Fort Lauderdale Aviation Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer

A merger or acquisition can feel exciting right up until the first missing record or unclear approval slows the deal. If you need an aviation mergers and acquisitions lawyer in Fort Lauderdale, we structure transactions to reflect the legal realities of aircraft ownership and aviation businesses.

At Aero Law Center, our team brings over five decades of combined aviation law experience, with a practice that stays focused on aviation transactions and the legal allocation of risk.

A Fort Lauderdale aircraft transaction lawyer from our team helps set terms that align with your timeline and risk tolerance within the transaction documents. Reach out today.

Aero Law Center services aviation businesses globally for all of your aviation business needs.

What Happens in the First Week of a Fort Lauderdale M&A Deal

When a deal comes across our desk, we start by listening. Our Fort Lauderdale aviation lawyers want to understand what you plan to buy, why it fits your business, and where your limits sit if the facts change.

The deal involves records of ownership, agreements governing operations, leases, and contracts with third parties related to the aircraft or business. These documents are already in place before the LOI and stay included until the transaction is finalized.

The LOI and purchase documents set out escrow terms, inspection rights, lender conditions, and delivery requirements in writing. These provisions remain part of the written agreements through closing.

Aviation Mergers and Acquisitions in Fort Lauderdale Start With Structure

Deal structure controls risk, taxes, and what you actually take home on day one. We help you choose a structure that matches what you want to buy and what you want to leave behind.

Aviation assets add their own gravity to this decision. Records, liens, upkeep status, and ownership details can change, so we create agreements tailored to the aircraft rather than using a general business model.

In Fort Lauderdale, aviation M&A works best when structure leads, and the documents follow.

Asset purchase: Targets aircraft, engines, parts, and selected contracts without taking unwanted liabilities.
Equity purchase: Transfers the entity, which can preserve certain contracts and relationships.
Holdback and escrow: Sets funds aside for defined issues tied to records, liens, or condition disputes.
Post–close support: Defines cooperation and access so operations continue without friction.

An early conversation about structure prevents issues from expanding later.

Whether it’s aircraft transactions, commercial litigation, or compliance, we excel at creating solutions to unique challenges.

Fort Lauderdale Due Diligence That Protects Price and Schedule

Aviation due diligence relies on the existing records tied to the aircraft and business. That includes logbooks, maintenance status, AD history, major repair records, lien filings, and lender or insurer documentation.

Business records under review include hangar terms, vendor agreements, customer contracts, employee agreements, and insurance programs associated with the operation.

You won’t see “document chasing” for its own sake. We focus on the items that change price, timing, business continuity, and your exposure after the deal.

Fort Lauderdale Deal Prep Before You Sign an LOI

A LOI creates momentum and provides leverage. Having the right documents ready lets you focus less on covering the basics and more on making better decisions about cost, timing, and risk.

Entity chart and ownership records
Current contracts that drive revenue
Hangar or facility lease terms
Insurance summaries and recent claims history
Aircraft title documents and lien payoff information
Logbooks and a current maintenance status summary

This preparation provides your counsel with actual content to assess right from day one. It also lets you identify major issues and keep the drafting process short, while keeping the other party eager to finalize the deal.

Fort Lauderdale FAA and Certificate Issues That Can Change Terms

Aviation transactions rely on a defined deal record tied to the aircraft and the business behind it. That record reflects ownership position and regulatory standing throughout the transaction.

Ownership transfers, and any related authority reflected in the transaction, remain subject to federal aircraft registration and certification requirements under 49 U.S.C. § 44103, which govern how ownership and control appear in the registration record.

In aviation mergers and acquisitions in Fort Lauderdale, these regulatory elements remain part of the transaction documentation through closing.

Records tied to approvals and certification continue to appear within the deal file as part of the overall transaction framework.

Fort Lauderdale Contract Terms That Guard the Downside

Transaction documents set out the purchase price and establish the contractual framework for disclosures, liability, and transfer mechanics, capturing how ownership records, asset condition, and contractual rights are handled as part of the overall transaction.

The documents also set out claim procedures, limits, and survival periods using defined terms. These provisions appear in writing as part of the transaction documents and remain tied to the executed agreements.

When circumstances change before closing, the documents may include revised deliverables, price adjustments, escrow modifications, or termination provisions reflected in writing.

Talk With The Aero Law Center About a Fort Lauderdale Aviation M&A

Aviation M&A moves quickly and leaves little margin for confusion. We focus on clear transaction structure and documentation so decisions stay informed and controlled.

You’ll receive clear drafts, consistent updates, and guidance based on real transaction scenarios instead of vague deal talk. Our work revolves around aviation, and we approach your transaction as a mission with genuine limitations.

When you want a team that brings aviation-first thinking to the deal, contact Aero Law Center. Our aviation mergers and acquisitions attorneys in Fort Lauderdale have handled aviation asset and M&A transactions totaling over $1 billion, and we know how to keep a Fort Lauderdale transaction structured with discipline and clarity.

Aero Law Center’s main office is located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Our attorneys are licensed in Florida, New York, and Michigan.

For state-specific legal issues outside of those jurisdictions, we coordinate with trusted local counsel while continuing to provide federal aviation law guidance.

The sooner you contact our team, the sooner we can put our years of expertise to use and ease you through the process.

Frequently Asked Questions & Support

The Federal Aviation Administration, or the “FAA” is an arm of the Department of Transportation (DOT). It controls aviation business matters, including air traffic management and the certification of personnel and aircraft. The FAA sets the standard for airport conditions and protects U.S. assets during the launch of commercial space vehicles. The FAA issues directives and legal regulations to ensure the safety of all airplanes, including mandated correction for any unsafe conditions in an aircraft. This could include an aircraft’s plane, engine, propeller, or appliance. All operators must conduct business compliantly and follow the FAA’s guidance and provisions, and any certifications must be present in the aircraft.

An FBO stands for Fixed Base Operator (FBO). FBOs operate like private terminals and facilitate private jet and charter operations. Commercial companies are given access by an airport to work on the grounds and provide flight services, fuel, parking, and hangar space. FBOs offer three tiers that provide different accommodations depending on the amount of traffic and size of the airport, including pilot lounges, restrooms and shower facilities, catering, aerial photography, parking, pilot instruction, private jet charter, and much more. Smaller and less busy airports might only offer basic amenities, while more significant, commercial airports have a full suite of extras, like waiting rooms, in-flight catering, and other conveniences.

According to the FAA’s strict aviation provisions and regulations, every aircraft must be deemed “airworthy” to fly. A Standard Airworthiness Certification is the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) official authorization regarding the operation of type-certificated aircraft, including normal, utility, acrobatic, commuter, transport, manned free balloons, and special classes. All operators must have a Standard or Special Airworthiness Certification to prove the safety and condition of the aircraft. It must be publicly visible to all crew members, inspection companies, and passengers in the cockpit or cabin. Certification delays can cost pilots thousands, sometimes millions of dollars, though an aviation lawyer can provide helpful counsel to avoid mistakes and complete the process.

Sometimes mechanics are the only thing standing between the aircraft and a potential problem if an issue is overlooked or not properly taken care of. Maintenance facilities aren’t always at fault. However, suppose a plane crashes, and people are injured or killed. In that case, repair shops are often part of the legal investigation to uncover any mistakes, errors, or other issues that might have caused an accident. Malfunctioning equipment is one cause of crashes, electrical wiring issues, fitting of wrong parts, mistakes, leftover loose objects, incorrect installation of fuel or oil caps, and other similar mistakes are often looked at in a plane accident case.

A fractional jet ownership arrangement affords one or more operators to share in jet ownership through shares or equity in the aircraft. With this arrangement, operators can use the plane for a certain number of hours each year, as outlined in the contract. An interest in an aircraft defines a fractional ownership agreement; shares are sold to multiple owners based on 800 occupied hours and sold in fractions. The cost is divided among the total number of co-operators, and each person is responsible for their operational share. In such an arrangement, flying time typically ranges between 50 and 400 hours, and most jet shares will become multiple of one-sixteenth.

Hangar rash results from an airplane accident or damage to an airplane while being towed in the hangar, moved, or elements inside the hangar that cause physical harm, including falling parts, debris, and weather. Hangar keepers are responsible for any liabilities and unexpected damages to a client’s aircraft. The damage to an airplane can cost thousands to millions of dollars, which also impacts a plane’s overall resale value. Operators often utilize our services when their aircraft has been damaged in hangar storage, a hangar keeper is involved in a lawsuit due to plane damage, or owners need to protect their business from false allegations and lawsuits.

Depending on how much you fly or if you have considered turning your aviation passion into a business, there are various ways to get started outside of an aircraft purchase. Consider purpose, expenses and costs, usage, and other similar factors. Aero Law Center helps operators purchase an aircraft, consider financing options, and adhere to regulations or alternatives such as leasing or fractional ownership. With wet or dry leases, leasing is affordable and accessible with the benefit of fixed monthly payments. Buying shares or equity in an aircraft through fractional ownership is a similar and approachable option if an outright purchase isn’t in the cards.

Aviation Mergers and Acquisitions Lawyer in Fort Lauderdale