Steve Kaufman has been a satellite lawyer for more than 20 years. A corporate partner and space practice co-head at international law firm Hogan Lovells, Steve uses his space industry knowledge to negotiate and close many types of space deals globally.
For 18 of his 30 years at the firm, Steve served as outside general counsel for space clients, leading strategic joint ventures, “bet-the-company” contracts, complex financings, and M&A deals.
What Steve does best: understanding complex business issues for space clients and translating them into legal documents. If a client can describe something, Steve can draft it. Working from complicated to simple, he has many times reduced a lengthy contract into a few pages of bullet points, showing the client what it needs and how to obtain it. Many clients comment that the business guidance from Steve is as valuable as the legal advice.
Steve relies on his familiarity with issues common to space and communications companies to give him an edge in advising space clients, particularly in negotiations. This experience produces extra benefits when Steve deals with specialized satellite, launch or ground system contracts, creative terms, use of insurance to close gaps, license and spectrum issues, and even finance and accounting matters. According to Chambers Steve Kaufman is “a real authority and somebody who will always know the answer.”
In advising clients, Steve emphasizes practicality, striving to achieve the client’s business objectives for the transaction, whether economic, risk reduction, regulatory/compliance, or transaction speed. This carries over into deal management as well as negotiations, where he willingly takes the lead. Steve is a regular at the satellite conferences, making connections among clients and even adverse parties. He is listed in Chambers, Super Lawyers, and Legal 500.