Brian Maye is an experienced trial attorney who focuses his practice on the aviation and aerospace industries. Brian represents airlines, airports, air ambulance companies, air cargo carriers, and other aviation industry entities in litigation and regulatory matters. Brian practices in state and federal court, including consolidated and multi-district proceedings.
Brian represents air carriers in litigation involving wrongful death, personal injury, and contractual and environmental claims. He also represents aviation and aerospace manufacturers in product liability actions arising out of accidents involving commercial and general aviation aircraft. Brian’s expertise includes defending against class actions suits, discrimination claims, defamation actions, and premises liability lawsuits. Additionally, he defends pilots, airlines, and air transport companies in FAA Enforcement Actions.
Representative matters include the successful defense of major US airlines in various class action suits involving sexual assaults and the Montreal Convention. Recently, Brian successfully represented airlines in numerous cases in which the airlines obtained dismissal of claims raised by persons who challenged airline compliance with the Federal Transportation Mask Mandate during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brian also defended a component manufacturer in the crash of a Piper PA-32R-301 near Jacksonville, Maryland, resulting in three deaths; the defense of an avionics manufacturer in the crash of a Sikorsky S-76A twin-engine turbine-powered helicopter in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in ten deaths; defense of an airline following an emergency landing at Kansas City International Airport, resulting in multiple injuries; representation of a cargo carrier in a lawsuit related to mercury contamination of an aircraft; and the defense of an avionics manufacturer in a mid-air collision between a commercial aircraft and a cargo aircraft in Europe resulting in multiple deaths.
In employment matters, Brian represents employers in cases involving allegations of discrimination, whistleblowing, retaliation, and violation of wage and hour laws. Additionally, Brian represents appliance manufacturers on matters involving product liability.
Earlier in his career, Brian served as a criminal trial lawyer for the United States Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC). As a prosecutor, he successfully prosecuted over 300 cases and dozens of jury trials to verdict as lead counsel. Brian also acted as general counsel to 50 military commands in ten states, advising on ethical, criminal, regulatory, contractual, and labor issues. During his tenure with the Navy, Brian was selected to serve as a special prosecutor for the U.S. Central Command in Baghdad, Iraq, prosecuting over 200 insurgents for attacks against Coalition forces. At the same time, Brian collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Iraqi Judiciary to develop an Iraqi federal court with national jurisdiction over government corruption, terrorism, white-collar crime, and crimes against the Iraqi government.
Brian served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nikolaev, Ukraine, from 1997-1999.
