hero_pattern.png

Aviation lawyers

Aviation Attorneys

Commercial Litigation

Business Transactions

Regulatory Compliance

 

Aviation Attorneys

Advocating for Corporate and Individual Clients for Over Four Decades.

Aviation is one of the most highly regulated industries in the world. In aviation law disputes, the stakes are always high, and the consequences can be enormous, resulting in substantial civil and/or criminal liabilities. If you need an aviation accident lawyer with extraordinary knowledge and experience in the field of aviation law, contact an attorney at Avialex Law Group, LLP (formally Michael L. Dworkin and Associates") in San Francisco, CA.

Experienced, Recognized, and Reliable

We have over 55+ years of combined experience specializing in aviation law. Our founder Michael Dworkin, is himself a pilot, he is a past President and Executive Vice President of the International Air and Transportation Bar Association (previously the National Transportation Safety Board Bar Association) and is the President of the Northern California Business Aviation Association (Regional arm of the NBAA). John Van Geffen has been with the firm for over a decade and is the Western-Pacific Regional V.P.  of IATSBA and sits on the Board of Directors for the Oakland Aviation Museum. 

Although we are a “small” firm, we have been rated among the Top 100 Aviation Law Firms by the International Air Transport Association (IATA)’s Aviation Counsel, are listed in Martindale-Hubbell’s Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and have been rated “A-V” by the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, that publication’s highest rating.

We serve an international client base in a variety of aviation and related businesses, industries, and professions, among them:

  • Major and regional airlines, domestic and international

  • Air taxi and commercial operators

  • Aircraft and helicopter tour operators

  • Air ambulance operators

  • Aircraft and aviation-related manufacturers

  • Aircraft repair stations

  • Aviation insurance companies

  • Aircraft leasing companies

  • Aircraft owners and operators

  • FAA certificate holders and air agencies

  • Applicants for FAA and DOT certificates

  • Energy Providers

  • UAV operators

In all our aviation law practice areas, we work closely with our clients to keep them informed and engaged at every step in their proceedings. We assist our clients with:

We represent clients before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), in FAA and DOT investigations and certification proceedings, and in appeals before U.S. federal courts.

Our aviation attorneys can assist with insurance claims, litigation, NTSB accident investigations, FAA enforcement matters, accident reconstruction and manufacturer warranty claims. 

Our firm handles all manner of transactions related to business aviation including charter, leasing, maintenance, manufacturing, management, finance, aircraft sales, etc. With our comprehensive knowledge of the aviation industry, we are well-positioned to litigate any aviation-related legal issue.

Our aviation lawyers are experienced in asset acquisition and disposition and can assist you with letters of intent, pre-purchase inspections, financing agreements, de-registration for export, lien claims, broker disputes, non-citizen trusts, aircraft management and charter agreements, and more.    

We have represented airports, FBOs, hangar tenants, cities, counties, and local neighborhood groups in contract negotiations, zoning disputes and other issues involving safety, environmental impact and through-the-fence agreements. 

We assist aviation and non-aviation clients with general business transactions and litigation.

  • Drone services agreements, waiver applicants and UAV OEM manufacturers

Our attorneys are on the pulse of modern technology and mold their legal approaches to incorporate advances in legal research and litigation.

Get in touch with us to set up a consultation, or use the contact form at the bottom of this page to enquire whether our services are right for you.

 

Contact

➤ LOCATION

177 Bovet Road, Suite 600, San Mateo, CA 94402

☎ CONTACT

law@avialex.com
(415)421-2500

 

Areas of Practice


LITIGATION

The lawyers at the Avialex Law Group, LLP in San Francisco, California, specialize in aviation law and civil litigation. Because aviation frequently involves national and international legal issues, our lawyers routinely represent clients across the United States and throughout the world. As evidence of our high customer satisfaction, some clients have entrusted their legal affairs to our firm for more than 25 years.

The aviation attorneys at Avialex Law Group, LLP will travel to any non-warring region of the world to meet or represent our clients. For example, we have handled aviation law cases in Australia, hazardous materials cases in Taiwan, depositions in Canada and the Netherlands, and transactional work in Mexico, the UK, New Zealand, Chile and Micronesia.


BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS & ENTITY FORMATION

At Avialex Law Group, LLP in San Francisco, our broad experience in the aviation industry enables us to assist aviation and non-aviation clients with a range of general commercial transactions and business litigation issues.


AIRPORT ACCESS, ZONING AND FACILITIES

Our firm can assist with airport zoning, through-the-fence agreements, hangar leasing/construction, security, on-airport competition, MROs and fuel services.


transportation and aviation REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

Our aircraft accident attorneys are exceptionally qualified to represent clients before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), Department of Transportation (DOT), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and other agencies involved in aviation administrative, regulatory and enforcement matters.

Our unique knowledge of aviation regulation and the aviation industry also places us in an excellent position to litigate any aviation-related legal issue.


ASSET ACQUISITION & DISPOSITION

Our attorneys assist our commercial transaction clients with the leasing and purchasing of aircrafts, airplane hangars, yachts, commercial real estate, or office and industrial space. 

We guide our clients through aircraft purchase and sale transactions, addressing such important issues as inspection, registration, brokerage, sales and use tax, and insurance.


MEDIATION SERVICES

Our firm has certificated mediation experts available to assist you in resolving any dispute without having to incur the time, expense and uncertainty of litigation. 


Aircraft Accidents and Incidents / Emergency Response and Crisis Management

Aircraft accidents and incidents need to be reported to the FAA and NTSB. Product failures may also need to be reported. Manufacturers, air carriers and aircraft operators may want to take advantage of various self-reporting programs which may preclude the imposition of governmental penalties.

We assist our clients in these investigations not only representing them before the FAA and NTSB, but in establishing an emergency response and investigation protocol for the purpose of ascertaining the cause and maintaining the protections afforded by the attorney client privilege and the attorney work product doctrine.

We have substantial experience in accident and product liability litigation involving both US and foreign manufacturers. Strict liability in product liability litigation is rarely an "open and shut" case and our 3 decades plus in aviation has fostered connections with technical experts in every field, insuring that our clients get the highest caliber of investigation.


AVIATION CONSULTANTS

Our expertise and knowledge of aviation regulation and the aviation industry allows us to assist in nearly any aviation-related business operations issue. The issues we regularly handle include:

 
 

 
 
In flying I have learned that carelessness and overconfidence are usually far more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks.
— Wilbur Wright, September 1900
 
 

 
 
 

Let's Chat.

Use the form below to contact us regarding your legal enquiry. Please be as detailed as possible. To help us best service your enquiry, we recommend that you first describe the issue you’re having before telling us what you want to achieve. You may also email or call us to make an appointment.