Biography: Aviation

Founding partner of Bernardi & Schnapp Advogados, with offices in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Ricardo Bernardi has extensive experience in aviation law. For the last 20 years, he has been providing full assistance to top international airlines operating in Brazil, aviation underwriters, aircraft manufacturing companies as well as lessors and lenders in cross-border transactions involving various forms of aircraft financing.

His practice covers the whole range of air law, including litigation associated with aircraft accidents, passenger claims, cargo claims, commercial litigation, regulatory air law, competition law issues, legal matters concerning customs clearance of imported air cargo and aircrafts, cross-border aircraft finance, assisting foreign lessors and lenders in various forms of transactions involving business jets and helicopters.

Ricardo Bernardi is a co-author of the book Regulation of the Economy in Brazil, having published the chapter 'Regulation of Aviation: Regular Air Transportation'. He has written articles and has been delivering lectures about aviation law at several institutions and universities, including the Catholic University of São Paulo (PUC), the São Paulo Association of Attorneys (AASP), INFRAERO (the public company in charge of the management of the Brazilian airports), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Latin American and Caribbean Air Transport Association (ALTA) the American Bar Association (ABA) - Air & Space Law Forum and the Brazilian Association of Aerial and Space Law (SBDA), - the oldest institution dedicated to the study of aeronautic law in Brazil, founded in 1942 - of which he is a consultant. He is also a member of the aeronautic law committee of the São Paulo Bar Association.