Carney Badley Spellman, P.S. is a Pacific Northwest law firm located in Seattle, Washington. Our clients will tell you we are known for providing exceptional value in legal services by recognizing case objectives early and obtaining cost-effective results. The Carney firm provides legal services in business, litigation, construction, government affairs and insurance to individuals and to privately-held and publicly-traded companies.

Carney attorneys have extensive experience in U. S. domestic and international aircraft transactions on behalf of manufacturers, commercial airlines, banks and other financial institutions, and owners, lessees and other aircraft operators. We have represented clients in a broad range of matters including:

Acquisitions, Title Transfers and Registration Matters

Aircraft acquisitions
Aircraft sales
Ownership and registration issues, both domestic and foreign
Title and escrow arrangements
Title insurance

Financing and Tax Structuring

Financing transactions including operating and finance leases
Taxation-related matters, including advice on structuring to address state, local and federal tax questions
Like kind exchanges under §1031 of the Internal Revenue Code

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with Federal Aviation Regulations, including operations under Parts 91 and 135 of the FARs
Entity structuring for aircraft ownership
Leases and charters
Joint ownership, time-sharing and interchange arrangements under FAR §91.501
Fractional ownership and related arrangements
Operational Matters
Aircraft management agreements
Flight crew service contracts and related employment matters
Aircraft hangar and storage agreements
Ground equipment operations
Aviation insurance and other liability-related matters

Because of the complexity and sometimes the inconsistency of government regulations affecting ownership, operation and taxation of aircraft, it is essential to tailor each client's arrangements and documentation to meet their operational and tax-structuring needs. Several Carney attorneys hold Master's degrees in tax and CPA qualifications. We work closely with our clients' accountants and other financial and tax advisers in structuring each aircraft transaction.