Aviation Legal Group

What Aviation Legal Group does

Aviation Legal Group, P.A. is a Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based boutique law firm founded in 1997 by Scott C. Burgess, an IFR-rated pilot, providing transactional and commercial litigation services exclusively to the aviation and superyacht industries. The firm operates from a single headquarters in Fort Lauderdale and is staffed by three attorneys, one paralegal, one senior legal assistant, and one law office administrator, serving individual and corporate aircraft owners, fractional/lease/charter operators, non-citizen trusts, lenders, FBOs, MROs, and superyacht owners across the U.S. and internationally.

The firm delivers six core practice areas: aircraft registration (including voting and ownership trusts for non-citizens), sales/use/property tax planning, aviation litigation in federal and state courts, financing and loan securitization, aircraft transactions (acquisitions, sales, leases, ownership structuring), and superyacht transactional services delivered in partnership with London-based Jaffa & Co. There are no proprietary technology platforms; service delivery is built on direct attorney-client engagement, deep regulatory knowledge of FAA registration rules and cross-border requirements, and long-standing industry relationships.

Revenue is generated through professional services billing under standard law firm arrangements (hourly or fixed fees for defined legal matters) on a quote-based, non-publicly-disclosed basis. Go-to-market relies on industry reputation, AV Rated Preeminent recognition from Martindale-Hubbell, and active participation in NBAA, IADA, GLADA, FABA, FAWLA, NAFA, and related associations, including conference sponsorships (e.g., Gold Sponsor at IADA/NAFA and Silver Sponsor at GLADA at NBAA 2025 in Las Vegas), committee roles, and a referral network of attorneys, brokers, lenders, and manufacturers. The firm is a private professional corporation with no parent company, subsidiaries, public listing, or disclosed funding.

Name

Aviation Legal Group

Legal name

Aviation Legal Group, P.A.

Website

https://aviationlegalgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Aviation Legal Group is a Fort Lauderdale-based boutique law firm providing transactional and commercial litigation services exclusively to the aviation and superyacht industries, serving aircraft owners, lenders, FBOs, and high-net-worth maritime clients across the U.S. and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fort Lauderdale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Legal Services: Boutique aviation law firm providing transactional and commercial litigation services. Revenue is generated through legal fees for services including aircraft transactions, registration, financing, litigation, and superyacht services. As a law firm, billing is likely based on hourly rates or fixed fees for specific legal matters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Aviation Legal Group is a boutique law firm providing transactional and commercial litigation services exclusively for general and commercial aviation. The firm handles FAA aircraft registration (including voting and ownership trusts for non-citizens), sales/use/property tax planning, federal and state aviation civil litigation, domestic and international aviation financing and loan securitization, and aircraft acquisitions/sales/leases. It also provides maritime transactional legal services for superyachts via partnership with Jaffa & Co.

Product overview

Aviation Legal Group is an AV Rated Preeminent law firm providing transactional and commercial litigation services exclusively for the aviation industry since 1997. The firm offers six core legal service areas: Aircraft Registration (handling FAA registration including voting and ownership trusts for non-citizens), Aircraft Sales and Tax Use (sales, use, and property tax planning), Aviation Litigation (federal and state civil litigation), Financing and Loan Securitization (domestic and international aviation financing), Aircraft Transactions (acquisitions, sales, leases, and ownership structuring), and Superyacht Transactions (maritime transactional support via partnership with Jaffa & Co). The firm also provides supplementary services including Seafarer Employment Agreements, management contracts, confidentiality agreements, and berth agreements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aircraft Registration

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Jaffa & CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAviation Legal Group has partnered with Jaffa & Co to provide highest quality maritime transactional support for superyacht transactions. Jaffa & Co, headquartered in London with additional offices in Monaco and Fort Lauderdale, provides full-service assistance for yacht construction, acquisition, and sale transactions; ownership structures; legal documentation; financing; and ancillary matters including seafarer employment agreements, management contracts, confidentiality agreements, and berth agreements, as well as dispute resolution. James Jaffa founded Jaffa & Co and is recognized internationally for knowledge and expertise in superyacht transactions.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SmithAmundsen: Multi-practice Midwest law firm with a substantial aviation industry group covering aircraft transactions, registration, financing, and litigation. Broader incumbent offering competing for similar aviation clients via a fuller service-line footprint.
• Holland & Knight: Major international law firm with a substantial aviation practice covering aircraft financing, transactions, regulatory, and litigation matters. Larger-scale competitor for premium cross-border aviation mandates.
• Venable LLP: National law firm with a recognized aviation finance practice serving aircraft lenders, lessors, and owners on cross-border financing and transactions. Broader-scoped competitor for aviation financing and registration work.
• McDermott Will & Emery: Major international law firm with a long-standing aviation industry practice handling aircraft financing, leasing, M&A, and regulatory matters globally. Competes for the largest cross-border aviation deals that Aviation Legal Group also targets.
• Burr & Forman: Southeast-based full-service firm with a sizable aviation practice serving aircraft owners, financiers, and operators. Comparable on aviation transactions and lender-side work; broader multi-discipline alternative to a boutique.
• Kaplan Kirsch & Rockwell: National law firm with aviation and transportation practices focused on airports, aircraft, and aerospace regulatory matters. Comparable for the aviation regulatory and infrastructure overlap, though broader in geographic and practice scope.
• McAfee & Taft: Oklahoma-based full-service firm with one of the largest dedicated aviation practices in the US, serving aircraft owners, operators, lenders, and manufacturers across transactional, regulatory, and litigation matters at greater scale than Aviation Legal Group.

Direct peers

• Aerlex Law Group: Florida-based boutique law firm exclusively focused on aviation matters including aircraft transactions, FAA registration, and financing. Most directly comparable as a similarly-sized aviation-only boutique serving overlapping HNW and corporate aircraft-owner clients.
• Shackelford, Melton, Conner & Glover (SMLG Aviation Law): Texas-based aviation boutique law firm focused on aircraft transactions, regulatory matters, and aviation litigation. Direct peer as another specialist-only aviation firm serving similar business jet and rotorcraft clients with comparable service lines.
• Moyle & Draper, P.A. Florida-based aviation boutique law firm specializing in aircraft transactions, FAA matters, and aviation disputes. Direct peer competing for the same HNW and corporate aircraft-owner clients in the Southeast US market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aviation-legal-group

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aviation Legal Group