Michelle Hanlon

Michelle Hanlon is the Co-Director of the Center for Air and Space Law at the University of Mississippi School of Law.  She is an experienced business lawyer who commenced her legal career as a corporate attorney, specializing in cross-border financings, mergers and acquisitions at the international law firms of Shearman & Sterling and Faegre & Benson.  In June 2017 she co-founded the nonprofit For All Moonkind, Inc., an organization dedicated to working with the United Nations and the international community to protect human heritage in outer space, starting with the first lunar landing sites.

Michelle now embraces a broad consulting practice focused on the space and aviation sectors.  She provides advice on all aspects of these industries, including airport and spaceport development, drafting of legislation and regulation for national and local governments and government authorities, FAA and other licensing and permit processes and contract negotiation in respect of equipment leases, launch services, insurance, component manufacturing, investment, financing and data collection and dissemination.  She also acts as counsel for a number of nascent technology companies and entrepreneurs, providing general corporate formation, structuring and governance advice.

Having earned her BA in Political Science from Yale College and her JD magna cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, a passion for space and aerospace technologies led Michelle to earn her LL.M. in Air and Space Law from McGill University’s Institute of Air and Space Law.