Lawrence Mentz

Partner | New York Office

Aviation | Commercial | Contracts | Trials and Appeals

Larry Mentz has a significant depth of experience in the aviation and related travel and tourism industries. He has represented international airlines and their insurers in state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as in arbitrations, throughout the United States. Mr. Mentz has also represented major airlines before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to seek the transfer of numerous cases arising from major air crash disasters to a single forum where wrongful death, personal injury, and cargo claims can be litigated in a uniform manner.

Mr. Mentz counsels and advises airline clients on their interaction with other airlines, travel agents, passengers, shippers, vendors, suppliers and airport authorities. Mr. Mentz often acts for airline clients in negotiations, litigation and arbitration in connection with foreign accident investigations, DOT and FAA regulatory and enforcement matters, antitrust claims, environmental issues, security and disability regulations, aircraft and engine purchase agreements, aircraft and engine warranty claims, airline marketing, internet distribution, frequent flyer programs, and code-share agreements.

Mr. Mentz also has extensive experience negotiating airport leases and associated construction agreements on behalf of numerous airlines. He has negotiated leases and construction agreements at major airports including JFK, Newark, Los Angeles, Miami, Dulles and San Francisco. Mr. Mentz also has negotiated a 50-year lease for a fixed-base operator at New York’s Stewart International Airport.

Mr. Mentz also represents a major hotel in New York City and a West Coast tour operator in connection with marketing, internet distribution, contractual, litigation and operational matters.

Mr. Mentz is AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rated in Martindale-Hubbell and appears in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.

Publications

  • Trial and Post-Trial Motions, Chapter 24, Federal Civil Practice (Albany 1989, Supp. 1993, 1995).
  • Air Carrier Access Act and Foreign Air Carriers: Handicapping Regulations, Air and Space Lawyer (Fall 2000)

Reported Decisions

  • Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corp. v. Feeney, 495 U.S. 299 (1990) (Brief of Amici Curiae on behalf of American Airlines, Inc., et al.)
  • In re Linee Aeree Italiane (Alitalia), --- F.3d ---, 2006 WL 3392075 (7th Cir. 2006)
  • Commercial Union Ins. Co. v. Alitalia Airlines, S.p.A., 347 F.3d 448, 2003 WL 22413407 (2nd Cir. 2003)
  • Alexander and Alexander Services, Inc. v. These Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's, London, England, 136 F.3d 82, 1997 WL 834307 (2nd Cir. 1998)
  • Bogazici Hava Tasimaciligi A.S. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 932 F.2d 972, 1991 WL 73738 (9th Cir. 1991)
  • In re Alleged Food Poisoning Incident, 770 F.2d 3 (2nd Cir. 1985)
  • In re Air Crash Disaster at Warsaw, Poland, on March 14, 1980, 748 F.2d 94 (2nd Cir. 1984)
  • Highlands Ins. Co. v. Trinidad and Tobago (BWIA Intern.) Airways Corp., 739 F.2d 536 (11th Cir. 1984)
  • Boehringer-Mannheim Diagnostics, Inc. v. Pan American World Airways, Inc., 737 F.2d 456 (5th Cir. 1984)
  • Laker Airways Ltd. v. Sabena, Belgian World Airlines, 731 F.2d 909 (D.C. Cir. 1984)
  • Global Int’l Airways Corp. v. Port Authority of N.Y. and N.J., 727 F.2d 246 (2nd Cir. 1984)
  • Overseas Nat’l Airways, Inc. v. Cargolux Airlines Int’l, S.A., 712 F.2d 11 (2nd Cir. 1983)
  • In re Air Crash Disaster at Warsaw, Poland, on March 14, 1980, 705 F.2d 85 (2nd Cir. 1983)
  • Gayda v. LOT Polish Airlines, 702 F.2d 424 (2nd Cir. 1983)
  • Quy v. Air America, Inc., 667 F.2d 1059 (D.C. Cir. 1981)
  • Tokio Marine and Fire Ins. Co., Ltd. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 617 F.2d 938 (2nd Cir. 1980)
  • DeMarines v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, 580 F.2d 1193 (3rd Cir. 1978)
  • Lunsford v. U.S., 570 F.2d 221 (8th Cir. 1977)
  • Weiss v. El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd., 2006 WL 2129334 (S.D.N.Y. 2006)
  • Weiss v. El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd., 433 F. Supp. 2d 361 (S.D.N.Y. 2006)
  • Albarado v. Kentucky Racing Commission, 2004 WL 1811504 (W.D. Ky., April 29, 2004)
  • DeGirolamo v. Alitalia Linee Aeree Italiane, S.p.A., 159 F. Supp. 2d 764, 2001 WL 1082513 (D.N.J. 2001)
  • Tower Air, Inc. v. Federal Express Corp., 956 F. Supp. 270, 1996 WL 788363, 1997 1 Trade Cases P 71,676 (E.D.N.Y. 1996)
  • International Ins. Co. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd’s London, 1992 WL 675951 (N.D. Ill. 1992)
  • Roth v. El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd., 709 F. Supp. 487 (S.D.N.Y. 1989)
  • Postol v. El Al Israel Airlines, Ltd., 690 F. Supp. 1361 (S.D.N.Y. 1988)
  • In re Korean Air Lines Disaster of Sept. 1, 1983, 664 F. Supp. 1463 (D.D.C. 1985)
  • Ladd v. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, 456 F. Supp. 422 (S.D.N.Y. 1978)
  • Tokio Marine and Fire Ins. Co., Ltd. v. McDonnell Douglas Corp., 465 F. Supp. 790 (S.D.N.Y. 1978)
  • Oostdyk v. British Airways, 421 F. Supp. 127 (S.D.N.Y. 1976)
  • Butz v. British Airways, 421 F. Supp. 127 (E.D. Pa. 1976)
  • Lunsford v. U.S., 418 F. Supp. 1045 (D.S.D. 1976)
  • Alexander and Alexander Services, Inc. v. Certain Underwriters at Lloyd's London, England, 298 A.D.2d 284, 748 N.Y.S.2d 740 (N.Y.A.D. 1 Dept. 2002)
  • Lynch v. British Airways, U.S. Dept. of Transportation, Order 2003-1-26 (Jan. 27, 2003)