DENVER – Feb. 5, 2024 – Milton "Skip" Smith has joined global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP as chair of the Space and Satellite Industry Group, where his more than 40 years of experience as a leading lawyer will be a driving force supporting the firm’s robust aerospace and defense capabilities in the space domain.
Smith, who served as director of space law at Space Command and chief of space law for the Air Force, will be a shareholder in the Government Contracts Practice and reside in the Denver office. He joins the firm from Sherman & Howard LLC.
"Greenberg Traurig is committed to taking our air and space industry capabilities to new heights, serving the unique demands of our clients in the fast-growing aerospace industry," said Ernest LaMont Greer, co-president of Greenberg Traurig. "Skip's unparalleled expertise and deep industry knowledge and reputation will be instrumental in this endeavor."
Smith's extensive practice covers the gamut of space law including litigation, contracts, regulation, and transactional work. But clients value him most for his ability to draw on his experience at the highest levels of government and commercial space, both in the United States and globally, to help them stay one step ahead as they navigate complex and novel legal issues.
“We are thrilled to have Skip join us in Denver, a move that further entrenches us in the significant aerospace community in this region," Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Duffy and Denver Co-Managing Shareholder Naomi G. Beer said. “Skip also serves as yet another example of Greenberg Traurig’s commitment to strategic growth in markets where our clients operate while simultaneously expanding our capabilities on a national and global scale.”
Smith is a force in the space industry internationally, nationally, and locally in Colorado. He helped establish and is a past chair of the Colorado Space Business Roundtable and has taught space law as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Law School and the University of Denver Law School.
Smith’s contributions to the field have earned him numerous honors, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Institute of Space Law. He also served in Geneva as the legal adviser of the 50-person U.S. Delegation at the ITU Conference on the Geostationary Satellite Orbit, and organizes and moderates the signature Space Law & Regulation Track and General Counsel Forum at the Space Foundation’s Space Symposium.
"Clients will be hard-pressed to find a better ally in the aerospace industry; Skip has been at the forefront of space law since the government was first forming a legal basis for the public use of the Global Positioning System (GPS),” said Jeffery M. Chiow and Jennifer S. Zucker, co-chairs of the Government Contracts Practice. "Whether it’s a regulatory authorization for novel space activities, a brewing dispute, or a market moving transaction, Skip will be an incredible asset for our clients who are navigating often unresolved legal issues.”
“Joining a firm with the scope of Greenberg Traurig’s capabilities will allow me to serve every corner of my clients’ needs,” Smith said. “There is an incredible roster of talent at this firm, including in specialty areas critical to space and satellite companies like government contracts, intellectual property, export controls, and CFIUS review, which, when combined with our commitment to our clients, will coalesce into making us a dominant player in the space industry.”
Smith is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and he received his J.D. from the George Washington University Law School. He also earned an LL.M. and Doctorate from the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University.