Patrick Rizzi

Member

Pat advises U.S. and foreign airlines, airports, air taxi operators, uncrewed aircraft systems operators, aerospace manufacturers, aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) businesses, investment and private equity firms, infrastructure and development companies, business aircraft operators, and technology companies on federal aviation regulatory compliance and rulemakings, litigation, transactions, and policy. He counsels clients on matters involving operations, safety, compliance, regulatory investigations, continuing fitness, and citizenship requirements, licensing, certification, civil penalty enforcement actions, certificate actions, competition, international route rights and bilateral air transport agreements, antitrust immunity, airline alliances, federal grant assurances, slots, airport privatization, aviation consumer regulations, essential air service, airport access, and airspace obstructions.

Pat regularly represents clients before the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He also represents clients before the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Postal Service (USPS), the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and other government agencies.

Pat is a recognized leader in the aviation bar with three decades of experience. He is consistently ranked as a leading aviation and regulatory attorney in Chambers USA, Who’s Who Legal, and Legal 500. He was named one of the Top 10 Influential Regulatory Aviation Lawyers Shaping US Airspace in 2023 by Business Today. He is a member of the ABA’s Air and Space Law Forum, previously served two terms on the Forum’s Governing Committee, and has served as co-chair or a program committee member for several of the Forum’s conferences. He is a licensed private pilot and a longstanding member of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Pat also has participated in numerous panels and webinars about various aviation-related subjects.

Pat earned his B.S./B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University and his J.D. from the New York University School of Law, where he was an articles editor of the NYU Law Review.

News

Legal 500 Recognizes Seven Cozen O’Connor Practice Areas and 16 Cozen O'Connor Attorneys in its 2024 Legal Guide

July 10, 2024

The Legal 500 United States named Cozen O’Connor’s Aviation, Construction, Immigration, Insurance, Maritime, and Mergers & Acquisitions practices and Cozen O’Connor attorneys Scott Bettridge, Raymond DeLuca, Michael Deutsch, Geoffrey Ferrer, Bruce Ficken, Jonathon Foglia, David Heffernan, Matthew Howell, James Kwartnik, Robert Magovern, Jeffrey Mullen, Patrick Rizzi, Rachel Schwartz, Josh Stein, Jeff Vogel, and Rachel Welford to its 2024 Legal Guide.

Nearly 100 Cozen O’Connor Lawyers, 27 Practices Earn Top Recognition in Chambers USA 2024 Guide

June 10, 2024

Chambers USA rankings are based on an “assessment of a firm’s work and opinions from external market sources, with an emphasis on client feedback.” In order to be ranked in the guide, lawyers and firms must demonstrate “sustained excellence.”

Cozen O'Connor Adds Hogan Lovells Aviation Atty In DC

February 12, 2024

Patrick Rizzi was featured in a Law360 article discussing his transition to Cozen O’Connor.

Highly Regarded Veteran Aviation Attorney Patrick R. Rizzi Joins Cozen O’Connor’s Transportation and Trade Practice

February 12, 2024

Rizzi brings nearly three decades of experience advising clients across the aviation industry in matters involving regulatory, policy, litigation, and transactional issues.

Publications

Expect Turbulence Ahead as State AGs and DOT Join Forces to Investigate Airlines and Travel Agencies [Alert]

April 25, 2024

Ann-Marie Luciano, Meghan Stoppel, Jonathon Foglia, and Patrick Rizzi discuss the DOT's recent announcement of an Airline Passenger Protection partnership with State AGs to empower AGs to more effectively investigate complaints and enforce state laws.

Industry Sectors

Education

  • New York University School of Law, J.D., 1993
  • Georgetown University, B.S., B.A., magna cum laude, 1990

Awards & Honors

Chambers USA, Transportation: Aviation: Regulatory (Nationwide), 2016-Present

The Legal 500 United States "Leading Lawyer" for Transport: Aviation and Air Travel: Litigation & Regulation, 2022-Present

The Legal 500 United States "Next Generation Partner" for Transport: Aviation and Air Travel, 2019-2021

Who’s Who Legal, Transport: Aviation Regulatory, 2023-Present

Who's Who Legal, Unmanned Aircraft Systems, 2023-Present

Business Today, Top 10 Influential Regulatory Aviation Lawyers Shaping US Airspace in 2023

  • District of Columbia
  • U.S. District Court -- District of Columbia
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

American Bar Association, Air and Space Law Forum Governing Committee Member, 2016-2020

Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association