Aviation Law

TAM’s Aviation Law Group has both a national and international reputation for its representation of manufacturers, airlines, STC holders, regionals, Fixed Base Operators, Emergency Medical Service Operators, maintenance and repair stations, and commercial and private pilots and owners. Our attorneys have been involved in lead case management aspects of nearly every major aviation incident lawsuit in the United States, as well as the western hemisphere, for more than 25 years.

Our aviation group has tried cases arising from airline crashes in several states, including Colorado, Nevada, Utah and New York. We have also represented clients in federal and state courts throughout the country, including Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

Aviation law is a highly technical field that requires focused and industry-educated representation. TAM’s attorneys have demonstrated time and again that they are first-call counsel to respond on a moment’s notice, with the experience, depth of knowledge, and intimate familiarity of the aviation world to be the answer to your legal needs, no matter the scope of the issues.

Practical Experience

Prior to TAM’s formation, TAM’s L. Richard Musat was lead trial counsel for Continental Airlines in the federal multi-district trial of In re Air Crash Disaster in Denver, Colorado, on November 15, 1987, which arose from the crash of Continental Flight 1713. Mr. Musat also was one of the trial lawyers in the Pan Am Flight 103, Lockerbie, Scotland, terrorist bombing cases tried in Brooklyn, New York, and managed all litigation arising from the catastrophic fire that destroyed the Stapleton International Airport fuel facility.

Since TAM’s formation, our Aviation Law Group’s work has included trial strategy and lead counsel representation for parties involved in litigation arising from the August 27, 2006 commercial airline disaster at Kentucky’s Blue Grass Airport; the Buffalo, New York Colgan Air Flight 3407 crash on February 12, 2009, involving a Bombardier DHC8-402 Q400; the midair collision of a tour helicopter and a private plane over the Hudson River on August 8, 2009; as well as legal consultation for parties concerning the Air France Flight 447 crash of an Airbus 330 off the coast of Brazil on June 1, 2009.

TAM’s consulting and represented matter experience covers the gamut of aviation, from title matters to private and commercial training, from roll-out to resale, and from aftermarket mods to repair station operations. TAM regularly consults with operators and affected parties in matters of agency investigation, as well as regulatory reporting and compliance, including international treaties that impact both ownership and operations.

All of TAM’s Aviation Law Group attorneys are certificated pilots, or have at least 20 years of aviation litigation experience.

Please feel free to direct inquiries about our aviation practice to Robert J. Zavaglia, Jr. or Kathleen J. Johnson.