Garrett J. Fitzpatrick

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4002
• E-Mail: garrett.fitzpatrick@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• New York, 1974

Gary is the Managing Partner of Fitzpatrick & Hunt, Tucker, Pagano, Aubert, LLP and has been practicing aviation law for over 35 years, representing various aviation companies all over the world. Gary has defended his clients in claims and litigation arising from major airline catastrophes, military crashes and general aviation accidents.

Gary was lead defense counsel for a major defendant in the litigation arising out of the Florida Everglades, ValuJet DC-9 crash in May 1996. His expertise in the aviation field played an instrumental role in creating and adopting of the Government Contractor Defense in military defense litigation. One of the cases he handled was the first to uphold this defense at the Federal Appellate Court level.

Gary also serves as the legal head of the Aircraft Builders Council Program, which is one of the longest running aviation product insurance programs anywhere in the world. In addition to handling the defense of claims and litigation of the numerous companies insured under this Program, he has been instrumental in providing a variety of claims prevention services to these companies, including aviation product liability seminars. These seminars are conducted at each company's facilities across the United States as well as abroad. Gary has also lectured on aviation law at various legal and insurance conferences, and is the author of articles published in both legal and insurance journals and periodicals.

Education:

• University of Dayton, B.S., 1970
• St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1973

Ralph V. Pagano

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4004
• E-Mail: ralph.pagano@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• New York, 1993
• New Jersey, 1993
• Pennsylvania, 1993
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1993
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 1993
• Supreme Court of New Jersey, 1993
• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1993
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1994
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, 1996

Ralph's practice is mainly focused on complex legal matters involving aviation disputes. He has represented engine and component part manufacturers, avionics manufacturers, maintenance providers, airlines, airports and airport ground service providers, in litigation and various forms of Alternate Dispute Resolution throughout the United States and the world. Ralph is AV rated by Martindale Hubbell.

Before changing careers to become a lawyer, Ralph was an engineer with Western Union, RCA/GE American Communications and AT&T Bell Laboratories, making him well suited for the complex aviation and satellite matters in which the Firm is engaged. Ralph furthers his interest in aviation by actively exercising his privileges as a licensed pilot.

Ralph has obtained the highest distinction from his peers and clients by being bestowed an AV Rating from the renowned rating service, Martindale-Hubbell.

Ralph earned both Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology. He received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law, and subsequently earned an LL.M. in trial advocacy from Temple University, where he later served as an Adjunct Professor for that program.

Ralph regularly writes and delivers papers and speeches on aerospace law for major conferences and journals sponsored by, among others: ABA – Torts and Insurance Practice Section, ABA – Aviation Litigation Section, AIA, Embry Riddle University, Aircraft Builders Council, Lawyer Pilots Bar Association, and the International Society for Optical Engineering. In addition, he has been cited in the U.K. Parliament's Select committee on Trade and Industry, relating to space regulatory matters. Ralph is a registered patent attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Education:

• Stevens Institute of Technology, B.E., 1984
• Stevens Institute of Technology, M.E., 1988
• Fordham University School of Law, J.D., 1993
• Temple University, LL.M., 1997

Tara E. Nicola

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4026
• E-Mail: tara.nicola@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• New Jersey, 2003
• New York, 2005
• U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey, 2003
• Supreme Court of New Jersey, 2003
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, 2005
• Supreme Court of New York, 2005
• U.S. District Court, Western District of New York, 2009
• U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, 2014
• U.S. District Court, District of Colorado, 2015

Tara has represented clients in the aviation industry in a variety of complex product liability and negligence actions throughout the United States. 

Tara has significant experience defending airframe manufacturers and component manufacturers in complex product liability cases in both state and federal courts. She also has represented air carriers in personal injury, property damage and complex wrongful death multi-district litigation. Tara has experience in all phases of litigation including discovery, motion practice, trial, mediation and appeals.

She also has worked extensively on e-discovery issues for air carriers and airframe manufacturers, counseling clients on both document retention and preservation policies as well as leading electronic discovery collection, retrieval and production for these clients.

Tara is a member of The American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice, Aviation Committee Vice-Chair of Membership.

Education:

• University of Connecticut, B.A., 2000
• Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D. (cum laude), 2003

Honors:

Order of the Coif

Thomas R. Pantino

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4005
• E-Mail: thomas.pantino@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• New York, 1993
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, 1996

Prior to entering the legal side of the Aviation field, Tom enjoyed a technical career at Grumman Aerospace Corporation, working as a systems design and development engineer on the U.S. Navy F-14D fighter jet program. His work included design of the stores management (weapons) system; the crew’s data entry computer; and the Infra-Red Search and Track System (IRSTS). Working closely with U.S. Navy pilots, Tom participated in flight testing of the F-14D during its development program.

In his career as an aviation attorney, Tom has handled claims and litigation throughout the U.S. and abroad. The vast majority of these cases involve claims for wrongful death, personal injury and property damage, arising out of commercial, military and general aviation incidents and accidents. Tom successfully represented a defendant in the litigation arising out of the ValuJet Flight 592 crash into the Florida everglades. Coming full circle, Tom found himself representing Grumman Aerospace in wrongful death claims involving U.S. Navy aircraft, including the F-14. Tom has since represented numerous airframe and aircraft component part manufacturers and aviation-related service providers. He has also successfully defended aviation product manufacturers in litigation arising out of asbestos exposure.

In addition to the state courts in New York, Tom is admitted to the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York. Tom has written several articles in the products liability area, and has made product integrity presentations to clients. He is a member of the New York City Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the Aviation Insurance Association. Tom is also registered as a patent attorney before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Education:

• Stevens Institute of Technology, B.E., 1984
• St. John's University School of Law, J.D., 1992

Jason L. Vincent

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4073
• E-Mail: jason.vincent@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• New Jersey, 1996
• New York, 1997
• Connecticut, 1998
• U.S. District Court, Eastern and Southern Districts of New York, 2002

Jason has over a decade of experience litigating a multitude of aviation cases arising out of commercial, general and military aviation accidents. Throughout his career, Jason has represented component part manufacturers, airlines and service providers in litigation in both the United States and Europe.

Jason is admitted to practice in the States of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, in both state and federal courts. Additionally, he has appeared pro hac vice on behalf of several of the firm's clients in both state and federal courts throughout the United States.

Jason is a member of the New York State Bar Association, the New York County Lawyers Association, the American Bar Association and the Aviation Insurance Association.

Jason has been recognized by his peers with the prestigious AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating a lawyer can obtain.

Education:

• University of Connecticut, B.A., 1993
• Seton Hall University School of Law, J.D., 1996

James C. Stroud

New York, NY

• Telephone: 212-937-4017
• E-Mail: james.stroud@fitzhunt.com

Admitted

• Texas, 1973
• U.S. Supreme Court
• Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1977
• U.S. District Court, Western District of Pennsylvania, 2000
• U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas, 2013
• U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
• U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas, 2017

After graduating from law school, Jim served four years active duty in the U.S. Navy JAG Corps mostly on aircraft carriers home ported in Norfolk, Virginia. He then associated with the firm of Rawle & Henderson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he practiced for over thirty-six years before coming to Fitz Hunt.

Jim's diverse litigation practice has included the defense of numerous product manufacturers, insurers and professionals in multiple fields, including class actions in health care settings, toxic and environmental litigation, marine insurance and general liability coverage litigation. Additionally, Jim has represented Japanese clients in a variety of litigation scenaria. He has tried to verdict over a hundred cases and presented oral argument in multiple appellate courts. With this experience, he was elected to the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel.

Jim is licensed in Texas and Pennsylvania and admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Court of Military Appeals (U.S. Court of Appeal for the Armed Forces), the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the 3rd and 5th Circuits, the U.S. States District Courts for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the Southern District of Texas.

Education:

• The University of Texas, B.A., 1970
• The University of Texas School of Law, J.D., 1973

Joseph A. Franceski

New York, NY

• Telephone: 203-580-4000, 212-937-4028

Practice Areas

• Automobile Tort
• Product Liability
• Municipal Liability
• Professional Liability

Admitted

• Connecticut, 1976
• New York, 1985

Education:

• University of Connecticut, J.D., 1976