Winstead PC is pleased to announce that Fred Swanevelt has joined the firm as the first airline industry consultant in the Airlines Industry Group. 

Swanevelt joins the firm from American Airlines, where he spent more than 20 years serving in various capacities and most recently as the director of fleet transactions. He brings a wealth of airline experience and knowledge, specifically in regard to aircraft finance and leasing transactions; airline restructuring; long-range fleet planning, aircraft evaluation and acquisition analysis; and aircraft specification development.

“Fred is an incredibly valuable addition to our team,” said Ehren Hartz, shareholder in the Airlines Industry Group and chair of the firm’s Corporate, Commercial Transactions & Outsourcing Practice Group. “He is widely respected in the aviation industry and brings significant experience that will bolster our Airlines Team’s overall business acumen and ability to effectively serve our airline clients.” 

During his tenure at American Airlines, Swanevelt also held positions including principal of treasury, principal of fleet transactions, principal of corporate fleet planning, strategy analyst for Europe revenue management, senior financial analyst for fleet planning, and project manager for strategic alliances.

Swanevelt received a master’s in business administration with a concentration in corporate finance from the Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University. He received a bachelor of commerce in finance from the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. Swanevelt is a dual US/Canadian citizen and is fluent in French and Dutch. He has traveled to more than 40 countries on six continents.

“I have enjoyed working closely with Winstead for years, and I’m thankful for the firm’s creativity with this new type of position,” Swanevelt said. “Working on, and coaching others on, aircraft-related contracts is a passion of mine, and I’ve always thought that a clear, well-drafted agreement was a thing of beauty. I look forward to the opportunity to share my skills and knowledge for the benefit of the firm’s airline clients.”

Comprised of a team of approximately 25 attorneys spending more than 90% of their time advising and representing airlines worldwide, Winstead’s Airlines Team supports the transactional needs of virtually every component of the modern airline including aircraft programs (purchasing, financing, tech ops, sales), procurement, operations/maintenance, information technology, sales and marketing, customer experience, real estate, and human resources.

About Winstead

Winstead is a national business law firm with nearly 300 attorneys who serve as trusted advisors to emerging, mid-market and large companies, both public and private. The Winstead team provides a range of core legal services that are critical to our clients achieving their business goals. Winstead’s business transactions and litigation practices serve key industries including airlines, financial services, healthcare, investment management/private equity, life sciences, real estate, sports business and universities.