UK's Hybrid Air Vehicles instructs SNR Denton on $517m contract

SNR Denton has taken a lead role advising on a $517m (£319m) contract that will see a UK company develop zeppelin-style airships for the US military.

The transatlantic firm advised UK-based specialist air technology company Hybrid Air Vehicles on a contract with the US military to develop the state-of-the-art hybrid airships, which are the size of football fields.

Technology, media and telecoms (TMT) sector head Scott Singer led the firm's London team, working with TMT and commercial partner Steve McGlennan in Dubai and US head of commercial intellectual property (IP) Carol Anne Been in Chicago.

The cross-border team advised on IP, defence and procurement regulation and corporate law issues under both UK and US law. The deal also handed a role to Bird & Bird, which advised another supplier involved in building the airships. The US military relied on in-house advisers.

The contract covers three zeppelin-style airships which will be used in war zones, initially for long-range surveillance purposes. The Long Endurance Multi-Intelligence Vehicle can operate up to 20,000ft, cover up to 2,000 miles and stay in the air for up to 21 days. Construction of the first airship has just begun.

Hybrid Air Vehicles, which designs and manufactures the air vehicle, is a longstanding client of legacy UK firm Denton Wilde Sapte, with the firm working on the deal for around a year until it closed in mid-February.

Singer (pictured) said: "The US aspect of the advisory work was very important so having our US team on the ground helped us tremendously to provide advice to the client. This deal was particularly interesting to advise on because it is about building something that has never before been built. Not only has an airship not been built on that scale, but also never before used in a theatre of war."