WASHINGTON — The previous chief executive of Spaceflight has joined a serious law firm to guide its efforts in supporting the industrial space industry.
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati announced June 15 that Curt Blake had joined its Seattle office as senior of counsel because the firm starts a NewSpace industry group serving a growing variety of clients within the industry.
Blake was co-founder and chief executive of Spaceflight Inc., stepping down earlier this 12 months. Spaceflight, which arranged launches of smallsats on quite a lot of rockets and developed the Sherpa line of orbital transfer vehicles, was acquired by Firefly Aerospace June 8.
“I’m here to assist kickstart and expand an already existing practice,” Blake said in an interview. Wilson Sonsini has several space firms as clients, including Astranis, BlackSky and Slingshot Aerospace. Nonetheless, there had been no concerted effort to draw space firms and support them.
He said he plans to mix his legal background — he has a law degree and held executive and legal roles at several technology firms before Spaceflight — together with his experience running Spaceflight to assist other space firms. That ranges from tips on how to work with regulatory agencies to understanding the nuances of launch contracts.
“Having been CEO and living through all of the legal issues that got here up, I’m pretty knowledgeable on the sensible side of things,” he said. “My role is to herald that practical knowledge from the client’s voice, but additionally helping with business development.”
While Wilson Sonsini has won business with various space firms as a part of its overall work within the technology sector, there had been no major effort before now to draw such firms as clients. Blake said his connections within the industry built up during his time at Spaceflight, working with launch providers and firms developing satellites that need launches, might be priceless.
“You’d be talking to just about huge swathes of the industry,” he said of his time at Spaceflight, which he believes will help make connections for clients.
“It’s really amazing to see how the NewSpace sector could be very much alive with activity and potential,” said Craig Sherman, a partner at Wilson Sonsini who represents firms and investors within the space industry, in an announcement about hiring Blake and establishing the brand new industry group.
“With Curt’s background and the experience that others within the firm have amassed through their very own prior space-related roles or client representation, that is a great opportunity for us to work more closely with the innovators and established firms leading the way in which forward within the NewSpace sector,” he said.
