Sasha G. Rao

Maynard Cooper & Gale LLP

San Francisco

Patent litigation, counseling

Rao, chair of Maynard Cooper & Gale LLP's national intellectual property practice, has advanced expertise in autonomy and robotics systems. She handles major patent litigation matters for technology leaders such as Airbnb Inc. and Square Inc.

And when a Jetsons-style flying taxi swoops down to whisk riders airily above terrestrial traffic, she will get part of the credit, thanks to her work for a leading player in the race to develop an autonomous electric personal aerial vehicle.

She is outside counsel to A3, the Sunnyvale branch of Airbus Group, the European multinational aerospace corporation. There, she provides IP and legal advice as the company works on a self-piloted vertical take off and landing passenger-carrying aircraft. She was the legal lead on the project, known as Vahana, as it achieved its first flight in January 2018 and she was there when it most recently soared in November.

"No, I still haven't ridden in it," Rao said. "It's not legally permissible yet because the FAA still classifies it as experimental. But we're getting there. There have been more than 120 test flights, from the first hover flight of about 40 feet to the most recent test where it did loops and figure eights around the fields of Pendleton, Oregon. We positioned ourselves where we could see the whole flight path, and yes, we had Champagne. I call it a privilege to be on the cutting edge and to get to see cool things."

So how soon will they be in the air with paying passengers? Rao can't be specific, but she believes the time is approaching. "I have seen in the past year an increased amount of investment in these vehicles, and not just in the U.S. China and Europe are working on them too," she said.

The regulatory climate in the various jurisdictions where the flying cars will operate may determine who gets off the ground first, she added. "The FAA is taking a very cautious view, but things are progressing. There are new regulations on the remote identification of drones -- a small step towards our goal of keeping the airspace safe."

FAA certifications, national airspace regulations and physical infrastructures for urban air taxis need to be developed, she said.

"Traffic in the air is going to increase exponentially, and it is important to learn how to share the space. There are a lot of issues that go into air mobility."

Another positive development: "There are huge advances in electric motor technology, and that will keep propelling this industry. I am optimistic, because air travel has historically been safer than terrestrial car travel. And you can be sure I'll be there when the first authorized flights are available."

-- John Roemer