Aoife specialises in private, corporate and commercial aviation, military aircraft and civil aerospace. She advises clients on aircraft finance and regulatory issues, including corporate structures, aircraft acquisitions and airline start-ups. She is internationally renowned for her work in aircraft finance. Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine named her as one of the top 10 leaders in business aviation in Europe.
Aoife has been independently nominated by her clients, contacts and peers for inclusion in all exclusive industry and legal guides for her work in aviation law and her contribution to the industry, including:
Notable Achievements:
Aoife is regularly invited to speak at international aviation conferences and events. She writes for and has been quoted in all major leading publications including the Financial Times, BART, Fly Corporate, Airfinance Journal and Altitudes.
Aoife was admitted as a Solicitor in Ireland in 1997, England and Wales in 1997 and admitted to the Supreme Court of the Cayman Islands in 2002. Previous experience includes senior associate at Clifford Chance LLP and subsequently Head of Aircraft Finance at Gates and Partners LLP until merger with Kennedys Law LLP where she was head of Aircraft Finance. Aoife is one of the founding partners of The Air Law Firm LLP.
aosullivan@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 20 3386 4501
John was called to the Bar in 1990, admitted as an English Solicitor in 1992 and to the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court in the British Virgin Islands in 2000. Previously, he was Leader of the London Aviation Litigation Team at Kennedys Law LLP and, prior its merger with Kennedys, one of the senior partners at Gates and Partners LLP, a leading aviation law practice.
Since qualifying, John has acted for airlines, general and regional aviation operators, airports, aviation authorities and regulators and the wider aviation industry and their insurers globally, but particularly in the UK, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. He has extensive experience handling and managing the simplest to the most complex and multi-jurisdictional aviation claims and disputes in mediation, arbitration and litigation – ranging from sport aviation injuries sustained in ballooning, parachuting, hang gliding, microlighting and paragliding accidents to major losses involving a diverse range of personal injuries, catastrophic permanent damage or fatality. John also handles commercial litigation and has led the successful defence of aviation clients in multiple foreign jurisdictions. He also advises on aviation insurance coverage issues as well as providing counsel on regulatory and European aviation law matters including EC261 claims.
John presents routinely on aviation law and litigation practice to the international aviation community.
john.korzeniowski@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 20 3386 4506
Chris is admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales. He started his career at British Airways franchise carrier, GB Airways, holding various positions before moving into private practice with Gates and Partners LLP and, following a merger, with Kennedys Law LLP. Prior to joining The Air Law Firm, Chris was an Associate with Holman Fenwick Willan LLP.
Whilst recognised for his regulatory and dispute resolution work in the aviation and travel law sector, Chris also has a broad general commercial (non-contentious) practice. Coming from an industry background, Chris is familiar with the workings of an airline operation and is well placed to support a wide variety of business units across an airline operation. Chris also works for General Aviation and commercial operators, FBOs and pilots.
Recent work includes:
Chris has been independently nominated by his clients and peers for inclusion in a number of industry and legal guides for his work in aviation law, including:
“He has an excellent grasp of the law is attuned to the client’s commercial sensitivities”
Knows aviation law inside out, and is commercially minded”
Regularly invited to speak at international aviation and travel conferences and events, Chris is often interviewed for news and documentary programs and provides commentary for both mainstream and industry press.
chris.smith@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 20 3386 4505
Marc is a barrister, having been called to the English Bar in 1999 and subsequently admitted as a solicitor in 2004. Initially, he practiced in-house, forming and leading the Advocacy Unit at DWF Solicitors for nearly a decade. From 2009, he was in private practice at Kenworthy’s Chambers in Manchester before joining the aviation department at Kennedys Law LLP in 2013.
Marc has significant expertise in handling a wide range of personal injury claims – from simple to catastrophic and including brain injury, industrial injury and disease, employers’ and public liability and sporting injuries. As an advocate, he has appeared in excess of 3000 applications, hearings, inquests and trials in the County, Higher and Magistrates Courts and he is an expert on civil procedure and legal cost claims as well as focusing on fraud.
Marc’s aviation law expertise extends to the Montreal Convention, ramp claims, ballooning, gliding and recreational aviation claims as well as EC261 delay and cancellation claims.
Currently, he is Chairman and was formerly Insurance Officer of the British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association. He is also Vice President and former Chairman of the Royal Aero Club and sits on various committees concerned with recreational aviation. Marc is a Private Pilot on Fixed Wing aircraft and gliders as well as being an accomplished paraglider pilot.
marc.asquith@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 7802 525099
David specialises in aircraft finance and transactional work and has extensive experience in handling deals involving business jets, commercial aircraft and helicopters.
He has acted for banks on cross-border aircraft finance transactions involving commercial aircraft and helicopters and has experience advising, drafting documents for and negotiating deals involving PDP’s, commercial and ECA-backed financings and loan portfolio sales. He has also acted for various lessors and airlines and has experience drafting and negotiating operating leases and sublease arrangements for commercial aircraft and helicopters.
He also acts for high net worth individuals and corporates on the acquisition, sale, finance, management and interior outfitting of business jets and typically advises on ownership structures, registration, escrow arrangements and all related documents. He has also acted for prominent business jet financiers on the drafting and negotiation of finance and security documentation as well as advising on structuring transactions, security arrangements and risk management.
David began his legal career in Zimbabwe in 1996, he moved to London in 2001 and was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2006. He speaks conversational Portuguese and is passionate about anything and everything to do with aircraft.
Prior to joining The Air Law Firm, he was a Senior Associate with Watson Farley & Williams LLP.
Before joining The Air Law Firm, Pam spent 22 years with American Airlines based at London Heathrow Airport. Prior to that she was a Police Officer and part of a specialist child protection unit involved with detection, investigation and prosecution in child abuse cases. She also acted as a family liaison officer in murder investigations.
Pam’s airline experience is wide ranging – much of it “hands on”. As a Safety and Claims specialist, she holds qualifications in the management of Accident Investigation and Health & Safety. From this perspective, she has expertise in all aspects of airside operations and has been a member of an Emergency Response Team – whilst also managing all aspects of the SMS for the airline’s UK operations; including the conducting of safety audits. Her experience also extends to managing cabin services, overseeing security and ensuring regulatory compliance.
With extensive practical knowledge and understanding of flight and airport operations, Pam has considerable experience investigating customer complaints, aircraft damage incidents, employee, contractor and third party ramp accidents – and handling subsequent claims. Given her background, she is particularly astute at fraud investigation and detection and her police and aviation background make her uniquely placed to assist with criminal investigations involving aviation operations.
Pam has written policies, procedures and risk assessments, safe systems at work documents and guidance notes on all aspects of Health & Safety. She has extensive training experience at all staff levels and is a gifted and passionate presenter. Currently, she is advising companies and individuals on ‘business traveller safety and security’.
pam.chambers@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 7827 000200
Callum was admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in August 2021. He started his career at Monarch Airlines, before moving into private practice with DLA Piper LLP. In 2016, he joined easyJet as a Paralegal and, then as a Trainee Solicitor, quickly established himself as their inhouse UK Consumer Claims Lawyer. During his time at easyJet, Callum was responsible for the airline’s UK Litigation Department managing a large team of Paralegals and advising on various issues, which included acting as lead in-house counsel in easyJet’s successful Court of Appeal case: Blanche v easyJet.
Having represented various airlines throughout his career, Callum has considerable expertise in this area. His practice includes multi-jurisdictional passenger claims under international, EU and UK law, advising airlines on conditions of carriage and general customer facing policies as well as regulatory compliance and general commercial disputes relating to the supply of goods and services.
Coming from an aviation industry background, Callum has a detailed knowledge of airline operations, and, in particular, in-flight aircraft operations and meteorology. Callum is an aviation enthusiast and holds a Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL).
callum.blumire@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 7385 380367
James was admitted as a Solicitor in England and Wales in October 2022. James undertakes work across all areas of the firm’s practice and has experience in both the County Court and the High Court. Examples of his recent work include:
• EC261 Delay and Cancellation Claims;
• Product Liability;
• Personal Injury;
• General Commercial Litigation;
• Applications in the High Court for Security for Costs, Freezing Injunctions and Summary Judgment; and
• Costs Management.
James studied at the University of Exeter, before completing a Magister of Law at the University of Saarland in Germany. Fluent in German, James assists with the Firm’s German language work.
Prior to joining The Air Law Firm, James was a Paralegal in the Dispute Resolution Group at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, where his work included international group litigation, regulatory and investigatory cases and appellate work before the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as pro bono work with the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.
james.payne@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 7436 149087
Emilio is a Venezuelan Lawyer with 10 years’ experience in Civil Law in various Latin American jurisdictions. In Venezuela, he was primarily involved in commercial, tax and administrative law and litigation. He also spent some time as a District Judge.
Emilio has considerable experience in handling and supporting aircraft purchase and sale transactions, project managing a varied caseload of transactions involving high net worth individuals and contract drafting. He also has experience preparing and drafting terms and conditions and privacy policies for private and commercial airlines. In addition, he has experience of corporate, commercial, and M&A transactions and has been involved in the drafting of various related documents including Service Agreements, NDAs, Loan Notes, AML and due diligence procedures.
emilio.huelga@theairlawfirm.com
+44 (0) 7760 636851
