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The Aerlex Team

 

 

Stephen R. HoferStephen R. Hofer  shofer@aerlex.com  

Stephen Hofer has been described in the Los Angeles Daily Journal as “aviation attorney to the stars.”  He has an “A list” of Oscar-, Emmy- and Grammy-winning clients.  He has represented many of Hollywood’s most prominent actors, actresses, producers, directors and studio executives, as well as internationally known recording artists and professional athletes, in connection with the ownership and operation of aircraft.  His clients also include several of Southern California’s largest air charter companies.

Stephen Hofer is a 1980 graduate of Northwestern University Law School in Chicago and was winner of the school’s Lowden-Wigmore Award for Outstanding Published Legal Writing.  From 1980 to 1984, he was associated with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, which was then the world’s fifth largest law firm.  After taking a leave of absence to work for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee, he joined American Golf Corporation as vice president and general counsel.  During his years at AGC, he represented the company in the acquisition of more than 200 golf courses and country clubs.  He served as a partner and chair of the Bailey & Partners corporate and transactional department from 1997 until he founded Aerlex in 2005.

Stephen Hofer is a Martindale-Hubbell A/V-rated attorney, a ranking given only to lawyers with very high to preeminent legal ability, integrity and overall professional excellence.  In recent years, he has spoken to numerous aviation organizations, bar associations, continuing legal education seminars, business and trade groups, and college classes on aviation-related topics.  He has been quoted in such publications as Forbes, Flying magazine, Travel and Leisure, The American Lawyer, Wealth, California CEO magazine, California Law Business, the Los Angeles Daily Journal and the Los Angeles Business Journal.  He is a former member of the Boards of Directors of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, the Museum of Flying and the Santa Monica Symphony.  His biography has appeared in multiple editions of Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in American Law.

 

 

 

 

Marvin W. MurrayMarvin W. Murray  mmurray@aerlex.com

Marvin Murray is a 1969 graduate of Yale Law School and received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering in 1966 from Northwestern University.  He is a former partner with Townsend and Townsend in San Francisco, having practiced with that firm from 1971 to 1977.  He then became a partner with Murray and Murray in Chicago before leaving that firm in 1980 to become the president of Simmons Airlines, Inc., one of the American Eagle regional airlines that was acquired in 1988 by American Airlines’ corporate parent, AMR.  He spent several years as a private investor before returning to the active practice of law in 2004 with Bailey & Partners and joined Aerlex Law Group upon its formation in 2005.  Marvin Murray brings a unique perspective to the practice of both aviation and commercial law, having spent more than 30 years as a lawyer, the owner of an airline and a private businessman and entrepreneur.  He understands problems from the client’s vantage point, having walked in those same shoes for many years himself.

  

Vicky BoladianVicky Boladian  vboladian@aerlex.com  

In her 11 years as a practicing attorney, Vicky Boladian has developed a strong expertise in the complex field of tax law.  She now utilizes this knowledge in guiding Aerlex clients seeking aircraft sales and use tax exemptions and challenging property tax appraisals. Since joining Aerlex in 2008, Ms. Boladian has achieved a 100% success rate in use tax exemption applications. Before joining Aerlex, Ms. Boladian worked for Arthur Andersen and Ernst and Young. At Andersen, she assisted high net-worth clients on a wide variety of complex tax law issues. At Ernst and Young, she represented corporations, partnerships and individuals in audits by the Internal Revenue Service and the California Franchise Tax Board. Ms. Boladian is also a licensed real estate broker and has handled both residential and commercial real estate transactions. A 1997 graduate of the Boston University School of Law, she received her undergraduate degree in political science from the University of California at Irvine in 1994.

 

Doug StuartDoug Stuart  dstuart@aerlex.com   

Douglas L. Stuart has handled hundreds of litigation and business matters for both individual and corporate clients in his 22 years of legal practice. He has worked with the Aerlex Law Group since 2007 and was also employed by Aerlex’s predecessor, Bailey & Partners, in the 1990s. His current Aerlex practice emphasizes aviation litigation, aircraft repossessions, insurance-related litigation, real estate and general business matters. Doug Stuart also has considerable experience in handling cases involving complex personal injury, construction defects and unfair competition claims. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1987, obtained his J.D. from the McGeorge School of Law, University of the Pacific, in 1987, and his B.A. from the University of California at Los Angeles in 1983.

 

 

Don Johnson, Jr.Donald G. Johnson, Jr.  djohnson@aerlex.com

Donald G. Johnson Jr. brings thirty-three years of legal experience to the Aerlex Law Group team. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1975 and was admitted to the California Bar that same year. Prior to that, in 1972 he received his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering from the University of Iowa.
 
In addition to practicing aviation law, Mr. Johnson specializes in securities transactions and securities law compliance, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, commercial transactions, business organizations and related matters. Mr. Johnson has also advised hundreds of clients in private and public offerings of securities and in acquisition, merger, and corporate reorganization transactions of public and private companies. These transactions have involved clients in a broad range of industries ranging from aerospace, advertising, agriculture and financial services to entertainment, manufacturing, technology and healthcare.
 
From 1975 to 1998, Mr. Johnson practiced with Mulvaney, Kahan & Barry in San Diego. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1998, he practiced with Loeb & Loeb, LLC and Richman, Mann, Chizever, Phillips & Duboff. He joined Aerlex in 2007.  

 

 

Robert A. FrostRobert A. Frost  bfrost@aerlex.com

Bob Frost has worn many hats during his 45 years in business aviation: chief pilot for an airline, corporate president, FAA aviation safety inspector, Part 121 and 135 director of operations, and flight instructor, just to name a few. Now, he utilizes that wealth of knowledge and experience on behalf of Aerlex’s clients in his role as the firm’s Aviation Certification and Compliance Consultant.

Bob holds Air Transport Pilot and Flight Instructor, Airplane and Instrument, FAA certifications. He has flown more than 16,800 hours as both a commercial and corporate pilot, including three years as chief pilot for Hawaii Pacific Airlines, a 121 carrier.  Prior to joining Aerlex, he served as Director of Operations for Trans-Exec Air Service, a Part 135 Gulfstream jet charter company based in Santa Monica and Van Nuys. Before that, he spent four years as an aviation safety inspector for the FAA in Los Angeles.  He currently serves as president of RAF Leasing Inc., a company that leases aircraft and support equipment to air carriers; he previously served as president of Holiday Airways, Inc. and Resort Commuter Airlines/TWA Express. He is active on the boards of a number of professional associations and private companies, including the NATA Advisory Board. He is an FAA Safety Counselor.
 
As Aerlex’s Aviation Certification and Compliance Consultant, Bob Frost brings his comprehensive aviation experience and vast knowledge of technical aviation issues to the firm’s clients. He provides unparalleled guidance in many diverse areas, including pre-purchase advice and document review, technical analysis of aircraft specifications, assessment of Part 135 and corporate flight department operations, and assistance with FAR violations.

 

 

Kathy BolandKathy Boland  kboland@aerlex.com

Kathy Boland is Aerlex’s Aircraft Transaction and Closing Specialist.  She works with the firm’s attorneys in the management and supervision of Aerlex’s aircraft transactional practice. She handles aircraft transaction documentation, closings, oversight of aircraft deliveries, financing and lease administration, and taxation issues.  Kathy graduated in 1980 from the California College of Paralegal Studies. Since then, she has worked for a diverse group of aviation-related companies, including Flying Tiger Line Inc. and International Lease Finance Corporation, administering and managing the legal and logistical aspects of their aircraft ownership matters.  During her career, Kathy has managed over 1,000 aircraft transactions. She joined Aerlex in 2007, bringing her unique experience to the benefit of Aerlex and its clients.

 

 

Susan Orozco-NeuSusan Orozco-Neu  sorozco-neu@aerlex.com

Susan Orozco-Neu is a 1984 graduate of UCLA Extension’s attorney assistant training program and worked with several large Los Angeles law firms as a paralegal prior to joining Bailey & Partners in 2003.  She moved to Aerlex Law Group at its inception in 2005.  Susan plays an important role for the firm and its clients in generating the necessary documentation for aircraft transactions, real estate closings and corporate and LLC formations.