Demarest joins ALTA to strengthen legal support in aviation
With more than 75 years of experience, Demarest has been a key player in providing legal advice to strategic sectors of the economy, with a prominent role in the aviation sector, handling complex regulatory issues and high-stakes disputes
September 17, 2024
The Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) announces the incorporation of Demarest, a law firm with over 75 years of experience, as a new consulting member. Demarest has been a leading figure in providing legal advice to strategic sectors of the economy, with a notable performance in the aviation field, handling regulatory matters and highly complex disputes.
José Ricardo Botelho, ALTA’s Executive Director and CEO, highlighted the importance of this new partnership: "Demarest’s expertise in areas such as aviation regulation, mergers, acquisitions, and compliance will be of great value to ALTA and its members. Their integration as a consulting member enhances our ability to provide comprehensive support to the industry, facilitating its growth in a highly regulated environment".
Demarest has worked on cases of great importance to the aviation sector, such as the first Chapter 11 process of a Brazilian company in the United States, and has provided counsel on the authorization of foreign airlines to operate domestic flights in Brazil, reinforcing its prominent position in the industry. The firm is also consistently recognized as one of Brazil’s leading firms by specialized publications such as Chambers and Partners, TTR Data, Latin Lawyer, The Legal 500, and IFLR.
Demarest's team specializes in offering strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions in the aviation sector, as well as participating in the negotiation and structuring of joint ventures between airlines. The firm also provides legal support for aircraft acquisition, leasing, and financing operations, as well as compliance consulting, both locally and internationally.
“There is great growth potential in air transport in Latin America, which depends not only on the region’s economic performance but also on legal certainty and regulatory convergence. Providing qualified legal advice enables the attraction of greater investments that will support this growth,” said Marcelo Guaranys, partner at Demarest and former CEO of the Brazilian National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) and former President of the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission (CLAC).
The partnership with ALTA already bore fruit in March of this year when Guaranys and Carlos Eduardo Orsolon, Tax Law partner at Demarest, accompanied ALTA at the 28th Session of the UN Committee of Experts on International Cooperation in Tax Matters in New York, to assist in discussions on the model tax convention, whose changes under review could significantly impact the legal certainty of international transport.
During the ALTA AGM & Airline Leaders Forum, Marcelo Guaranys, will moderate the panel "Aviation: The Most Powerful Growth Engine," which will discuss how strengthening the aviation sector drives job creation, expands opportunities for users, improves connectivity, and promotes market expansion. The panel is part of the largest commercial aviation conference in Latin America and the Caribbean, which will take place from October 28 to 30 in Nassau, Bahamas. The event has established itself as the main forum for debate in the region, bringing together more than 300 CEOs from airlines, airports, civil aviation directors, ministers of tourism, infrastructure, and other industry leaders.
