Tristan Morales

Tristan Morales is an aviation and labor and employment counsel in the Washington, DC office. Tristan’s practice covers a wide range of labor-related issues in the airline industry. He has significant experience representing major airlines in connection with the negotiation and implementation of collective bargaining agreements under the Railway Labor Act (RLA), as well as in arbitrations and federal court litigation concerning those agreements.

Tristan regularly works with airline finance and operations officials, and airline industry economists, concerning contract provisions for airline pilots, flight attendants, technicians, and other employee groups on issues that include wage rates, profit sharing, benefits, scope, airline fleet changes, and airline operations.

He has worked extensively on matters related to airline mergers and acquisitions, including labor successorship obligations for potential transactions as well as seniority integration under the McCaskill-Bond Act.

His work on labor arbitrations has also addressed discipline issues, in addition to contract interpretation issues, including multiple arbitrations arising out of criminal investigations of airline employees.

Tristan also has substantial experience representing airlines in matters arising under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), including with respect to military leaves of absence.

Tristan’s pro bono practice includes regular participation in the DC Bar’s Small Business Legal Clinic.

Admissions:

• California
• District of Columbia

Education:

• University of Virginia, J.D.: Supreme Court Litigation Clinic; Finance of Small Enterprise Clinic; Order of the Coif
• Northwestern University, B.A., Political Science and Communication Studies; Two-Time National Debate Tournament (“NDT”) Champion

Externships:

• Honorable Wayne Andersen, United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois