Chad T. Gill · Attorney at Law

Legal counsel from inside the industry.

I'm an attorney and an aerospace engineer who has spent twenty years building, launching, and running regulated products — in satellite communications, commercial aviation, and telecom. I bring that same perspective to every client I take on in Illinois.

Schedule a consultation How I work →

Scales of justice on a marble desk with a laptop, law books, and a holographic data overlay

Background

I'm a practicing attorney, admitted in Pennsylvania in 2008 and Illinois in 2013, with a J.D. from Duquesne University School of Law. My practice covers general civil matters for Illinois clients and specialized counsel for technology, aviation, and telecommunications companies.

What I bring that most attorneys don't is two decades of direct industry experience. I trained as an aerospace engineer at Penn State before law school, and I've spent my career since then leading regulatory engineering, product management, and commercial strategy at Gogo, United Airlines, HERE Technologies, Chamberlain Group, and today as Principal Product Manager at SES — responsible for the airline enablement portfolio across global commercial aviation.

I've written the specifications, negotiated the contracts, ushered products through FCC and international RF authorization in a half-dozen countries, and lived the practical reality of what regulations mean on the ground. When clients bring me a matter, they're getting a lawyer who already understands the world their problem lives in.

Chad T. Gill, Esq.
Attorney · Illinois

The Approach

Law, practiced like engineering and product management.

Define the problem precisely.

Most legal disputes get harder because no one stopped to write down what the problem actually is. I start every matter with a clear statement of the issue, the constraints, and what "done" looks like. It's product management applied to your case.

Use the right tools for each step.

AI handles what it's good at — fast research across thousands of cases, first drafts, deadline tracking, routine correspondence. I handle what requires judgment: strategy, negotiation, court appearances, and every decision that affects your outcome.

Document everything; explain it in English.

You should never be confused about where your case stands or why I'm recommending what I'm recommending. Expect a written plan, clear reasoning, and direct answers — not hedging, not jargon, not "we'll see how the judge feels that day."

Price the work, not the hour.

AI-assisted workflows cut overhead that clients used to subsidize. Wherever possible I work on flat fees, capped fees, or clear estimates. Hourly billing exists for some matters, but it isn't the default surprise at month's end.

Practice

Two tracks. One practice. The same engineering mindset.

Track One

Technology, Aviation & Telecom Counsel

Counsel for companies operating where the technology meets the regulator — and for the commercial teams trying to ship through it. Twenty years of direct industry experience means no ramp-up time on your matter.

FAA regulatory — aircraft and equipment type certification, operational approvals
FCC equipment authorization, RF licensing, spectrum matters
International regulatory strategy — EU, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, China
Satellite communications and in-flight connectivity — regulatory and commercial
Technology and avionics software licensing, hosting, and SaaS agreements
B2B commercial contracts for tech-driven businesses
Corporate counsel for startups and growth-stage companies

Track Two

Illinois General Practice

Full-service legal help for Illinois individuals, families, and small businesses. The same AI-assisted workflow that supports the regulated-industry work is what makes this side of the practice affordable and responsive.

Estate planning — wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate
Family law — divorce, custody, support, adoption, prenuptial agreements
Real estate — residential and commercial transactions, leases, title matters
Business formation and contracts for small businesses
Civil litigation and contract disputes
Criminal defense

Track Record

Industry experience that shows up in the work.

6 markets

Led RF equipment authorization and regulatory market entry across the EU, Brazil, Mexico, Japan, and China — opening international revenue streams that continue to grow for the businesses today.

$500M+

P&L responsibility across roles at HERE Technologies (mapping content portfolio) and Chamberlain Group (residential hardware portfolio).

$22M

FAA NextGen data communications partnership brokered between United Airlines and the FAA, streamlining ATC–pilot communications industry-wide.

20 yrs

Across commercial aviation, satellite communications, telecom, and technology product management — from systems analyst to Principal Product Manager.

AS9100

Corporate compliance and regulatory policy authorship for avionics and connectivity equipment at Gogo Commercial Aviation.

NASA

Led the integration and airborne hosting of NASA's TASAR flight optimization software with Alaska Airlines during time at Gogo.

A word on the technology

AI is part of how I practice, not what I sell. It reads cases faster than I can, drafts better first passes than a junior associate, and never misses a deadline. That's useful.

It also runs on infrastructure I control. Your documents, your case details, your conversations — none of it is sent to third-party AI services. Privilege is not a feature I'm willing to outsource.

Every piece of legal advice, every filing, every strategic decision is made by me personally. The tools get credit for speed. The judgment is mine.

Credentials

Background.

Bar Admissions

Supreme Court of IllinoisAdmitted 2013

Supreme Court of PennsylvaniaAdmitted 2008

Education

Juris DoctorDuquesne University School of Law · 2005

B.S. Aerospace EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State University · 2001

Community

Master FoundationBoard of Directors · 2017 – presentNonprofit providing educational opportunities to communities in rural Bangladesh.

Glenview AYSOMarketing Director · 2024 – presentLocal youth soccer organization serving the Glenview community.

Lurie Children's HospitalFamily Advisory Board · 2017 – 2023Families of children with complex medical conditions advising the hospital on care and experience improvements.

Get in touch

Let's talk about your matter.

Initial consultations are free and confidential. Tell me what you're dealing with — regulatory, technical, personal, business — and I'll tell you honestly whether I'm the right lawyer for it.

Portrait

Chad T. Gill, Esq. Attorney at Law Illinois B.S.A.E., J.D.

chad@gill.law