As an aircraft dealer or broker, you already know the business aircraft market cold. You know which aircraft fits a client’s mission, which maintenance shops to trust, how to find inventory, and how to negotiate. So this isn’t a pitch to replace what you do, it’s about filling in the gaps that can slow a deal down or, worse, blow it up entirely.
Here’s where a good aviation lawyer earns their keep:
1. An aviation lawyer keeps you out of the tax advice business.
When a buyer asks whether the plane they’re buying qualifies for bonus depreciation, do you want to be the one making that promise? Our first answer is always, “Yes, in theory. But let’s make sure it works for your situation.” A knowledgeable aviation attorney sets realistic expectations early, before you’re too far into the deal to walk back a commitment that turns out to be more complicated than it looked.
2. An aviation lawyer helps your client structure ownership the right way.
Your job is to sell aircraft. Your buyer’s job is to decide if it can own and operate one compliantly, efficiently, and without surprises. An aviation lawyer can help buyers avoid accidentally running an illegal charter, structure ownership to minimize tax exposure, and protect their executives and employees in the event of an accident. A client who feels confident about the legal side of ownership is a client who moves forward.
3. An aviation lawyer catches problems in the Letter of Intent before they become deal-killers.
As a dealer, you want to get to closing fast. An aviation attorney looks at the same LOI and sees state tax traps, poorly structured deposits, and non-binding terms that should be binding, or vice versa. A little legal attention on the front end pays for itself in a smoother purchase agreement negotiation and fewer surprises at closing.
4. An aviation lawyer can navigate cross-border complexity so you don’t have to.
Every deal that touches a country other than the U.S. brings its own import, export, registration, and foreign tax issues among other exposures. Tariffs were a top concern in 2025, and while conditions have stabilized in 2026, there is almost always something else that pops up. An experienced aviation attorney identifies and manages those issues across jurisdictions before they derail the deal.
5. An aviation lawyer protects you from liability that isn’t yours to carry.
There are parts of a transaction that simply aren’t within a dealer’s scope of services, and shouldn’t be. A lawyer can step in to handle the legal and regulatory complexities, insulating you from problems that fall outside your sweet spot. That’s not a limitation; that’s good risk management.
6. An aviation lawyer will make you look good.
When you can connect a client with a good attorney who helps them feel confident, whether about ownership structure, tax treatment, or legal compliance, you become more than someone who found the client a plane. You become the professional who made the whole thing work. That’s the kind of service clients remember and refer.
7. A good aviation lawyer has seen almost every problem before.
Fafinski Mark & Johnson’s aviation lawyers have been working with dealers and their customers on complex aircraft purchases for nearly three decades. When unusual issues arise, experience matters.
If you have a client navigating a complicated deal, or you just want to have a resource you can hand off to when legal questions come up, FMJ would be glad to connect. Please reach out to Kevin Johnson or Barrett Knudsen to arrange an initial consultation, for you, your client, or both. Please click here to learn more about our Aviation Practice Group.
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