Secretary Mineta Names Leitch to Serve as FAA Chief Counsel

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y.
Mineta has named David G. Leitch to serve as Chief Counsel for
the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"With more than 15 years of legal experience in both the public
and private sectors, David's counsel and advice will be of great
value to the FAA as we continue to address the challenging
aviation issues that lie ahead," said Secretary Mineta. "I want to
welcome David aboard, and I look forward to working with him in
the years to come."

Leitch has an extensive history of service. Prior to his
appointment, he was a partner with Hogan & Hartson LLP, where
he engaged in a diverse litigation practice with a concentration on
administrative law, constitutional law, and commercial issues.
Before moving to the private sector, Leitch served as deputy
assistant attorney general, in the Office of Legal Counsel at the
U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a law clerk to
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and to Circuit Judge J. Harvie
Wilkinson, III, and as an adjunct professor at George Washington
University Law School.

"I am honored to have been appointed to this important position
and look forward to working with Secretary Mineta and FAA
Administrator Jane Garvey to advance President Bush's agenda,"
said Leitch.

As Chief Counsel for the FAA, Leitch will serve as the top legal
advisor to the Administrator of the FAA, overseeing a staff of 290
individuals located in Washington and eleven field offices. He will
be responsible for all aspects of the FAA's legal activities,
including the agency's regulatory program, administrative and
judicial litigation, nationwide enforcement activities, legislation, and
legal relations with foreign civil aviation authorities. Leitch will
also provide extensive legal support for the FAA's multi-billion
dollar procurement program, its airports program, and ethics
compliance.

Leitch earned his law degree from the University of Virginia's
School of Law and his bachelor's degree from Duke University.
He and his wife, Ellen, have three children and live in McLean,
Virginia.