© 2012 The Texas Lawbook.
By Natalie Posgate
Staff Writer for The Texas Lawbook
David Mayer has helped a Middle Eastern King purchase a Boeing 747 as his official Royal Aircraft. He’s advised dozens of businesses buying or leasing planes. And he even authored one of the highly popular For Dummies books.
After 15 years as a lawyer in the Dallas office of Patton Boggs, Mayer has taken his practice to Shackelford, Melton & McKinley. He joins the 41-lawyer business and entertainment law firm as a partner.
Mayer’s practice focuses on domestic and international business aviation transactions, such as airplane purchases, sales, leases and other related contracts. In addition, he has represented individuals and companies in transactional matters involving energy assets, vendor financing programs, technology, health care and other medical assets, manufacturing equipment, trucks, trailers, and off-and-on road transportation assets such as forklifts and construction equipment.
In 2001, Mayer published Business Leasing For Dummies, which is part of the popular For Dummies book series. He also founded Business Leasing and Finance News, an online equipment finance newsletter that is read in 33 countries.
Currently, he is working on an aviation study that evaluates the upcoming significant challenges, opportunities, threats and trends for lessors, lenders and their customers participating in business aircraft transactions. The study, titled “Business Aircraft Gaining Altitude,” is funded by a grant Mayer received by the Equipment Leasing and Finance Foundation and the National Business Aviation Association.
The Texas Lawbook conducted a Q&A with Mr. Mayer to learn more about his background in the aviation industry.
TLB: Why did you make the move?
Mayer: SMM afforded me the opportunity to work within a strong and widely known business aviation practice led by David Norton. I have known and respected David for many years. The firm also was excited to support my practices in equipment leasing and finance and other asset-based transactions. With a very competitive legal market, SMM has given me flexibility in setting fees for clients that make business sense in the particular situation. This move allows me to join first-rate lawyers in a highly productive environment.
TLB: Describe your client base. Do you work for airlines or smaller companies?
Mayer: My client base is diverse and includes owners of equipment, lessees, borrowers, lenders, lessors, sellers and buyers in private or publicly traded companies within and outside the U.S. Although I have a broad background in commercial aviation, my primary focus is business aviation and other personal property, including various types of equipment for companies ranging from very large multi-national companies and banks to individual owners of aircraft.
TLB: What are the biggest challenges for your clients now and in the year ahead?
Mayer: Overcoming uncertainty with the election, the “fiscal cliff” and the global economy rank highest in the big challenge lists. Specifically, my clients will be considering whether and when to make capital investments in equipment such as business aircraft and how to structure their operations to comply with ever-increasing rules and regulations to minimize the expense and burden of following the rules.
TLB: Name one or two of the biggest or most interesting client matters you have worked on and what made them important or unique.
Mayer: One of my favorite transactions involved acting for the purchaser of a Boeing 747 from a king of a country in the Middle East. It afforded me a unique opportunity to understand the workings of “Royal Flight,” the king’s aircraft organization, and appreciate the complexity of international transactions involving countries outside the U.S. My practice has been so varied that, in closing more than $5 billion of transactions, I have had a lot of fun and rewarding engagements in financing business aircraft and energy (wind and natural gas assets), transportation, technology, healthcare, construction and manufacturing equipment.
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