SNR Denton announced today that the firm advised Hybrid Air Vehicles Limited on its participation in the US$517 million LEMV program.

 

The LEMV program has been created by the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command to develop a state-of-the-art hybrid airship that will provide persistent time-on station for additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in theater.

 

“The cross border team needed to make this deal happen took tremendous coordination and is not something that just any law firm could pull off,” said Scott Singer, partner at SNR Denton.

 

Hybrid Air Vehicles is a UK-based business which is the design authority and manufacturer of the innovative air vehicle. Their contract is for up to three football field-sized hybrid airships. The design requirements include the capability to operate at 20,000 feet, a 2,000 mile radius of action, and a 21-day on-station availability.

 

Many SNR Denton partners, lawyers and professionals in London, Milton Keynes, Dubai, Kuwait, Chicago and Washington DC worked on this matter which encompassed significant intellectual property, defense and procurement regulation and corporate law issues under both US and UK law. SNR Denton Partners Scott Singer (London), Steve McGlennan (Dubai), and Carol Anne Been (Chicago) each led teams in a co-ordinated firmwide effort to complete this contract. The contract has been awarded as an Other Transaction Agreement which differ from a traditional Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) contract in that many of the federal laws and regulations governing procurement contracts are waived in order to allow access to commercial technology.

 

Gary Elliott, CEO of Hybrid Air Vehicles said, “This is a major milestone in Hybrid Air Vehicle’s evolution. Many thanks to all at SNR Denton, I’ve genuinely enjoyed the working relationship and look forward to your ongoing assistance as we move up another gear!”