Aviation is all we do. Every attorney. Every day.

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A Precision Approach to Aviation Law

Since 1997, Aviation Legal Group, P.A. has been a leading transactional and commercial litigation practice for general and commercial aviation by providing the kind of personal attention that can only come from focusing the experience and energy of an entire team on one client.

Our measured approach to growth allows us to provide quality representation and foster collaboration among our attorneys to implement creative, efficient, and effective solutions to the unique challenges that inevitably arise in complex transactions and litigation.

But our boutique approach doesn’t mean small thinking. Our extensive knowledge of aviation law and strong relationships with leading attorneys, brokers, lenders, manufacturers, maintenance repair organizations, and aviation authorities around the world give our clients a distinct advantage.

About Us

Our office is located at 888 South Andrews Avenue, Suite 303, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316-1047. Aviation Legal Group, P.A. is composed of litigation and transactional attorneys who are passionate about aviation. Our attorneys are frequent speakers and presenters at aviation conferences. Our extensive knowledge of the most current aviation law and strong relationships with leading attorneys, experts, maintenance repair organizations, and aviation authorities around the world gives our clients a definitive edge.

Area of practice

We focus solely on the legal needs of the aviation community: aircraft owners, fractional share owners, lessors, lessees, lenders, charter operators, fixed-base operators, as well as aviation maintenance and repair organizations. Our areas of practice include:

Transactions

At Aviation Legal Group, we have the expertise and experience to secure you a favorable purchase or sale contract, whether for new or preowned aircraft, whether cross-border or domestic.

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Financing and Loan Securitization

Aviation Legal Group has experience with both domestic and international financing and loan securitization issues. Regardless of where you are based as a borrower or lender, our attorneys can assist you with your aviation financing requirements.

Occasionally, it makes sense for our clients to consider refinancing an existing aircraft loan. We keep abreast of legal and tax considerations worldwide that could assist our clients in obtaining the most favorable financing available. We can review your current loan to make sure that it is well suited to your needs and recommend alternatives accordingly.

We can assist an aircraft purchaser in negotiating the loan documents, selecting a venue for maximum cost savings on delivery, deciding where to register the aircraft, and determining the form and venue of the entity that will own the aircraft and the entity that will operate the aircraft to maximize federal and state tax savings while complying with applicable aeronautic regulations.

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Aircraft Registration

Generally, an FAA registered, internationally operated aircraft may not be legally registered in the name of a corporation that does not qualify as a citizen of the USA. However, the Federal Aviation Regulations allow for two methods by which non-USA citizens can enjoy the benefits of owning an aircraft registered with the FAA: the voting trust and the ownership trust.

If, after consultation, you prefer the voting trust arrangement, we can help you select a USA citizen as the sole director and officer of a domestic (USA) corporation and place the shares (subject to the terms of a Voting Trust Agreement) of the corporation in the care of a trustee (pursuant to the terms of a Voting Trust Agreement) who is also a USA citizen. Thus the corporation qualifies to legally register an aircraft with the FAA, even when the aircraft is solely operated internationally.

Likewise, you may elect to register the aircraft in the name of a trustee via an Ownership Trust Agreement, a trust document between you and the trustee, a USA citizen (corporation or individual), which provides for aircraft ownership in the name of the trustee.

Many individuals are under the impression that registration of an aircraft in the name of a corporation will result in reduced liability exposure arising from aircraft ownership. This is not necessarily true where the shareholder pilots the aircraft. Furthermore, the FAA might deem aircraft operation by an aircraft-holding corporation as “commercial” in certain circumstances. This may result in FAA enforcement action(s) against the pilot(s) and/or operator and/or nullify insurance coverage.

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Aircraft Sales and Tax Use

Depending on where your aircraft is delivered and/or based, an aircraft owner could be liable to pay sales tax, use tax, and/or property tax. Sales, use, and property tax exposure can be legally mitigated with appropriate planning and/or commercial operations.

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Aviation Litigation

Aviation Legal Group’s civil litigation teams are at home in federal and state courtrooms while recognizing the benefit of imaginative, cost-effective resolution techniques in the early stages of a lawsuit, where appropriate.

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Meet the team

Each member of our bilingual team brings a personal interest in aviation and a background in different aspects of aviation law, including cross-border and U.S. domestic business jet transactions, non-citizen trust ownership, joint ownership, and the intricacies of fractional ownership.

Scott C. Burgess
Principal

Florida State University (B.S., 1987)
Stetson University College of Law (J.D., 1990)

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Richard A. McEachin
Associate

Florida Atlantic University (B.A., 2010)
St. Thomas University School of Law (J.D., 2013)

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Keeley M. Burgess
Associate

Florida State University (B.S., 2018)
University of Miami School of Law (J.D., 2021)

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Allison Sass
Paralegal
Nereyda Barrera
Senior Legal Assistant
Cheramie Ann
Bookkeeper
News & Articles

Updates on information impacting the world of general aviation. Please contact Scott Burgess or any of our aviation lawyers for more information or to discuss the legal implications of any news item.

IADA Launches NextGen Initiative To Inspire Young Professionals
Released: December 12, 2023
Everything You Need to Know About the FAA’s Extension of the Duration of Aircraft Registration Certificates to Seven (7) Years
Released: February 1, 2023
Phone Carriers Agree to Delay Rolling Out Some 5G Service Near Airports and More
Released: August 1, 2022
FAA Unveils Streamlined LOA Applications Processes
Released: June 1, 2022
5G Networks Have Gone Live!
Released: January 1, 2022
FAA Enforcement Policy for Airman Medical Certificates Expiring from March 31, 2020 through June 30, 2020
Released: April 1, 2020
Contact us

Please feel free to get in touch with any inquiries. A member of our staff will get back to you as soon as possible.