Seconded to a Puerto Rico-based commercial aircraft trading and leasing company and its related Chicago-based aircraft marketing firm since 2015, Mónica is a bilingual transactional and litigation associate at Lynch Thompson, where she has worked since 2012.  In her role as her clients’ chief legal officer, Mónica is responsible for overseeing the companies’ legal affairs worldwide, including the acquisition, lease, and sale of aviation assets, litigation, and compliance.  

Mónica manages her clients’ contracts process, including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating proposal letters, equipment leases, purchase and sale agreements, consulting, repair, maintenance, settlement agreements and other contracts.    

Representative transactions include:  

• Represented buyer in acquisition of two (2) Airbus A340 aircraft and seller in subsequent sale and financing of the aircraft to a Venezuelan airline, including restructuring of indebtedness 

• Represented buyer in acquisition of Airbus A340 aircraft on lease to Surinam Airways, including amendment and novation of lease agreement  

• Represented borrower in loan from an aircraft manufacturer’s financing arm for the acquisition of two (2) Airbus A330 aircraft, secured by mortgages over four (4) Airbus A330 and one (1) Airbus A340 aircraft 

• Represented buyer in acquisition of four (4) Boeing 737-400 aircraft and one Boeing 737-500 aircraft in all-cash transaction 

• Represented buyer in acquisition of four (4) Airbus A330-200 aircraft equipped with Rolls Royce Trent engines and subsequent lease to Canadian leisure tour operator  

• Represented buyer in acquisition of two (2) Airbus A330-200 aircraft, creation of Irish subsidiary for subsequent lease of one aircraft to Russian airline and one Turkish airline 

• Represented buyer/lessor in lease with purchase option of four Boeing 737-400 to U.S.-based charter operator 

• Represented aircraft owners in negotiation of aircraft maintenance agreements with numerous maintenance and repair organizations including, but not limited to, Israeli Aerospace Industries, Mexicana MRO, Tarmac Aerosave, Dirección de la Industria Aeronáutica (DIAF), F & J Turbine, Miami Tech, and Ascent Aviation Services  

• Represented engine owner in insurance claim for damage sustained by CFM International, Inc. CFM56-3B2 aircraft engine  

• Represented engine lessor in green-time lease of four CFM International, Inc. CFM56-5C4 engines to Portuguese tour operator and one CFM International, Inc. CFM56-5C3G engine to flag carrier of Tahiti,  

• Represented aircraft lessor in settlement of maintenance claims with Miami-based aircraft lessee and subsequent amendments to lease of two (2) McDonnell Douglas MD-83 aircraft 

Mónica’s litigation-specific duties include directing motion practice; discovery; identifying key internal documents and witnesses; driving substantive strategy; evaluating potential internal and external expert witnesses; and positioning lawsuits for trial or settlement.  She regularly presents comprehensive evaluations for major case reviews and pretrial meetings.    

Representative litigation includes: 

• Represented commercial aircraft owner and lessor in breach of contract claim against airline for failure to comply with return conditions set forth in aircraft lease agreement, resulting in a settlement of $16.5 million. 

• Represented aircraft lessor and key executive in a breach of contract and fraud claim stemming from a proposal letter for the lease of two (2) Boeing 737-400 aircraft to Thai start-up airline in a one-week jury trial, resulting in verdict in favor of both the company and executive.  

• Represented aircraft leasing company in breach of contract, quantum meruit, and Illinois procuring cause doctrine claim for commission purportedly due to aircraft broker in one-week bench trial and company’s counterclaim against broker for unearned commissions, resulting in damages award in company’s favor. 

The liaison between her clients and local counsel in foreign jurisdictions, Mónica plays a key role in selecting co-counsel, managing co-counsel performance, estimating, budgeting and controlling attorney fees and costs; negotiating and implementing alternative fee arrangements, and reviewing attorney and vendor invoices.  

Prior to joining Lynch Thompson LLP, Mónica worked for over two years on a complex, white-collar criminal matter.  Before that, she gained experience as a litigation associate at Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg, LLP, and Pugh, Jones, Johnson & Quandt, P.C.