US aerial firefighting company Bridger Aerospace has appointed Justin Mogford as general counsel, replacing chief legal officer James Muchmore.
Mogford joins from helicopter services business Bristow Group, where he was division GC for its advanced air mobility unit. At Bridger he will lead the company’s legal, compliance and governance functions. He will take up his new role in April.
Belgrade, Montana-based Bridger provides aerial firefighting and wildfire management services to federal and state government agencies.
Sam Davis, CEO of Bridger, said: “Justin’s depth of experience advising public companies and navigating complex transactions will be invaluable as we continue to grow as a public company and deliver on our mission of protecting lives, property, the environment and critical infrastructure.”
Mogford arrives after almost 13 years at Bristow, having previously been an associate at Baker Botts.
He said: “I am excited to join Bridger as it continues innovating to meet growing wildfire risk. I look forward to applying my experience from another leading aviation services provider to help drive long-term value creation at Bridger, reinforcing strong governance and championing the company’s culture of integrity as we advance its life-saving mission.”
Muchmore, meanwhile, departs after 10 years with the company.
Davis said: “We are tremendously grateful for James’s leadership and legal counsel from Bridger’s earliest days through its transition to a public company and beyond. It has been a pleasure to work alongside James through this time of tremendous growth for Bridger and we are pleased he will assist in ensuring Justin’s smooth transition.”
Mogford’s previous company Bristow last month installed Anne Rappold as CLO, having stood in as interim since August last year following the departure of Elizabeth Matthews. Prior to stepping up to the CLO role, Rappold was deputy GC, Americas and global risk management.
In other aviation moves, in February Unilever CLO Maria Varsellona said she was joining jet engine-maker Rolls-Royce as legal head at the start of this month.
In April last year, American Airlines hired Latham & Watkins partner Anthony Richmond as CLO, while in July 2024 JetBlue Airways re-hired its former associate GC Eileen McCarthy as legal head from automation software developer UiPath.
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