Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: (202) 955-5600
Fax: (202) 955-5616
epilsk@kaplankirsch.com
Vcard
For 20 years, Eric Pilsk has represented clients in disputes involving public entities, with a particular emphasis on litigating land use, environmental and airport issues. Mr. Pilsk has handled cases involving NEPA, federal aviation laws and regulations, federal preemption, Native American trust claims, construction and other commercial claims and a wide range of state and federal constitutional, land use and environmental issues. Many of these cases raised novel issues of federal and state law, including the successful defense of the nation's first airport noise restriction under the Airport Noise and Capacity Act and the successful defense of an airport runway weight restriction against a variety of constitutional and statutory challenges. He has acted as lead trial counsel in trials in state and federal courts. He also has handled administrative trials before federal and state administrative agencies, including contested evidentiary hearings before the FAA in FAR Part 16 proceedings. His appellate experience includes drafting numerous briefs to state and federal Courts of Appeal and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as arguing cases in federal Courts of Appeal.
Mr. Pilsk also advises clients regarding the full range of environmental and regulatory matters relating to the review and approval of airport, highway, transit and other infrastructure projects, including NEPA, Section 4(f), the AAIA and FAA grant assurances, ANCA, FAR Parts 150 and 161, and other state and federal laws and regulations. In addition to questions of compliance, Mr. Pilsk advises clients on how to address the objections and concerns of other federal, state and local agencies, including litigation risk.
Mr. Pilsk's practice emphasizes finding creative strategies to achieve client objectives. For example, he negotiated a settlement agreement that adjusted municipal boundaries, reallocated tax revenues, changed existing zoning laws, permitted the cooperative buy-out of a neighborhood, preserved economic development plans and permitted certain airport expansion in order to resolve a 10-year dispute between two cities over an airport expansion project.
Education and Clerkships
- J.D., Vanderbilt University School of Law, 1988
- B.A., Wesleyan University, with honors, 1983
- District of Columbia
- Commonwealth of Virginia
- United States Supreme Court
- Various United States District Courts and Courts of Appeal
