Willkie Farr partner Priya Aiyar is the new general counsel for American Airlines.
The Fort Worth-based airline conducted a national search to replace Paul Jones, who retired earlier this year. Aiyar, whose practice specialized in litigation and global trade and investment disputes, will start the job in September and will relocate to American’s DFW headquarters, where the company has about 40 lawyers in its corporate legal department.
A former acting general counsel at the U.S. Department of Treasury and deputy GC of the U.S. Department of Energy the during the Obama administration, Aiyar will be only the third new GC at American Airlines during the past two decades.
Gary Kennedy, who is now on the board of global investment giant Pimco, was the company’s top lawyer in the years following the 9-11 terrorists attacks and through its bankruptcy and merger with U.S Airways. Jones replaced Kennedy in 2014.
Aiyar, who also will have the title senior vice president, will report to American executive VP Steve Johnson, who oversees legal and corporate affairs.
“Priya is an outstanding lawyer and an extraordinary intellect, and her strategic perspective, integrity, energy, unique experience, passion for the law, and demonstrated ability to build and inspire teams make her the perfect person to lead our legal strategy and team over the coming years,” Johnson said in a written statement.
“We remain focused on evolving our culture and attracting the best and brightest to American and, in both respects, we could not have found a better person,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with Priya to build on that work and take us to the next level.”
A Yale Law School graduate who clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Aiyar will lead American’s legal affairs team and its legal strategies, which the company describes as corporate governance, securities and corporate finance, business and commercial, litigation, competition and antitrust, compliance, privacy, environmental, employment and intellectual property legal issues and work.
Aiyar held senior legal roles within the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and the Federal Communications Commission.