Holland & Knight Partner Elected President of International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association
NEW YORK– April 24, 2012 – Gary Halbert, a partner in Holland & Knight's New York Litigation Practice Group, has been elected to serve as president of the International Air & Transportation Safety Bar Association (IATSBA), formerly known as the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Bar Association. The recent name change facilitates a move by the bar association to expand its offerings to better serve surface transportation legal professionals. Mr. Halbert's two-year term began on March 15.
“I am honored to have been selected to serve as president for IATSBA," says Halbert. “I want to see transportation professionals come together to meet our common objectives by enhancing the professional legal education of its members, fostering collegiality and professionalism in the practice of transportation law, and advancing the development of this area of the law to improve the safety of transportation worldwide.”
As president, Mr. Halbert will continue to support the association in its efforts to improve the skills of those who practice in regulatory, certification and enforcement proceedings, as well as those members whose practice focuses more on accident litigation, aviation insurance defense, transportation transactions, or transportation-related business and tax law.
In describing IATSBA, Mr. Halbert commented, "This bar association is uniquely positioned to advance the role of transportation safety while also protecting the rights and privileges of those active in the field. It was built on the efforts of many visionary leaders in our field who preceded me."
Mr. Halbert is the former general counsel of the National Transportation Safety Board. At Holland & Knight, his practice focuses on NTSB major accident investigations, regulatory matters for aviation and other transportation modes, transportation accident claims, aviation law, transportation mass-disaster law, claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and other product and professional services liability matters. His aviation experience also includes service as a U.S. Air Force instructor pilot, a military attorney and as director of a crisis communications team.
In addition, Mr. Halbert currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Air Force JAG School Foundation. A graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and the National Defense University, he is also a member of the Air Force Association, United States Air Force Academy Association of Graduates, and Aero Club of Washington.