Dara Panahy

As leader of the firm’s Transportation and Space Group in Washington, D.C., Dara’s practice involves representation of satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications companies, banks, private equity firms and hedge funds in debt and equity offerings, project, structured and vendor financings, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructurings and in negotiating commercial contracts.  He also advises on regulatory, sanctions, anti-corruption, national security and export control matters

Primary Focus & Experience

Mr. Panahy’s practice focuses on representing clients involved in the aerospace and communications industries. His experience includes representing satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications companies, banks, private equity firms and hedge funds in numerous financings involving public offerings, high yield debt, investment grade bonds, project and vendor financings, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructuring and reorganizations and in negotiating project contracts. He also counsels clients on domestic and international regulatory and trade matters, including licensing of 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 recent representations include:

• procurement, financing and restructuring of regional and global terrestrial fixed and wireless, subsea cable and satellite communications systems
• numerous representations involving U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance and investigation matters for clients based in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America
• national security reviews of U.S. –“inbound” mergers & acquisitions transactions, including by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the Defense Security Service (DSS), the “Team Telecom” agencies
• extensive experience with U.S. export controls, including the Department of State’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)
• negotiation of and ongoing compliance with agreements with United States government agencies, including national security agreements, network security agreements, and agreements to mitigate foreign ownership, control or influence (FOCI)

Recognition & Accomplishments
He is a regular speaker at space and communications conferences, a visiting lecturer at the International Space University and has published articles and delivered numerous presentations on finance, commercial and regulatory aspects of the aerospace and communications industries. He has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Telecom, Broadcast and Satellite Financing in Chambers USA and The Legal 500. Mr. Panahy speaks fluent Spanish and Farsi.

Dara A. Panahy is a partner in the Washington, DC office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy and a member of the firm’s Transportation and Space Group. He has been a partner since 2007 and joined Milbank in 1999. Mr. Panahy’s practice focuses on representing clients involved in the aerospace and communications industries. His experience includes representing satellite operators, aerospace manufacturers, launch services providers, communications companies, banks, private equity firms and hedge funds in numerous financings involving public offerings, high yield debt, investment grade bonds, project and vendor financings, mergers & acquisitions, financial restructuring and reorganizations and in negotiating project contracts. He also counsels clients on domestic and international regulatory and trade matters, including licensing of satellite, wireless and wireline 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.