Michelle M. Wade joined the law firm as a partner in 1996. She is experienced at negotiating complex aviation transactions, including aircraft financing and leasing transactions for international, national and local companies. Before joining Jackson & Wade, L.L.C. Ms. Wade practiced with the international law firm of Bryan Cave, LLP, where she represented lenders and borrowers in complex corporate and financial transactions involving a variety of collateral.

Ms. Wade has earned an international reputation for work involving domestic and cross-border acquisition, financing and leasing of transportation assets. Her many years of industry experience and her legal acumen are combined to assist clients in meeting regulatory, tax and commercial demands with workable solutions and in minimizing legal risk.

Her practice focuses on all aspects of aircraft operations to comply with FAA, IRS and other regulatory requirements and includes:

• Advising clients in the ownership and operation structuring of their private/corporate aircraft operations, including personal use issues, flying candidates for elected office and corporate aircraft use policies.
• Negotiating letters of intent and purchase/sale contracts for clients for new or previously owned aircraft and helicopters or undivided interests in aircraft or helicopters under fractional ownership programs.
• Drafting and negotiating dry leases, joint ownership, time-sharing, interchange and charter management agreements.
• Assisting clients with interior completions and refurbishments agreements, flight department structure, brokerage and marketing agreements.
• Counseling clients on federal and state tax issues relating to aviation, including federal excise tax issues, state sales and use tax matters and 1031 tax-deferred property exchanges.
• Assisting clients in Customs and import matters, U.S. registration of foreign-owned/operated aircraft, establishing an owner trust for registration, as well as foreign registration of aircraft and non-U.S. aircraft operations.
• Negotiating operating leases, leveraged leases and conventional secured financings.

Ms. Wade is admitted to practice law in the District of Columbia, Kansas and Missouri and counsels clients both coast to coast and internationally. She is an active participant in aviation industry associations and speaks at various conferences.

Publications/Speaking
Ms. Wade has written for The Kansas Banker, the Women Corporate Counsel Newsletter, Kansas CPA Newsletter, Aviation for Women and the American Bar Association RPTE eReport. She speaks on aviation issues at Women in Aviation International, the National Business Aviation Association and the International Aircraft Transactions Conference at EBACE. She has also provided materials for the NBAA Resourcing Options Workshop.

• National Aircraft Finance Association
• Women in Corporate Aviation
• Women in Aviation International
• American Bar Association
• National Business Aviation Association
• International Aviation Women’s Association

Education
Ms. Wade received her B.S. with distinction in accounting and business administration in 1985 from the University of Kansas and her J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law in 1988.