Stephen Tucker

Stephen Tucker Equity Partner – Fitzpatrick & Hunt, Tucker, Collier, Pagano, Aubert, LLP Stephen Tucker is a founding partner of the law firm of Fitzpatrick & Hunt, Tucker, Collier, Pagano, Aubert, LLP; with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Princeton, New Jersey. Before becoming a lawyer, Steve practiced as an aeronautical engineer in jet and rocket engine design at the Pratt and Whitney Aircraft Florida Research and Development Center in the following departments: Analytical Design, Mechanical Design, Engine Test and the Materials Development Lab. Steve is a member of the Board of Directors of the MIT Enterprise Forum in New York City and serves as Programming Chair and Vice Chapter Chair. As a defense lawyer for over 30 years, Steve’s aviation practice has primarily focused on representing manufacturers of: airframes, engines, component parts, and avionics in the state and federal courts of the United States. Space related matters have involved representing insurers in cases concerning satellite: communications, power, propulsion, stabilization, telemetry and support systems in litigation, arbitration and mediation. Insofar as appellate work is concerned, Steve was counsel to a major defendant in the seminal United States Supreme Court case on the defense doctrine of forum non conveniens, Piper v. Reyno – a 1981 decision which has saved manufacturers many billions of dollars over the years. Steve received a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering (with high honors) from the University of Florida College of Engineering in 1975 and a Juris Doctor degree from the College of Law in 1978. He is a FAA licensed private pilot and is FCC licensed in radio design and operation.

Technology, The Law, Aerospace, Amateur Radio, Piloting, Quantum Physics

Relentlessly pursue your passions starting as early as you can. It will lead to fateful moments. In my case, lifelong passions for aerospace were sparked by: i) a Beech 18 mosquito spray plane and ii) Florida launched satellites - all appearing overhead my insular little South Florida world. At 5 years old, all I had to do was look to the skies for serendipitous inspiration. That led to securing a private pilot’s license before college. And in college, I studied aerospace engineering. Thereafter, I worked in Aerospace R&D as an engineer. I then became a lawyer, defending the aerospace industry – all the way to the US Supreme Court in the seminal Piper v. Reyno case. Recently, I attended the MIT Aero/Astro Department’s Centennial banquet at the JFK library and while listening to the “man on the moon” JFK speech, I was struck by being in the presence of Apollo 11 astronauts Aldrin and Collins - who fulfilled JFK’s dream/challenge – a fateful moment for me, indeed!

Goal to watch all TED Talks for enlightenment. Then, deliver a TED Talk on the tips towards making your passions your life's work or on the subject that certain principles hold true across all fields of endeavor.

Building radios and antennas, working on cars, cosmology, quantum mechanics and studies about DNA, and neuroscience.