Atlanta is a city that knows how to welcome the world.
IN THE PROFESSION
Atlanta is a city that knows how to welcome the world.
A perspective from Assistant General Counsel of Delta Airlines Reginald A. Williamson
F rom global commerce and major sporting events to conventions, tourism, and cultural milestones, Atlanta’ s role as an international gateway continues to grow. At the center of that connectivity is Delta Air Lines, whose corporate headquarters and largest hub are based here and whose operations touch nearly every corner of the globe.
In this issue of The Atlanta Lawyer, we are pleased to feature Reggie Williamson, Assistant General Counsel at Delta Air Lines and a member of the Atlanta Bar Association’ s Board of Directors. Reggie supports Delta’ s Corporate Real Estate organization, advising on the legal and strategic issues that accompany large scale infrastructure projects and development initiatives that enable Delta’ s operations and improve the travel experience for customers.
As an in house lawyer, Reggie’ s practice sits at the intersection of law, business, and the physical footprint that makes a global airline run— hangars, terminals, offices, maintenance facilities, and the partnerships that bring those projects to life. His work reflects a broader reality of modern in house practice: lawyers are not only risk managers, but trusted advisors helping businesses plan, build, and operate responsibly for the long term.
With Atlanta continuing to host large scale national and international events, interest has grown around how companies prepare for periods of heightened activity and global attention. Delta’ s sustained investment in infrastructure underscores the importance of readiness, collaboration, and thoughtful planning— principles that apply whether the city is welcoming a major sporting event, a global conference, or everyday travelers passing through the world’ s busiest airport.
In the following Q & A, Reggie shares his professional path, offers insight into the role of lawyers supporting corporate real estate at a global company, and discusses how organizations think about readiness while staying focused on serving customers and communities year round.
Q: Reggie, first let me welcome you to the Atlanta Bar Association. We are excited to have a representative from Delta Air Lines join our Board. Tell me about your journey to Delta and the types of issues you solve in the Delta Law Department.
Thank you. I was excited for the opportunity to join the Board of Directors for the Atlanta Bar Association and to serve alongside so many talented lawyers and jurists committed to professionalism, service, and access to justice in our community.
I joined Delta in 2017 from the construction and infrastructure practice at Kilpatrick, Townsend & Stockton LLP. At that time, Delta was breaking ground on the more than $ 4 billion redevelopment of Terminal C at LaGuardia Airport— our company’ s single largest airport investment to date. That project was part of a broader, decade long construction program that saw Delta invest more than $ 12 billion in airport hubs across the country, including major projects at LAX, JFK, SEA, SLC, and ATL, among many others, as well as new and expanded Sky Clubs across the network.
As someone who was born and raised in Atlanta, Delta has always been part of my life, and I was thrilled for the opportunity to help Delta achieve its project goals. Any large construction project carries inherent risk, even under the best of circumstances. Mega projects like the LGA Terminal C Redevelopment or the LAX Sky Way Program involve complex schedules, significant capital commitments, layered project governance structures, and coordination among dozens— or in the case of a multiple-prime delivery method like LGA Terminal C or the JFK Redevelopment program, literally hundreds of designers, contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, as well as numerous public stakeholders.
That complexity is amplified when construction must be phased around an active airport operation. Airports are among the most operationally sensitive construction environments in the built world, requiring constant attention to safety, regulatory compliance, and uninterrupted service. Against that backdrop, we also navigated extraordinary external pressures, including accelerating our major programs during the COVID 19 pandemic, managing workforce disruptions, severe cost escalation, and volatility in global supply chain lead times.
Through it all, I’ ve had the opportunity to work with some
10 MARCH APRIL 2026