Milton "Skip" Smith

Practice Areas

Government Contracts

Litigation

Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Defense, Aviation & Space

Space & Satellite

Career

An Air Force Academy graduate with a doctorate in Space Law, Milton “Skip” Smith, Chair of the Space and Satellite Industry Group, has more than 40 years of experience advising clients on risk management and other issues related to the aerospace industry. Skip handles complex transactional matters and disputes, nationally and internationally. His combination of skills and experience, coupled with an in-depth understanding of legal and regulatory systems, makes him a sought-after advisor in the aerospace industry. He serves a broad spectrum of clients, including large corporations, startups, manufacturers, and launch service providers. During his Air Force tenure, he held significant roles such as Director of Space Law at Space Command and Chief of Space Law for the Air Force.

Skip assists both national and international clients in navigating legal issues from the planning and operation of space assets to launch and on-orbit services, space insurance, and government contract and regulatory matters. He has negotiated and litigated disputes amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. He negotiates and drafts satellite design, manufacture, sale and launch agreements as well as on-orbit servicing agreements including: hosted payload, life extension, refueling and debris removal. He also supports deal teams in evaluation of contracts and other key documents.

Known for his involvement in pioneering legal projects, Skip represented a private astronaut on the April 2022 Axiom AX-1 mission, the first entirely private mission to the International Space Station. His work included negotiating the contract with Axiom, coordinating with NASA and SpaceX, and negotiating a deal for the first NFT to be minted on the space station. Additionally, he represented a major aerospace firm in an insurance recovery lawsuit against 28 insurers related to a launch failure, involving unique aspects of the Commercial Space Launch Act.

His deep experience in alternative dispute resolution led to his selection as one of 26 members of the American Arbitration Association's Aerospace, Aviation, and National Security Panel.

Early in his space law career, Skip was the legal advisor for the 50-member U.S. Delegation at the ITU Conference on the Geostationary Satellite Orbit in Geneva. He was involved in establishing and has formerly chaired the Colorado Space Business Roundtable. He served on the board of the International Institute of Space Law for many years and has taught space law as an adjunct professor at the University of Colorado Law School, the George Washington University Law School, and the University of Denver Law School.

Recognized as an industry leader, Skip has received multiple accolades, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Institute of Space Law. In 2022, he was elected an Honorary Director of the Institute for life. He also wrote the U.S. chapter for the first edition of the “Space Law Review” published by The Law Reviews.

From 2021 tothe present, Skip has been chosen by his peers as one of the top lawyers in the U.S. in the Space & Satellite Law section of Who’s Who Legal, now Lexology. He has authored numerous space-related articles and a book on international satellite communication, and he frequently speaks at national and international events on commercial space law topics.

Professional Memberships

Director, International Institute of Space Law, 2012-2021

Board Member, Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 2020-2024

Member, Law360 Editorial Advisory Board, Aerospace & Defense, 2024

Former Chair, Colorado Space Business Roundtable, 1993-1995

Personal

Education

D.C.L., McGill University, Institute of Air and Space Law

LL.M., McGill University, Institute of Air and Space Law

J.D., The George Washington University Law School