As the prior chair of the firm’s Aviation group, Cliff Maine advised on aviation-related transactions, emergency preparation and response, insurance and risk analysis, litigation and regulatory supervision. A pilot himself, Cliff’s lifetime passion for aviation was manifested in everything he did. As a result, he spoke the language of the pilots, mechanics, airlines, entrepreneurs and the business professionals in this specialized industry.
Cliff served as general counsel to numerous aviation organizations. His aviation clients included some of the largest corporate flight departments in the world.
Experience
- Barnes & Thornburg attorneys handled claims on behalf of the owner of an aircraft involved in a crash in which the pilot and four passengers were killed. All four passenger wrongful death cases were resolved within 12 weeks of the accident – thus sparing the families further trauma. The team then conducted an independent investigation into the cause of the accident, including full-scale reconstruction. The attorneys also appealed the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) fault determination through the U.S. Supreme Court and lobbied both administrative agencies and Congress for improved safety regulations.
- Barnes & Thornburg aviation attorneys handled wrongful death and workers’ compensation claims on behalf of a private educational institution’s flight school related to the deaths of two individuals in a plane crash. Cases involving the two decedents were resolved within 12 weeks of the accident.
Credentials
Education
- Thomas M. Cooley Law School, J.D., 1979
- Michigan State University, B.A., 1976
Bar Admissions
- Michigan