Kevin P. Lewis

KEVIN LEWIS serves as co-leader of Sidley’s Aviation and Airlines industry team, co-leader of the firm’s Transportation practice, and served for many years as the co-managing partner of the firm’s Houston office. Kevin has established a national reputation as a highly experienced corporate lawyer with a multifaceted practice built around corporate governance, M&A, capital markets and all manner of transactions, focusing on the aviation, other transportation and energy industries. Kevin’s practice continues to focus on leading-edge transportation transactions, such as United and JetBlue’s consumer collaboration linking their MileagePlus and TrueBlue programs. Kevin also led United Airlines Ventures in its launch of the United Airlines Ventures Sustainable Flight Fund SM, a first-of-its-kind investment vehicle designed to support start-ups focused on decarbonizing air travel by accelerating the research, production, and technologies associated with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), winning Fast Company’s 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards.

Building on nearly 40 years of experience advising the aviation industry, Kevin represents several major airlines in corporate venture capital investments, ESG initiatives, M&A transactions, loyalty transactions, joint venture and alliance transactions, and in all aspects of the regional airline segment, including spinoffs, mergers and acquisitions, capacity purchase and similar agreements, and dispute resolution. Kevin also represents clients on a variety of surface and sea transportation matters, including major retailers installing nationwide EV charger networks and cruise lines developing sustainable vessel fuel, as well as aircraft engine and avionics manufacturers and other air transportation industry participants.

Kevin is also an experienced corporate governance lawyer, providing strategic advice to C-suite executives and boards of directors of public companies across multiple industries. Kevin has also represented public and private companies in various M&A, project development, and joint venture transactions, as well as team owners in transactions in Major League Baseball and the National Football League.

Kevin’s extensive experience and leadership in transportation industries has been recognized by a variety of publications. He was most recently individually recognized by Chambers USA as Band 1 for the category Nationwide Transportation: Aviation: Transactional in 2025, making him one of only three lawyers ranked. Clients praised Kevin for his ability to “boil a complex problem down into simple objectives that are east to explain and understand” and highlighted his “unmatched depth and breadth of knowledge.” He was also named a Transportation “MVP” by Law360 (2023). Kevin was ranked “Lawyer of the Year” 2026 for Transportation Law by The Best Lawyers in America®, and he was also recognized in the areas of Corporate Law; International Trade and Finance Law; Corporate Governance Law; and Corporate Compliance Law (2006–2022, 2026); Mergers & Acquisitions Law; and Transportation Law (2026). Kevin has been honored by The American Lawyer as a “South Trailblazer” (2022), and has been included in the Super Lawyers Texas directory for Business & Corporate law (2005–2017, 2025). In 2021, the chief legal officer of one of the world’s largest airlines praised Kevin’s industry acumen, saying “Kevin is a great lawyer who knows the airline industry better than just about any other lawyer.”

In addition to practicing in Houston, Kevin practiced for many years in New York City and Singapore, providing him with valuable international insight that strengthens his ability to service clients with global interests.

Illustrative of the breadth of Kevin’s practice, a sampling of his representative engagements includes:

Mergers, Acquisitions, Investments, and Joint Ventures

Aviation

• United Airlines in connection with the development of Blue Sky, a collaboration with JetBlue that gives customers flight and vacation options as well as new opportunities to earn and use MileagePlus miles and TrueBlue points across both airlines.
• United Airlines in connection with the proposed merger of Republic Airways and Mesa Airlines, assisting with several agreements among United, Republic, and/or Mesa addressing financial matters and United’s capacity purchase arrangements with those airlines.
• United Airlines Ventures in its collaboration with Houston-based biotech firm Cemvita Factory, in connection with Oxy Low Carbon Ventures, to commercialize the production of SAF using carbon dioxide and synthetic microbes.
• United Airlines in its investment in ZeroAvia, a leading UK-headquartered hydrogen-electric aircraft developer and conditional order for up to 100 zero-emission hydrogen electric engines for regional aircraft.
• United Airlines in its joint multimillion-dollar investment with Honeywell UOP Ecofining in Alder Fuels.
• United Airlines Ventures in its investment in electric aircraft startup Heart Aerospace and United Airlines in its conditional aircraft purchase.
• United Airlines in its agreement with Boom Supersonic on a cooperative sustainability initiative.
• United Airlines with its agreement to work with Archer Aviation on its eVTOL aircraft, designed to use electric motors and have the potential for future use as an “air taxi” in urban markets.
• United Airlines in its multimillion-dollar investment in 1PointFive, in connection with its development of the first U.S. industrial-sized direct air capture plant that would permanently sequester one million tons of CO2 each year.
• United Airlines in its acquisition of an equity interest in Azul S.A., a Brazilian airline company.
• United Airlines in a joint business agreement involving Aerovías del Continente Americano S.A. (Avianca), Compañía Panameña de Aviación S.A. (Copa) and several Avianca and Copa affiliates.
• United Airlines in several international joint ventures with Lufthansa Airlines, Air Canada and All Nippon Airways.
• Continental Airlines in connection with its 2010 merger with United Airlines.
• Several major commercial airlines (both mainline and regional) in connection with regional airline service agreements, investments in foreign carriers and alliance and codeshare matters.
• Continental Airlines in connection with the 2010 merger of SkyWest Airlines and ExpressJet Airlines. 
• Memphis-based Pinnacle Airlines in its 2010 acquisition of Mesaba Airlines from Delta Airlines.
• American Eagle, the regional carrier affiliate of American Airlines, in connection with its potential spinoff from AMR, its corporate parent.

Energy

• Range Resources in connection with its 2016 acquisition of Memorial Resource Development
• An oilfield service company in several acquisition transactions

Other

• SAS Capital and its principal Susie A. Smith in connection with the sale of their one-third interest in KSA Industries, Inc., the indirect owner of the Tennessee Titans NFL franchise, and other related entities.

Corporate Governance

• Numerous public company management teams, boards of directors, audit committees, compensation committees and nominating and governance committees in connection with various governance items, including investigations, failures of internal controls, board and executive transition issues, response to shareholder activism, and board and committee structures, on behalf of companies in various industries, including energy, aviation, technology, and consumer finance.
• Numerous public companies in various industries in connection with SEC reporting and disclosure issues.
  

Restructuring and Reorganizations

Aviation

• United Airlines as a creditor in the bankruptcy of Azul, a Brazilian carrier.
• United Airlines as a creditor in the bankruptcy of Avianca Airlines, a Colombian carrier.
• United Airlines as a creditor in the bankruptcy of Republic Airlines.
• Pinnacle Airlines as a creditor in the bankruptcy of Northwest Airlines. 

Energy

• Several public and private companies in reorganizations in Chapter 11 proceedings, including Conn’s, Inc., Energy Partners Ltd., and Trico Marine Services. 

Other

• Conn’s Inc., an iconic American appliance and furniture retailer throughout 16 states, in connection with board matters relating to its Chapter 11 proceedings, SDTX, with Debtors’ Chapter 11 Plan supported by all major creditors and fully effective Q3 2025.

Capital Markets and Corporate Finance

Aviation

• The underwriters in Southwest Airlines Co.’s US$1.5 billion senior notes offering.
• Several underwriter groups in 2020 in connection with five offerings pursuant to which Southwest Airlines Co. issued US$2 billion of common stock, US$2 billion of convertible senior notes and US$3.8 billion of senior notes.
• United Airlines in connection with a 2020 US$1 billion common stock offering.
• Major commercial airlines in numerous other capital markets transactions, including IPOs.
• Multiple issuers of equipment pass-through certificates, and both borrowers and lenders in sale-leaseback, leveraged lease and other mezzanine financings of aircraft.

Energy

• Energy companies, including both E&P and oilfield service companies, in numerous capital markets transactions.
• Underwriters in numerous capital markets transactions by energy companies, including both E&P and oilfield service companies.

Project and Structured Finance

Energy

• Developers and lenders in international project finance transactions, including the sponsors of a large international offshore gas development and cross-border pipeline transaction, including the structuring and financing aspects of the project.
• Worked extensively on behalf of project sponsors and international commercial banks in connection with the development and financing of gas processing facilities power plants (including gas, coal, and hydroelectric projects) in Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, and various provinces in China.

• Director, Inprint
• Trustee, the Alley Theatre
• Trustee, Asia Society Texas Center
• Past-president, Congregation Beth Israel
• Former Adjunct Professor, University of Houston Law Center
• Former board member, Brazos Bookstore, Interfaith CarePartners, Acorn Foundation, Career and Recovery Resources, Orchestra X