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Find Lawyers in Canada for Aviation Law
Practice Area Overview
Aviation litigation tends to be highly specialized and centred on personal injury and wrongful death actions arising from accidents under both domestic and international law, insurance, and commercial disputes. Commercial transactions involving aircraft typically raise issues of provincial, federal, and international law particularly with respect to the granting and enforcement of security interests. In the regulatory arena, counsel are typically engaged on matters pertaining to regulatory oversight and certification by Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency which has jurisdiction to deal with licencing of air service providers, accessibility, and resolution of disputes relating to certain aspects of air travel.
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Louis Amato-Gauci is a recognized leader in the field of transportation law, providing strategic advice to air-, road- and rail-carriers, warehouse operators, freight forwarders and 3PLs in connection with commercial matters, licensing, safety, and regulatory compliance, freight claims for cargo loss, damage or delay, and the establishment and safe operation of public transit entities. He is frequently consulted in connection with the international sale of goods and Customs matters, including...
Guillaume Boudreau-Simard is a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group. Over the years, Guillaume has developed a specific expertise in class actions primarily defending manufacturers and banking institutions. His practice focuses on all aspects of litigation, including advising, drafting procedures and representing clients before the courts. Guillaume also possesses a vast experience in other various types of litigation, including matters related to commercial or contractual...
Pierre-Paul Daunais is a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution Group in Montréal. Focused on general business law disputes, particularly construction law, municipal law, aeronautics and insurance matters, Pierre-Paul’s practice touches on all aspects of litigation, such as providing advice, drafting proceedings and representing clients before all levels of court, including the Québec Superior Court and the Court of Appeal. He has acquired considerable experien...
Michael Dery is a Partner and the group leader of the firm’s Aviation Practice. Mr. Dery is also a past-member of the firm’s Executive Team and served in that role for ten years, from 2011 to 2021. He is also editor of our Aviation Law Blog . With a concentration on aviation law, Mr. Dery represents aviation insurers, airlines, aircraft owners, flight schools, UAV operators, Approved (Aviation) Maintenance Organizations, and Fixed Base Operators in complex litigation and regulator...
Caroline Desbiens practises commercial and corporate law. She holds a master degree in Air and Space Law. She has extensive experience in conducting various commercial transactions, primarily in the aviation industry. Ms. Desbiens has acted as part-time Member with the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada since July 1994. She also deals with all regulatory matters related to aviation, including obtaining different types of licences and giving legal opinions in relation to the Aeronautics ...
Daniel Fetterly’s primary focus is in acting as defence counsel on aviation related litigation and has practiced in this area for his entire 30 years of practice. Dan has represented a variety of clients, with an emphasis on manufacturers of fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, in numerous litigation matters arising primarily from aviation accidents. Dan has maintained long term relationships with clients since first commencing practice in 1992. His focus in all cases is identifying as soon ...
Julie provides legal services to financial institutions and corporations in connection with the financing of business jets, helicopters and commercial aircraft and to purchasers and sellers in connection with aircraft and helicopter acquisitions and deliveries. Julie assists with structuring, negotiating and documenting lending and acquisition transactions. She also helps her clients navigate the International Registry and provides advice on variety of commercial related matters.
Mr. Hordo has over 35 years of litigation experience, including commercial and partnership disputes, securities and pension matters, professional negligence, class actions, aviation product liability, administrative law, and catastrophic personal injury. Mr. Hordo has appeared in all levels of Court in British Columbia. He has also been counsel at both the trial and appeal level of the Federal Court of Canada and in the Supreme Court of Canada. He has acted as counsel in numerous complex comm...
Katherine Kay is a partner in the Litigation & Dispute Resolution and Competition & Foreign Investment Groups. She has served on the Partnership Board and Executive Committee, as well as the Management Committee in the Toronto office. Katherine leads the competition litigation group and her practice is concentrated on complex commercial litigation, often involving the interplay between regulatory, civil and criminal law regimes, and across multiple jurisdictions. Chambers Global has d...
David Lemieux practises corporate financing and restructuring. He regularly represents lending syndicates, borrowers and investors in the areas of project financing, public and private takeover bids, asset acquisitions, monetization, securitization, structured finance and debt restructuring, whether the financing is Canadian, cross-border or foreign. In this capacity, he organizes and leads teams of lawyers to close these transactions. He is involved in negotiating, preparing and finalizing a...
Andrew has a varied practice that includes particular experience in media and defamation law, aviation law and administrative law. He has appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice, Superior Court of Justice, Divisional Court, and Court of Appeal; the Supreme Court of Canada; the Federal Court; and administrative tribunals including the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Andrew has also acted in proceedings before several other courts, tribunals and inq...
Carlos Martins is a skilled litigator with over 20 years’ experience providing legal advice in diverse sectors. He is a member of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Practice Group and specializes in aviation and defamation law. Prior to joining WeirFoulds in 2020, Carlos was a founding partner of Bersenas Jacobsen Chouest Thomson Blackburn LLP. Carlos has appeared before all levels of court in Ontario, including the Supreme Court of Canada. In addition, he has appeared before variou...
Darryl Pankratz is a member of our Aviation Practice and contributor to the Aviation Law Blog . He is also a member of our Insurance Practice. His practice is primarily litigation based with a core emphasis on issues relating to the aviation industry. He provides counsel to regional, national and international airlines as well as their insurers. On their behalf, Mr. Pankratz has handled aircraft accidents and incidents involving both passenger and cargo liability claims. He represents and adv...
Michael Parrish is a litigator in Fasken’s Vancouver office. His core areas of practice include product liability, tort, insurance, class action, construction, aviation, maritime, agribusiness and cross-border litigation, regulation and related advice. Michael has significant experience representing companies and insurers in a broad range of industries and matters. Michael is recognized as one of the leading lawyers in his fields in British Columbia. Michael is a dynamic, strategic and ...
Peter Pliszka, a senior partner in Fasken’s Litigation Group, is regarded as one of Canada’s leading litigation lawyers. Peter’s practice is focused primarily on product liability, class action, commercial and insurance litigation matters, and it is national in scope. Peter manages litigation proceedings across Canada and has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario and other Canadian provinces as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. Peter is Co-Leader of Fasken’s Li...
From defending diverse tort-based litigation to advising airlines, product manufacturers, operators, and overhaul/repair facilities, Brian Poston has an insightful understanding of litigation and risk management with a particular emphasis on aviation and the aerospace industry. With over 20 years of experience, Brian advises insurers and their insureds on a wide range of operational and risk management issues, negligence, product liability, regulatory and coverage disputes. Prior to becoming ...
Sean is a partner with Harper Grey. He chairs our aviation law group and has been listed as one of the "Best Lawyers in Canada" in aviation law since 2009. Sean has acted on behalf of aviation insurers, airlines, aircraft owners, aircraft operators, airports as well as aircraft maintenance and repair facilities. He also advises insurers and their insureds on a variety of issues including liability and coverage disputes. Sean’s administrative law practice focuses on the representation an...
Dionne is an associate with Harper Grey's Health and Insurance Law Groups. Dionne advises and represents clients on a variety of matters relating to professional liability, personal injury, human rights, contract, property damage, administrative law, and other dispute resolution matters. Her health law practice involves defending and advising physicians. Her insurance practice involves defending against liability claims in a wide range of contexts. Her aviation practice includes assisting air...
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