Benjamin Slocum

Practice Areas

Public Policy & Regulation | Aviation | Aviation Regulation | Aviation Policy | Federal Practice | Unmanned Aircraft

Career

Ben Slocum is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Charlotte office and a member of the firm's Public Policy & Regulation Group. Mr. Slocum's practice focuses on regulatory compliance and advocacy, with an emphasis on aviation law.

Mr. Slocum advises airlines, airports, and aviation service providers on a wide range of regulatory issues before the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and other federal agencies. These issues include consumer protection, defense of agency enforcement action, economic licensing, international air service agreements, slots, air carrier fitness, alliances and antitrust immunity.

Mr. Slocum is also a member of Holland & Knight's unmanned aviation team, providing advice to manufacturers and operators of both small and large unmanned aviation systems (UAS) across a wide range of areas, including airworthiness certification, operating waivers, licensing, and liability issues.

Mr. Slocum brings a wealth of knowledge about the business and operations of airlines and airports to his practice. Immediately prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Slocum ran his own aviation consulting practice, advising airlines and airports on both regulatory and business matters, including defending DOT inquiries and investigations and obtaining slots needed to serve Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Before that, Mr. Slocum spent 11 years as in-house counsel to US Airways. During his time there, Mr. Slocum represented the airline before federal agencies in the United States and civil aviation authorities around the world. Mr. Slocum helped lead the expansion of the airline into more than 20 new destinations around the world; co-led implementation of several new DOT regulatory requirements, including Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections I/II/III; helped lead the overhaul of the airline's passenger assistance program at its Charlotte hub; expanded the airline's slot portfolio at DCA; successfully defended a comprehensive DOT regulatory audit of the airline; and helped complete the merger of DOT economic authorities with American Airlines. Mr. Slocum also served as the airline's sole representative at aviation agreement negotiations between the United States and various foreign countries, including Brazil, Japan and Russia.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association, 2008-2012, 2018-Present

Publications

"FAA Releases Two Final Rules to Advance Drone Integration", The Journal of Robotics, Artificial Intelligence & Law, May-June 2021.

"Drone Regulation 2021", Lexology Getting the Deal Through, December 2020