Brian J. Alexander

Partner

Brian J. Alexander received his undergraduate degree (B.S. Economics/ Engineering) from the United States Military Academy where he was a distinguished military graduate in 1985. After completion of flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, he was assigned to the Priority Air Transportation Flight Detachment for the Military District of Washington, where he served as a helicopter and fixed wing pilot from 1985-1990 flying primarily UH-1, U-21 and C-12 aircraft. Mr. Alexander graduated from the Army Aviation Accident Investigation Course and has accrued thousands of hours in a variety of rotary and fixed wing aircraft. He is also a licensed FAA commercial multi-engine airplane and helicopter pilot with instrument ratings.

Mr. Alexander graduated from Notre Dame Law School receiving his Juris Doctor degree in 1993. He was recipient of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy, the Jessup International Moot Court Award and the American Jurisprudence Award for Trial Advocacy.

Mr. Alexander joined Kreindler & Kreindler LLP in 1995 after having clerked for the Honorable Robert D. Potter, U.S. District Court Judge for the Western District of North Carolina (1993-1995). Mr. Alexander became a partner in 2001.

Mr. Alexander, who focuses on aviation law, has litigated numerous international and domestic airline, commuter, military and general aviation crash cases, including:

• the crash of LOT Polish Airlines Flight 5055 near Warsaw, Poland;
• the United States Air Force C-141B Mid-Air Collision off the Coast of Namibia;
• the 1996 United Express Beech 1900 Runway Incursion at Quincy, Illinois;
• the 1990 Boeing Model CH-47D helicopter crash at Fort Campbell, Kentucky;
• the 1996 Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter crash at Stratford, Connecticut;
• the Mitsubishi Model MU-2B turboprop crash near Pocatello, Idaho;
• the HMX-1 Presidential Flight Detachment Sikorsky VH-60 helicopter crash near Nanjemoy, Maryland;
• the Bell Model 206B helicopter crash near Elko, Nevada;
• the 2000 Executive Airlines Jetstream Crash at Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and;
• the 2001 American Airlines Flight 587 Crash at Bell Harbor, New York.

Many of the cases in which Mr. Alexander has been involved have had notable results. One case involving a charter helicopter resulted in one of the highest settlements of an aviation death case in the history of the United States. Another case, McClendon v. First Tennessee Bank (Shelby County, TN 1996), yielded an $8,000,000 damages award, the largest in Tennessee history.

Mr. Alexander is currently a member of the Plaintiffs' Steering Committee (PSC) for the Singapore 006 crash in October 2000. He recently briefed, argued and won a critical choice of law motion for the passengers in that case. He also obtained one of the largest settlements in this case. He worked with the PSC in the litigation arising out of the 1997 crash of a Boeing 747 in Agana, Guam being operated as KAL Flight 801 and was the lead examiner in more than 50 depositions of airline and FAA personnel. He also handled the litigation arising out of the two recent MV-22 Osprey crashes and obtained successful settlements for the military families against the manufacturers Bell and Boeing.

Mr. Alexander has recently been appointed by the Court as Co-liaison counsel for the September 11 Litigation pending in the Southern District of New York. He briefed, argued and defeated the Airlines' Motion to Dismiss the 9-11 lawsuits. He also serves as a member of the Airline Subcommittee charged with management of the liability discovery against the airlines for their security breaches on September 11, 2001.

In addition, Mr. Alexander has prosecuted numerous aviation product liability cases. These are technically complex cases involving a wide range of aviation products including jet, turboprop and helicopter engines, avionics equipment, flight computers and flight control systems. He has been involved in matters concerning Boeing, Sikorsky, Bell, Robinson and Eurocopter helicopters; Beech, Cessna, Mitsubishi and Piper general aviation aircraft; and Boeing, McDonnell Douglas and other foreign manufactured commercial jet aircraft.

Mr. Alexander has tried cases in federal and state court and also argued and briefed appeals in the Second and Sixth Circuits.

Mr. Alexander has lectured at ABA conventions in both the United States and Canada and has authored numerous articles on aviation and product liability litigation. He is the co-editor of the American Bar Association (Torts and Insurance Practice Section) Air and Space Law Newsletter and is the co-author of the book "Litigating the Aviation Case from Pre-Trial to Closing" (ABA 1998). He is also Chairman-Elect of the Aviation Section of the American Trial Lawyers Association and Vice Chairman of the American Bar Association Air and Space Law Committee.

Mr. Alexander has appeared on numerous television shows as an aviation expert and legal analyst, including CNBC, MSNBC, CNN and The Today Show. He was also interviewed by Mike Wallace in connection with his efforts on Capital Hill to address aviation safety.

Mr. Alexander is admitted to the bars of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the United States District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and the District of New Jersey, and the Federal Court of Appeals for the Second and Sixth Circuits. He has also appeared pro hac vice in numerous courts throughout the United States.