Tony Payne is a partner in the Aviation
practice based in London. Having practised
for over a decade as an aviation lawyer in
the UK and before that as a commercial
lawyer in Australia, he has accumulated
significant multi-national and domestic
experience advising clients on all manner
of regulatory and commercial matters in
the aviation sector.
In addition to his expertise as a highly
experienced aviation lawyer Tony is sought
after for his pragmatic, corporate minded
approach to achieving outstanding results
for his clients. As a consequence of
having significant senior in-house and
major bid management experience in the
aviation sector Tony understands the
commercial and corporate imperatives that
must be managed alongside the delivery of
clear legal advice.
Tony's aviation practice has been centred
around facilitating clients' international
strategic ambitions in an omnipresent and
multi-faceted aviation regulatory regimes.
This has included advising clients in
respect of: privatisation and
liberalisation of aviation markets,
compliance and non-compliance issues
associated with ICAO conventions, European
Regulations and domestic law,
certification, changes of ownership, as
well as supporting consultation exercises.
Tony has advised on aviation regulatory
matters not only affecting the airline
industry but also airports, air navigation
services, safety critical services,
engineering, the military as well as
engaging with Government departments and
Regulators themselves.
Tony's commercial experience dovetails
with his regulatory expertise. He has
represented aviation clients in both the
UK and around the world in relation to:
corporate expansion (and contraction),
restructuring, joint ventures and pursuing
and letting of major contracts. This
experience has been in the aviation sector
generally but has specifically been across
a number of specialist areas where
industry specific knowledge is can be a
key differentiator for clients (such as
commercialising and liberalising in
regulated sectors, public private
partnerships, outsourcing and in-sourcing
of regulated and unregulated services).
Tony has held Board and Company
Secretarial positions representing clients
on a number European companies maintaining
strategic objectives and dealing
tactically with the myriad of issues
presented in these roles. Importantly,
this includes dealing with and having an
appreciation of the complicated internal
issues faced by clients when pursuing new
ventures.
Prior to joining AKD Partners, Tony was
assistant general counsel at NATS Holdings
PLC, formerly National Air Traffic
Services Limited.
