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Chris Pappaioanou was a customer service agent with Great Lakes Airlines at Telluride’s airport in 2001 when he handed his resume to Mesa Airlines CEO Jonathan Ornstein, who was boarding a plane. Weeks later, Pappaioanou was hired to be the Mesa’s vice president of legal affairs. Two decades later, he is one of the most influential and respected lawyers and executives at Irving-based Envoy Air. During the past two years, Pappaioanou negotiated a transformative, industry leading collective bargaining agreement that reversed attrition within Envoy Air’s pilot ranks and attracted hundreds of new pilots to the airline. He also led several legal victories, including the resolution of a biometrics privacy suit in Illinois and a successful resolution to a wage and hour class action suit in California. And he was instrumental in the restructuring of Envoy Air’s human resources and legal departments to better align with the airline’s current needs as it continues to experience growth. But it all points back to the cold Colorado day when Mesa’s CEO saw something special in the guy loading his luggage.
The Lawbook spoke with the DFW Corporate Counsel Award for Senior Counsel of the Year for a Small Legal Department finalist about his best day at Envoy Air, major career successes, and the only way outside counsel can reach him.
Texas Lawbook: What have been your biggest successes at Envoy Air?
Chris Pappaioanou: Playing a key role in stemming the contraction of Envoy’s flight operations and returning the company to its position as the preeminent regional airline has been my biggest accomplishment.
Lawbook: What has been your best day working at Envoy Air?
Pappaioanou: I can’t pinpoint a single day, but holding a key role in leading a renewal of our Company’s outlook has afforded me several “best days,” including the negotiation of three major collective bargaining agreements during the pandemic and negotiating an industry transformative agreement with our pilots in 2022.
Lawbook: What are the biggest challenges facing corporate legal departments and law firms for accomplishing DEI objectives in today’s legal and political environments?
Pappaioanou: Like any initiative, the results vary with the level of thought invested at the outset. A well-developed DEI policy fosters building talented teams of engaged and motivated employees — and avoids division and strife.
Lawbook: What are the factors you consider when deciding about hiring outside counsel?
Pappaioanou: When I am making decisions regarding the legal staffing of matters, I consider a number of factors including geographic proximity to the matter, expertise within the field, complexity and firms that we have an existing relationship. I also speak with other in-house counsel regarding their “go to” attorneys.
Lawbook: What does outside counsel need to know about you?
Pappaioanou: The only way to reach me is on my cell phone.
Click here for the full profile of Chris Pappaioanou.