Kevin J. Johnson

Practice Areas

Kevin Johnson is a founding shareholder of Fafinski Mark & Johnson, P.A and Chair of FMJ’s Transportation Group. He concentrates his practice in aircraft finance and leasing, cross-border transactions, mergers and acquisitions of aviation companies, and other complex commercial transactions. He has negotiated equipment leases, transfers, foreclosures, and financings worldwide and handled the restructuring of hundreds of aircraft transactions arising out of every major airline bankruptcy in the last 20 plus years. Kevin and his team are renowned for their practicality and flexibility in closing difficult transactions and for their creative problem-solving skills.

Career

Kevin began his legal career in-house at a major U.S. airline, where he learned the airline industry from the inside including airline distribution systems, marketing, purchasing, maintenance and ground handling contracts, antitrust matters, and associated regulatory matters. As in-house counsel and for more than two decades in private practice, Kevin has been a trusted advisor to companies of all sizes in developing strategies for overcoming business and commercial law issues. In addition to structuring and handling commercial aviation transactions for national and international clients, Kevin also routinely consults with business aircraft buyers in the United States in navigating the many regulatory and tax obstacles that come with aircraft ownership and use.

In addition to his Chambers ranking Kevin has been honored by his peers as a “Super Lawyer” for more than a decade – an honor only given to the top lawyers in Minnesota. He holds an “AV” Peer Review Rating through Martindale-Hubbell, ranking him at the highest levels of legal professional excellence. He has also been recognized as one of the leading commercial aviation attorneys in the world, and he has been named to the International Who’s Who of Aviation Lawyers.

Professional Memberships

Kevin is a member of the International Society of Aircraft Trading (ISTAT), the National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA), the Minnesota Business Aircraft Association (MBAA), and more. He also serves as a Co-Chair for the Aviation Law Section of the Ally Law Network, which is a global legal resource and connection group. FMJ has been selected as the sole Ally Law representative firm for Minnesota.