Aviation & Transportation

Acclaimed for Aviation.
Equipped for Endless Capabilities.

Recognized nationally and internationally for our experience and insider knowledge of the transportation industries, our attorneys are equipped with immense insight and a practical approach to complex logistical and legal issues.

Aviation & Transportation

FMJ is recognized nationally and internationally for our experience and insider knowledge of the transportation industries. For decades, our attorneys have served as trusted advisors to airlines, trucking, busing, and leasing companies, financial institutions, hedge funds, and investors active in the purchase, sale, financing, and leasing of transportation equipment. In addition, our attorneys have tried highly publicized transportation litigation cases with national importance, including Quill v. Trans World Airlines & Boeing, the landmark TWA #841 rollover case, and Hoeper v. Air Wisconsin, a U.S. Supreme Court case that created security implications for the entire aviation industry.

Our aviation, transportation, and logistics experience spans a variety of sectors including aviation, rail, land shipping, and infrastructure. Our Aviation & Transportation attorneys serve clients in the following areas:

Aviation

  • Aircraft trading and parting out
  • Airline representation
  • Business aviation finance and structuring
  • Cargo conversion
  • Commercial aircraft financing  and leasing
  • Cross-border transactions
  • Emergency response advising
  • Employment matters
  • Full-service International Registry account administration and assistance
  • OEMs and MROs
  • Operating and finance leases
  • Travel law
  • Unmanned aircraft systems

Logistics and Shipping

  • Commercial and operational matters
  • Employment matters
  • Equipment financing and leasing
  • Operating leases
  • Workouts and restructuring

Compliance and Regulatory

  • ADA, Title VII, EEOC, and other employment regulatory matters
  • Antitrust and Foreign Corrupt Practice Act compliance
  • FAA and pilot enforcement actions
  • OFAC and sanctions compliance

Infrastructure

  • Airport minimum standards and other regulatory issues
  • Creditors’ rights and aviation bankruptcies
  • Equipment finance and lease transactions
  • Real estate transactions and land use issues
  • Supplier, purchaser, and vendor contracts

Litigation and Regulatory

  • Aviation insurance defense
  • Commercial disputes
  • Creditors’ rights and bankruptcy
  • Employment and non-compete disputes
  • Labor arbitration and grievances
  • RLA preemption
  • Unfair competition and trade secrets

Rail – Rolling Stock

  • Equipment finance and lease transactions
  • Operating leases
  • Workouts and restructuring

With FMJ’s extensive involvement in the transportation industries, our attorneys are equipped with immense insight and a practical approach to complex logistical and legal issues. We are poised and prepared to handle the needs of our clients in the transportation and logistics industries.

Commercial Aviation  Corporate Aviation  Aviation Litigation  Aviation M&A

 

 

Aviation & Transportation Team

Aviation & Transportation Resources

March 2026

Want to Buy or Sell an Aviation Business? Here is What You Need to Know.

Aviation M&A involves more than standard deals, including FAA regulations, deal structure, and industry-specific risks. Read more

February 2026

Are AI Generated Documents Privileged? No, According to a Recent Court Ruling.

AI searches and documents may not be protected by the attorney-client privilege. Read more

October 2025

FMJ Selected as One of the Best Women-Led Firms in Minnesota

This is FMJ's second year on this prestigious list! Read more

October 2025

FMJ Joins the National Aircraft Finance Association

NAFA sets the standard for aviation finance. Read more

October 2025

Still Thinking of Buying an Airplane by Year-End? Here Are Seven Things You Need to Know!

And Bonus Depreciation is available for those who qualify. Read more

September 2025

FMJ Welcomes Aviation Attorney Barrett Knudsen

Barrett is the newest Shareholder in the Aviation & Transportation Practice Group. Welcome to FMJ! Read more

September 2025

Business Succession Planning

Pat Shriver will join CPAs and business planning professionals for a free webinar on September 16, 2025. Read more

August 2025

18 FMJ Attorneys Selected for the 2026 Best Lawyers and Ones to Watch Lists

Congratulations on this well-deserved honor! Read more

June 2025

FMJ Selected for Multiple 2025 Chambers and Partners Rankings!

FMJ is ranked on the USA-Minnesota Corporate/M&A list and the USA-Nationwide Aviation Transactions list! Read more

March 2025

Corporate Closings!

Spring 2025 Read more

December 2024

FMJ Honored as the 2024 Eden Prairie Business of the Year!

Thank you to the Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce for this recognition. Read more

November 2024

Federal Court Vacates New Overtime Regulations

Learn what this decision about the DOL's new overtime rules will mean for employers and HR Professionals. Read more

September 2024

FMJ Celebrates 25 Years in Style!

Here's to the next 25! Read more

Other Practice Areas

Agriculture

Agriculture

Our Agriculture group has legal experience in all aspects of agribusiness, including general corporate and transactional matters, farm succession planning, and litigation. Our attorneys also represent many types of cooperatives and independent elevators, including grain, feed, chemical, and fuel.
Appellate

Appellate

Our Appellate group has years of experience in assessing, briefing, and arguing appeals at all levels of courts throughout the United States. We have the ability to synthesize and analyze the record and the law, as well as narrow the case focus to those issues most likely to bring client benefit and appellate success.
Banking & Financial Institutions

Banking & Financial Institutions

Our Banking & Financial Institution team includes lending attorneys, bankruptcy attorneys, corporate attorneys, commercial and special asset attorneys, and attorneys with experience serving on bank loan committees, boards of directors of banks, and bank holding companies.
Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Bankruptcy & Insolvency

Our Bankruptcy & Insolvency attorneys represent creditors in all aspects of bankruptcy, reorganization, and workouts, and appear in courtrooms across the country. Our philosophy is to actively participate in every phase of the workout and reorganization process.
Competition & Trade

Competition & Trade

We work with clients daily to help them better compete in their marketplace, whether that be local, national, global, or virtual. Our goal is to understand our clients’ businesses and challenges and help them navigate the business and legal obstacles to success.
Defamation and Reputation Protection

Defamation and Reputation Protection

Fafinski Mark & Johnson is a leader in helping businesses to protect their reputations and navigate defamation claims, including both libel and slander.
ETA – Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

ETA – Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition

Fafinski Mark & Johnson is a thought leader working on the cutting edge of ETA. We value the flexibility and opportunity that ETA transactions provide for our clients, and our team has the capacity and depth of knowledge to handle issues that arise while keeping the the deal moving toward closing.
General Corporate & Business

General Corporate & Business

Our General Corporate & Business group works with organizations of all sizes, from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, across all industries, helping them devise strategies and solve problems. Much of the work we do is contractual – structuring, negotiating, and reviewing contracts.
HR & Employment

HR & Employment

Our HR & Employment attorneys guide our clients through the complexities of employment procedures and policies, employee benefits, hiring and termination practices, and compliance with ever-changing employment laws. We combine our knowledge of the law with specifics of our clients’ businesses to produce optimal outcomes.
Insurance

Insurance

FMJ’s Insurance group represents commercial and nonprofit insurers, and the team serves as outside general counsel to fraternal insurance companies. We advise insurance companies on all aspects of corporate, nonprofit, and insurance law.
Intellectual Property

Intellectual Property

Our Intellectual Property attorneys assist with trademark and copyright registration, compliance and licensing, dispute resolution, and pre-dispute counseling. We also have the technical, business, and legal acumen necessary to provide counsel on various intellectual property matters.
Litigation

Litigation

From local courtrooms to the United States Supreme Court, our Litigation group has a proven track record of obtaining favorable outcomes for our clients in a wide variety of legal disputes. We specialize in commercial, general, employment, shareholder, insurance defense, product liability, aviation, transportation, real estate, and appellate litigation.
Manufacturing

Manufacturing

FMJ’s Manufacturing attorneys have been holistically representing manufacturers for two decades. From R&D, through supply chain, operations, distribution, and sale channels, we know your challenges. We have a history of efficiently solving our clients’ legal issues in every phase of manufacturing.
Mergers & Acquisitions

Mergers & Acquisitions

Our Mergers & Acquisitions team has handled deals collectively worth billions of dollars. With experience representing buyers, sellers and investors, we have the capacity and depth of knowledge to understand the issues that arise during the course of a transaction and offer solutions to ensure your deal moves forward and closes.
Nonprofit & Philanthropic

Nonprofit & Philanthropic

FMJ’s Nonprofit & Philanthropic group is passionate about assisting philanthropies and nonprofit organizations in carrying out their meaningful missions, paired with their extensive experience in an array of areas, makes the firm an ideal fit to help nonprofit and philanthropic organizations face the many nuances of nonprofit law.
Products Liability

Products Liability

With their expansive product knowledge and extensive experience, FMJ’s Products Liability group is able to handle cases effectively, efficiently, and with their clients' interests always at the forefront. The group has served as regional and national counsel to multi-level international Fortune 500 companies in 30 states for over 40 years.
Real Estate

Real Estate

Our Real Estate team has the experience and practical business knowledge necessary to navigate, negotiate, and manage the nuanced elements of real estate transactions, whether you are a business that has ongoing commercial purchase and sale or lease transactions, you are an experienced investor, or you are investing in real estate for the first time.
Sports & Entertainment

Sports & Entertainment

FMJ’s attorneys provide the wide range of legal services that sports and entertainment organizations need to succeed. We understand that cost-effectiveness matters, so we deliver real value without sacrificing the quality of our advice and representation. Our team works efficiently to solve legal challenges, allowing clients to concentrate on what matters most: their craft, their content, and their game.
Trusts & Estates

Trusts & Estates

Our Trusts & Estates group provides estate planning, estate administration, business and unique asset succession planning, estate controversy assistance and related services to individuals, closely-held businesses, tax-exempt organizations, and corporate fiduciaries. We are always accepting new clients and offer complimentary 30-minute initial consultations and flat-fee estate planning to fit every budget.