Dara A. Panahy

Primary Focus & Experience

Mr. Panahy has extensive experience representing clients in the satellite and space infrastructure, aerospace, defense, communications and data services industries. He has advised on a wide variety of financing and corporate transactions, including public offerings, high yield debt, investment grade bonds, project and vendor financings, equity investments, mergers & acquisitions, factoring, securitizations, financial restructurings and in negotiating project contracts, including numerous transactions that have won “Deal of the Year” awards. He also counsels clients on domestic and international regulatory and cross-border investment matters, including licensing of space and terrestrial communications systems, economic sanctions, regulation of foreign direct investment, anti-bribery and corrupt practices, national security and export control laws and regulations and risk management.

His experience includes:

• Satellite and space infrastructure, aerospace, terrestrial network and launch services procurements, including many of the most significant industry transactions worldwide
• Procurement and financing of numerous multi-billion dollar regional and global fixed and mobile satellite systems, including for communications, broadband, earth observation, Internet of Things and positioning/navigation applications
• Satellite and space infrastructure, aerospace, defense and communications company mergers & acquisitions, strategic transactions, investments, restructurings and workouts
• Bank and capital markets financings, private placements and other investments, factoring and securitizations involving global, regional and national communications, defense, broadcast, broadband, earth observation, asset tracking and positioning/navigation companies and service providers

Recognition & Accomplishments

Mr. Panahy is recognized as a leading lawyer in Legal 500 USA for Media, Technology and Telecoms: Telecoms and Broadcast: Transactions and his practice has been ranked in Tier 1. He has also been recognized as a leading lawyer in Telecom, Broadcast and Satellite Financing in Chambers USA.

Mr. Panahy is a regular speaker and moderator at space, communications, defense and finance conferences, a visiting lecturer at the International Space University and he has published articles and delivered numerous presentations on finance, commercial and regulatory aspects of the aerospace and communications industries. He also authors Milbank’s monthly Space Business Review newsletter. Mr. Panahy speaks fluent Spanish and Farsi.