News of Amazon’s plans to use delivery drones surprised many, but the fact is that a number of companies are developing drones for commercial uses. However, before any of these commercial drones can take flight, they need to clear a series of legal hurdles, from winning FAA approval to sorting out liability and privacy issues.

This week on the legal-affairs podcast Lawyer2Lawyer, I am joined by industry lawyer Ben Gielow and Above the Law editor Elie Mystal to discuss the legal issues facing commercial drones and how they are likely to play out.

  • Ben Gielow is the government relations manager and general counsel for the advocacy sector of the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International. He has been featured in interviews covering the concept of commercial drones since the beginning regarding what legislation and other requirements are necessary for us to see commercial drones in our airways.
  • Elie Mystal is the editor of Above the Law. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he left his life as a litigator to pursue a career as an online provocateur. He has written editorials for The New York Daily News, The New York Times, and appeared on MSNBC and Fox News.

Listen to the show at the Legal Talk Network.

Photo of Bob Ambrogi Bob Ambrogi

Bob is a lawyer, veteran legal journalist, and award-winning blogger and podcaster. In 2011, he was named to the inaugural Fastcase 50, honoring “the law’s smartest, most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries and leaders.” Earlier in his career, he was editor-in-chief of several legal publications, including The National Law Journal, and editorial director of ALM’s Litigation Services Division.