Air and Space Tech

Baker Botts' Air and Space Tech Practice leverages our industry leading lawyers who are proficient in science, technology, corporate, ECVC, energy and antitrust matters. From our work protecting the intellectual property of satellite companies through litigation and patent prosecution, to technology transactions in the defense and aerospace industries, Baker Botts stands as a business partner with our clients operating in the quickly expanding space industry. Our extensive experience in all aspects of the oil and gas exploration industry is now being leveraged in the fast-developing lunar mining industry, which is currently focused on Helium-3.

Intellectual Property Practice - Baker Botts has one of the largest, most technically sophisticated, and most highly regarded IP practices of any general practice firm. Our lawyers help clients litigate IP disputes through trial and appeal, procure IP rights, and handle all manners of IP transactions, including related to satellites, satellite communications, rockets, and the aerospace industry generally.

• Over 200 scientific and technical degrees, including over 20 PhDs, held by Baker Botts IP lawyers.
• Recognized as the Law360 Intellectual Property Group of the Year for 2023.
• Full-service IP offering including strategic IP counseling; patent, trademark and copyright prosecution and portfolio management; licensing, diligence, and transactional support; patent/ANDA litigation; PTAB proceedings; and trade secrets litigation and counseling.
• Decades of experience representing clients across the entire IP spectrum for more than 50 years.
• Our highly experienced teams of business-focused lawyers adopt a solution-orientated approach to provide commercially focused advice and creative solutions for the toughest issues.
• Approximately 165 attorneys and patent professionals dedicated to IP from coast to coast.
• Diverse team of IP attorneys and professionals, 47% of our IP department is diverse and 60% of new partners added in the last three years are diverse.

Corporate Practice - Part of our strength involves the deep bench of our tech-focused Corporate lawyers working hand in hand with our IP lawyers.

• 30+ years of experience representing leading tech companies.
• Recognized as a leader in technology transactions by:
  • Chambers USA 2023 - Technology: Corporate & Commercial, Corporate/M&A: The Elite
  • U.S. News Best Law Firms 2023 – Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions, Technology
  • The Legal 500 U.S. 2023 – Technology Transactions, M&A: Large Deals ($1B+)

The depth of Baker Botts’ Technology Transactions Practice, which includes defense and aerospace clients, enables us to build integrated multi-disciplinary teams relevant to any technology-related transaction, including corporate/commercial, intellectual property, tax, antitrust, regulatory, finance, real estate, and litigation lawyers, as required. We represent the strongest market participants in the technology industry, including approximately half of those in the Fortune 500. Part of our strength involves the deep bench of our tech-focused lawyers.

ECVC Practice - Baker Botts lawyers in the emerging companies practice represent emerging growth businesses, and act as business and legal partners , to guide and educate entrepreneurs, technologists, early-stage and emerging growth companies, as well as investors, venture capitalists, and underwriters, so they can navigate multiple challenges and new opportunities of this entire ecosystem with knowledge, skill, confidence, and best practices throughout the entire lifecycle of their business.

• Handle all critical legal needs – formation, financing, intellectual property, regulatory, tax, benefits, executive and equity compensation, and more.
• Have industry-leading depth and breadth of technical experience, with backgrounds in business, finance, science and engineering.
• Business network and broad geographical footprint include strong and deep relationships with incubators, accelerators, and technology hubs across geographies and across industries.

Our emerging company and venture capital lawyers skilled in NewSpace can help to solve complex business problems, protect the newest technology, and set innovative, ambitious companies on the right path with an interdisciplinary approach that integrates complementary practice areas and leverages deep real-world experience.

Energy Practice - For more than a century, our Energy Team has represented a wide variety of clients in the energy industry, from nearly all of the dominant domestic and international oil and gas operators, service companies and pipelines, to numerous regional and independent producers, processors, transporters, distributors and marketers. This experience is being leveraged now in the fast-developing lunar mining industry, which is currently focused on Helium-3. Our Energy Lawyers have significant experience working with clients in the upstream, midstream and downstream markets for virtually all forms of energy, including:

• Oil and gas
• LNG
• Mining and metals
• Power
• Renewables, including solar and wind
• Hydrogen

Antitrust and Competition Law Practice – Baker Botts’ highly regarded antitrust group includes multiple former members of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division responsible for the review of national defense mergers and acquisitions and joint ventures.