Allison M. Surcouf

Partner, New York

T: 212.894.6863 F: 212.370.4453
E: asurcouf@nullcondonlaw.com  vCard

Allison M. Surcouf

Allison specializes in aviation litigation and alternative dispute resolution.

Allison has extensive experience representing aviation and aerospace companies, including foreign and domestic air carriers, as well as aircraft and component part manufacturers, in civil litigation and arbitration involving wrongful death and personal injury, product liability, premises liability, breach of contract and employment issues.  She has represented clients in courts nationwide and has first and second chaired trials in federal and state court.

Allison specializes in advising carriers and insurers on their obligations under the mandatory Medicare reporting laws and the Medicare Secondary Payer Act.  She also advises clients on regulatory matters involving the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, and has represented numerous clients before administrative agencies in regulatory proceedings.

In 2019 and 2020, Allison was named a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 U.S., Transport: Aviation and Air Travel – Litigation and was described as having the “remarkable ability to translate complex matters of law and case-scenarios into user-friendly and immediately applicable advice.”

Her memberships include the New York City Bar Association (Aeronautics Committee, Chair), the American Bar Association (Litigation Committee) and the International Aviation Womens Association (Mentoring Committee).

Newsletters and Bulletins

| Client Bulletins
Penalties for Noncompliance with Section 111 Medicare Reporting on the Horizon

| Client Alerts
Lead Insurers Now Allowed to Report Medicare Claims on Behalf of All Insurers on a Policy

| Client Bulletins
Airline Deregulation Act Preempts Claim that Airline Negligently Failed to Prevent Cocaine Being Planted in Baggage

| Client Bulletins
An Overview of Federal Law Governing the Carriage of Passengers Who May Have a Communicable Disease on International Flights

| Client Alerts
CMS Publishes Section 111 Civil Money Penalties Notice of Proposed Rulemaking

| Client Alerts
CMS Finally Preparing to Issue Section 111 Civil Money Penalties

| Client Bulletins
New York State Court Follows Daimler, Dismisses Foreign Component Part Manufacturer for Lack of Personal Jurisdiction

| Client Bulletins
Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Finally Approved for Takeoff

| Client Bulletins
New Registration Requirements for Small Drone Hobbyists

| Client Bulletins
Eleventh Circuit Clarifies an Airline’s Qualification as a Government-Owned Entity

| Client Bulletins
Federal Court in Florida Clarifies Standard of Liability on Failure to Divert Claims

| Client Alerts
New York State Court Defines the Federal Standard of Care Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958

| Client Alerts
Significant Developments in Medicare Law

| Client Bulletins
U.S. District Court Defines the Federal Standard of Care Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958

| Client Bulletins
Judgment Entered for Defendant After Trial on Plaintiffs’ Denied Boarding and Race Discrimination Claims

| Client Bulletins
The Second Circuit Holds That County’s Emergency Response to Airplane Crash Is Not Subject to Reimbursement

| Client Bulletins
New York State Court Holds State Law Standards Preempted By Federal Aviation Act of 1958

| Client Bulletins
Failure to Check-in On Time Is Fatal to Passengers’ Claims

| Client Alerts
MMSEA Section 111 Threshold Dollar Exemption Decreases April 1, 2012

Published Works and Presentations

Presenter and Panel Speaker, “Recent Tort Reform Updates and the Potential Effect on Both Litigation and Settlement,” American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Aviation and Space Law Committee, Washington, D.C. (October 27-28, 2022).

Presenter, “Damages in Air Crash Litigation: Latest Developments and Analysis of the Key Issues,” at the annual conference of the American Bar association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Aviation and Space Law Committee, Washington D.C. (October 28-29, 2021).

Presenter, “Understanding U.S. Medicare Reporting Obligations.”  Online market briefing hosted by the International Underwriting Association (IUA) and the Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA).  A recording of the presentation, held on June 3, 2020, may be accessed here.

Co-Author, Chapter 3, “Disclosure,” Preparing For and Trying the Civil Lawsuit, 2nd ed. (NYSBA, 2018 revision).

Panel Speaker, “From Nose to Tail: Ethical Issues in the Course of a Hypothetical Aviation Litigation,” at the annual conference of the American Bar Association, Tort Trial and Insurance Practice Section, Aviation and Space Law Committee, Washington, D.C. (November 3-4, 2016).

Chair and Organizer, NYCBA Aeronautics Committee Panel Discussion: “Women Take Flight,” New York, New York (May 5, 2016), an event celebrating the many and varied roles of women in the aviation industry and discussing challenges women face in the industry.

“A Guide Through the Medicare Morass: Medicare Fundamentals and Best Practices for Liability Insurers and Their Attorneys.”  Defense Counsel Journal (January 2015).

Contributor, The Liability Reporter, published jointly by IATA and Condon & Forsyth LLP. (15th ed., February 2012).

Co-Author, “Federal Preemption in the Field of Aviation,” Journal of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy, Fourth Quarter 2011, Vol. 78, Number 4.

CMS Increases MMSEA Section 111 Threshold Dollar Exemptions. Condon & Forsyth LLP Alert (October 2011).

Courting Justice: A Screening of Ruth Cowan’s Inspirational Film About the Female Judiciary of South America. New York Women’s Bar Association Newsletter (May/June 2011).

Another Forum Non Conveniens Victory for Defendants from California District Court. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (April 2011).

Second Circuit Declares Field Preemption Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Alert (March 2011).

Contributor, The Liability Reporter, published jointly by IATA and Condon & Forsyth LLP. (14th ed., February 2011).

Lunch with a Judge – Chief Judge Loretta A. Preska. New York Women’s Bar Association Newsletter (December 2010).

MMSEA Section 111 Mandatory Reporting Extended. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (November 2010).

Annual Gala Celebrates NYWBA’s 75 Years. New York Women’s Bar Association Newsletter (September 2010).

Section 111’s New Direct Data Entry Option for Small Reporters. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Alert (June 2010).

Updates to MMSEA Section 111 Reporting Requirements. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (March 2010).

Contributor, The Liability Reporter, published jointly by IATA and Condon & Forsyth LLP. (13th ed., February 2010).

Lunch with a Judge. New York Women’s Bar Association Newsletter (January 2010).

Additional Responsibilities for Those Liable to Medicare Beneficiaries. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (August 2009).

Co-Author, Who’s Liable? An Analysis of Successive and Contracting Carrier Liability. Aviation Litigation Quarterly. American Bar Association (Spring 2009).

Contributor, The Liability Reporter, published jointly by IATA and Condon & Forsyth LLP. (12th ed., February 2009).

Employer Duty to WARN Under Recent New York Legislation. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (January 2009).

NYWBA Mentoring Circle Program. New York Women’s Bar Association Newsletter (January 2009).

Illinois Supreme Court Addresses Joint and Several Liability. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (December 2008).

An Analysis of Successive and Contracting Carrier Liability. Condon & Forsyth LLP Client Bulletin (October 2008).