The Founder

Immel Law was founded by Jeff Immel, an experienced aviation and airport attorney and former Navy fighter-pilot, to provide clients with customer driven and detail-obsessed service. This experience—as a naval aviator flying in combat, and having worked as an in-house attorney, general counsel, and having advised clients at leading international law firms—makes Immel Law uniquely qualified to serve these sectors. Immel Law understand that legal advice must not only be correct and timely, but must be actionable by the business.

• Advising leadership on business strategies regarding new products and services, financing and grant options, airline operating agreements, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulatory requirements.
  

• Directing the legal efforts of the $1.57 billion Terminal Modernization Project at Pittsburgh International Airport.
  

• Overseeing compliance with the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program and Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program for the Authority.

Jeff is an experienced attorney with a demonstrated history of working in the technology and aviation industries. Prior to joining ACAA, he served as the head of U.S. aviation regulatory and legal affairs for Zipline International Inc. where he provided legal counsel in obtaining and maintaining allfederal approvals necessary to begin unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) commercial package delivery operations in the U.S. Jeffrey also served as the primary legal counsel to Amazon Prime Air and Amazon Air and was an associate attorney for Jenner & Block and Jones Day where he advised clients on various aspects on aviation regulation and emerging technologies law. Highlights of his practice during this time include:

• Provided advice and guidance to all internal operational, engineering, and marketing teams in obtaining and maintaining all federal approvals necessary to begin uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) commercial package delivery operations in the United States, including airworthiness approvals, air carrier operational approvals, economic authority, environmental review, customer and investor relations, and contractual terms.
  

• Served as outside general counsel for major industry association, assisting with board meetings and governance, contract drafting, dispute resolution, regulatory review and compliance, and business advice and counseling.
  

• Advised clients on legal challenges facing aviation and emerging technologies, including citizenship requirements, consumer protection laws and regulations, rate and charges disputes with airport authorities, due diligence in acquisitions and joint ventures, drafting and review of supplier and vendor contracts, safety management systems, data retention, governmental outreach, and regulatory compliance of autonomous vehicle systems and operations at state and federal level.

• Negotiated supplier and third-party contracts in support of research and development and operational implementation of aviation initiatives, including ground handling contracts, airline operating agreements, and aircraft leasing documents.

• Worked with Amazon Air in the development and implementation of $1.5 billion cargo facility in Hebron, Kentucky, including development of emerging technologies consistent with FAA design standards, and submission and preparation of the Environmental Assessment.

Jeff is also holds an Airline Transport Pilot license (ATP) and boasts a distinguish flying career in the United States Navy as a combat fighter pilot. Achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Jeff has over 2,000 total flying hours in the Navy’s Grumman F-14 Tomcat and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet featuring operational assignments in California, Virginia and Japan. Throughout his Naval career Jeffrey served as a Landing Signals Officer, Forward Air Controller, F/A-18 instructor pilot, F/A-18 demonstration team pilot and Assistant Operations Officer for the Navy’s East Coast Fighter Wing at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia.