President
865-383-0228



Education
J.D., Tulane Law School, 2003
B.A. in English, cum laude, The Catholic University of America, 1999

Admissions
Tennessee
District of Columbia
Maryland

Professional Activities and Awards
Lawyers’ Association for Women – Marion Griffin Chapter, September 2021 - Present

Tennessee Bar Association, September 2021 – Present

Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce, September 2021 – Present

American Association of Airport Executives Certified Member, February 2020

Tennessee District Export Council
January 2020 - Present, Appointed to four-year term

Airports Council International – North America Commercial Management Steering Committee
January 2021 – July 2021, Elected by peers to four-year term

International Business Council Advisory Board, Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce
June 2019 – July 2021

Nashville Business Journal’s Best of the Bar, Corporate Counsel, 2013

Presentations

April 2022 Tennessee City Management Association Spring Conference
Presenter: Airports, Drones, and Your City

March 2022 AAAE/ACC Airport Planning, Design & Construction Symposium
Panel: Digital Twins - The Future of IT/Data Analytics

March 2022 Tennessee Municipal Attorneys Association Winter Seminar
Presenter: Introduction to Airport Law, and Co-Presenter: Drones and Your City

July 2021 P3 Airport Summit
Panel: Pragmatism, Perseverance and Patience – the 3 P’s of Partnership

June 2021 Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce 2021 Nashpreneurs Virtual Conference: Innovate Now
Panel: BNA’s Concession Program Vision for Local and Small Businesses


Margaret Martin


Margaret Martin is passionate about helping her clients achieve their business goals by providing creative, solution-oriented legal and strategic guidance. With 18+ years of experience working within or with governmental and quasi-governmental entities, Margaret has deep experience in ensuring compliance with local, state and federal laws and regulations, and navigating legislative and governing body processes, while driving forward creative, business-focused solutions.

Margaret was the Chief Development Officer at Nashville International Airport, where she tackled thorny, complex issues every day. Margaret led all revenue generation functions, aeronautical and non-aeronautical, for a large medium-hub commercial service airport, and a general aviation reliever airport. Margaret was responsible for delivering and managing annual revenues exceeding $170M and overseeing approximately 2500 commercial agreements with tenants, operators, business partners, and governmental agencies.

During her 3+ year leadership of the commercial development team, Margaret:

  • Managed P3 solicitation and lease execution of an upper-upscale on-airport hotel, designed, built, financed, operated and maintained by a 3rd party, with anticipated revenue of $82M in base rent, and approximately $250M in percentage rent over a 75 year lease term.

  • Transitioned BNA concessions program from prime concessionaire model to a developer model.

  • Supported response and redevelopment efforts, including revising the rent model for a general aviation airport, after being devastated by an EF3 tornado.

  • Launched BNA Shop, a profitable online merchandising program.

  • Secured development of a 75 acre non-aeronautical parcel of land resulting in estimated 39M of additional revenue.

  • Implemented a two-tier regulatory structure for peer-to-peer ground transportation operators, the first structure of its kind in the US, and navigated legislative and legal challenges to secure executed permits with operators.

  • Exceeded revenue targets for FY20 during the COVID pandemic through consistent contract management and communication with business partners.

  • Navigated the impacts of the bankruptcy of two rental car operators to ensure zero revenue loss and renewed lease commitments.


Margaret began her career in aviation in 2008 as an attorney at Nashville International Airport, handling contract and lease drafting and negotiation, litigation management, requests for proposals and procurement management, employment matters, grant compliance, and regulatory oversight. As Senior Legal Counsel, Margaret led an airport-wide team through complex negotiations related to a legacy carrier’s bankruptcy, resulting in the creation of a consortium structure for the on-airport fuel facilities. Margaret also helped implement the legislative and contractual strategy to secure an airport-wide beer permit and liquor license, a first for a Tennessee airport.

In between her airport roles, Margaret was Senior Counsel for Regulatory Affairs at Asurion, where she provided strategic regulatory guidance on new and existing products to ensure compliance with portable electronics laws and extended warranty and protection plan laws in all 50 states, including risk analysis of new products, and compliance with state and federal consumer protection laws, including print, online, and point of sale requirements. Prior to entering the aviation world, Margaret worked as an attorney with the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County Department of Law, and with the Metro Public Health Department.

Margaret is a Nashville native, and headed to Washington, DC for college at The Catholic University of America. She attended law school at Tulane Law School, in New Orleans. Margaret lives with her husband, Matthew, and their blended family of 4 kids in Nashville in an old house on the Cumberland River. When not serving clients, you can find Margaret spending time with her family, gardening, running, hiking, stretching, or baking chocolate chip cookies.