Casebook Series – Wolters Kluwer, 2012
- “The Fog of Law: The Law of Armed Conflict in Operation Iraqi Freedom, in The War in Iraq; A Legal Analysis,”S. Naval War College International Law Studies, January 2010
- “The First Annual Solf-Warren Lecture in International and Operational Law,” Military Law Review, Summer 2008
- “Relief and Review: The Case of Major General G.K. Warren,” The Army Lawyer, May 1996 Author, “Operational Law: A Concept Matures,” Military Law Review, Spring 1996
- “Operational Law: A Concept Matures,” The Judge Advocate General’s School, editor, 1993-1995
- “Toxic Exposure Litigation Under the Jones Act and the Longshore Harborworkers’ Compensation Act,” The Tart Trial and Insurance Law Journal, 1988
- "UAS and AAM: Challenges and Opportunities,” moderator, Aviation Lawyers Association CLE Conference, Washington, DC, November 2, 2023
- “Building the Bench of the Aviation Bar of the Future (Legacy Panel),” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Annual Meeting and Conference, Dallas, panelist, September 21, 2023
- “Fireside Chat with the FAA Administrator,” International Aviation Club, moderator, April 29, 2021
- “General Counsel Panel,” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Annual Meeting and Conference (virtual), moderator, September 11, 2020
- IATA Legal Symposium 2020, presenter, February 20, 2020
- “Blue Angels Air Law Conference 2019,” International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association, November 5, 2019
- “Drones: Pushing the Regulatory Envelope,” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Annual Meeting and Conference, Seattle, moderator, September 13, 2019
- “Litigation Update: Can You Make A Federal Case Out of It?” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Update Conference, Washington, DC, moderator, February 8, 2019
- ABAs Space Law Symposium, June 7, 2018
- “Private Sector Employment,” Jobs for JAGs, Washington, DC, panelist, November 30, 2017
- “Aviation and Drones In Racing,” The Racing Attorneys Conference, Indianapolis, panelist, April 18, 2017
- “Up in the Air: UAS Legal and Regulatory Update,” AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2016 Conference, New Orleans, panelist, May 5, 2016
- “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Business and Regulatory Update,” NBAA Business Aircraft Finance, Registration & Legal Conference, Boca Raton, moderator, February 12, 2016
- “Flying on the Legal Edge with Drones: Emerging Issues for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” ABA Center for Professional Development Webinar, panelist, January 12, 2016
- “The Future of Collaboration,” Air Traffic Controllers Association 60th Annual Conference & Exposition, National Harbor, MD, moderator, November 3, 2015
- “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: The Emerging Regulatory Framework and its Challenges,” ABA Section of International Law, Washington, DC, presenter, June 17, 2015
- “Commercial UAS Operations: Section 333, NPRM, and What the Latest Airspace Regulations Mean to You,” AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2015 Conference, Atlanta, panelist, May 7, 2015
- “UAS Integration: A Call to Action for Reform of Regulatory and Air Traffic Management Systems,” National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aircraft Finance, Registration and Legal Conference, Bonita Springs, FL, speaker, March 2015
- “Washington Update Conference,” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law, Washington, DC, program chair, February 2015
- “Who Needs Pilots? The Future of Commercial Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Their Regulation,” International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association Conference, New York, panelist, November 2014
- “Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Sharing the Skies, Regulatory and Legal Developments,” National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) 2014 Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, Orlando, moderator, October 2014
- “National Security Through the Lens of Human Rights,” The George Washington University Law School, Washington, DC, panelist, September 2014
- “The Evolving Legal Landscape for Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Annual Meeting and Conference, Montreal, panelist, September 2014
- “At the Intersection of Law, Policy and Safety – Current and Future Regulations for UAS,” 2014 Alaska Unmanned Aircraft Systems Interest Group Annual Meeting, Anchorage, panelist, September 2014
- “Getting Airborne with UAS,” AUVSI Workshop Series, Washington, DC, panelist, August 12, 2014
- “Flying Eyes in the Skies: Security, Privacy, & Acquisition Issues with the Amazing New Technologies for Unmanned Aircraft Systems,” Public Contract Law Section, ABA Annual Meeting, panelist, August 7, 2014
- “The Future of Drones: Liability Surrounding Unmanned Aerial Vehicles,” Association of Transportation Law Professionals Annual Meeting, Annapolis, MD, panelist, June 23, 2014
- “#Drone BBQ - Promoting Aerial Innovation without Getting Cooked,” The Twenty-Fourth Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy, Washington, DC, panelist, June 2014
- “Commercial UAS: Are They Suddenly Legal? Where Do We Go From Here?” AUVSI’s Unmanned Systems 2014 Conference, Orlando, FL, panelist, May 12-15, 2014
- “FAA Legal Update,” National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Business Aircraft Finance, Registration and Legal Conference, St. Petersburg, FL, speaker, February 2014
- “Non-Citizen Trust Issues,” NBAA Business Aircraft Finance, Registration and Legal Conference, Saint Petersburg, FL, panelist, February 2014
- “Cyber Attack and the Law of War,” Intelligence Law Course, U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, speaker, August 2013
- “Gotovina Judgment Operational Law Experts Roundtable,” Emory University Law School International Humanitarian Law Clinic, Atlanta, panelist, November 2011
- “Developments in Airports Law,” ACI-NA Legal Conference, San Diego, speaker, October 2011
- “Enforcement in the 21st Century,” ABA Forum on Air and Space Law Annual Meeting and Conference, Montreal, panelist, September 2011
- “Operational Leadership,” U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's School, Charlottesville, speaker, May 2011, September 2012
- “Five Myths of Operation Iraqi Freedom,” First Annual Solf-Warren Lecture on International and Operational Law, Charlottesville, speaker, August 2007
- “Iraq War Retrospective,” U.S. Naval War College Symposium, Newport, RI, panelist, June 2007
- “Implementing the Rule of Law and Human Rights in Stability Operations,” Harvard Workshop, Charlottesville, VA, September 2006