Carlo Vairo is a partner in the Banking & Specialty Finance Group at Cassels, with particular expertise in aviation law and finance. Carlo’s practice focuses on all areas of asset finance and leasing with an emphasis on aircraft transactions. He advises lenders, lessors, manufacturers, and operators of aircraft, rolling stock, and other assets in respect of all aspects of acquisition, sale, financing (including pre-delivery financing), tax-based leasing, and operating leasing. Carlo also provides advice on and has extensive experience with aviation commercial and regulatory law matters.
His experience includes:
- Advising in connection with financing and leasing of aircraft and aircraft engines to Canadian airlines, including novation of existing leases and sale/leasebacks.
- Advising on regulatory compliance requirements for the utilization of unmanned aerial vehicles or drones by business operators.
- Advising in connection with aircraft repossession and bankruptcy disputes, and other general aviation commercial disputes.
- Advising on all aspects of aircraft hull, liability, war risk, and political risk insurance, as well as aircraft repossession/deregistration insurance.
- Advising buyers, sellers, operators, managers, and charterers on all aspects of business/corporate aircraft transactions.
- Negotiating finance and leasing documents for business/corporate aircraft financiers, including mortgages, capital leases, and operating leases.
- Providing regulatory advice to airline clients relating to Transport Canada and the Canadian Transportation Agency. Work on a regular basis with, and well respected and known to, Canadian regulators.
- Advising in connection with certification, airworthiness, registration, deregistration, import and export matters, and with the Canadian Transportation Agency on licensing, code-sharing, and foreign investment/control issues and proceedings.
- Advising in connection with various foreign aviation authorities on regulatory matters applicable to Canadian aircraft.
- Advising in connection with Canadian regulatory matters, including cabotage, foreign ownership, licensing, and landing rights.
- Representing creditors, including financiers and lessors of aircraft, in every significant Canadian airline bankruptcy proceeding in the last 10 years, among others.
Carlo is an accredited Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario. He is fluent in Italian.
Prior to joining Cassels, Carlo served as counsel in the Toronto office of an international firm.
