Supersonic Jet Company Invests $300 Million in Move to Florida
Aerion Supersonic, now in Nevada, is working on the world's first privately built supersonic airplane.
May 06, 2020 at 03:15 PM
3 minute read
A Nevada-based company in pre-production for a supersonic business jet is investing $300 million in its new Florida headquarters with help from Shutts & Bowen attorneys.
Aerion Supersonic will built its Aerion Park headquarters on 61 acres leased at Orlando Melbourne International Airport. This is expected to be an economic boost creating 675 jobs by the time the first model is flying.
The state already has a big aerospace and aviation industry with more than 470 companies for aircraft parts, assembly, surveillance and more, according to economic development public-private organization Enterprise Florida Inc.
The new Aerion headquarters will be on Florida's Space Coast, home to the Kennedy Space Center, a primary launch site for spacecraft, and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the military spaceport.
The $300 million investment will be spread over several years and includes construction and equipment.
"Aerion is going to be a major player in Florida's evolving aerospace industry," said Shutts partner Brett Renton in Orlando. He and office co-managing partner Daniel O'Keefe led Aerion's legal team.
Partner Russell Hintze and associate Cameron Katz in Orlando and partners Joseph Goldstein in Fort Lauderdale and Neil Shoter in West Palm Beach also worked on the transaction.
O'Keefe and Renton worked through complex tax issues and deal legalities in tandem with site-selection guide J.M. Mullis Inc. based in Tennessee.
Aerion did an extensive search before settling on its Florida location.
"Determining Aerion's headquarters involved an extensive search and evaluation study, considering numerous possible locations across multiple states where Melbourne emerged as the clear choice," O'Keefe said in prepared remarks. "Time was of the essence in moving this fast-paced deal forward, which involved lengthy and complex processes at every stage."
The deal had to be executed remotely to comply with social-distancing requirements imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Government approval for the aerospace maker's headquarters would have been done in person.
"Since the transaction involved multiple government entities, each had to approve the deal in compliance with the Florida Sunshine Laws amid the pandemic," O'Keefe said, referring to the state's open government law.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on March 20 issued an executive order allowing for technology use such as video conferencing to obtain government approval.
Aerion Supersonic, now based in Reno, is developing supersonic jets, starting with the AS2 business jet, which promises to be the first privately built supersonic jet in the world. The first flight is projected for 2024 with the model going into service in 2026.
The company was founded by billionaire businessman and philanthropist Robert Bass and is led by chairman, president and CEO Tom Vice.
"We are building the next generation of high-speed transportation networks that will revolutionize global mobility without leaving a carbon footprint on our world," Vice said in a news release.
Construction on Aerion Park is to start later this year.
This content has been archived. It is available through our partners, LexisNexis® and Bloomberg Law.
To view this content, please continue to their sites.
Not a Lexis Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
Not a Bloomberg Law Subscriber?
Subscribe Now
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllFowler White Burnett Opens Jacksonville Office Focused on Transportation Practice
3 minute readHow Much Coverage Do You Really Have? Valuation and Loss Settlement Provisions in Commercial Property Policies
10 minute readThe Importance of 'Speaking Up' Regarding Lease Renewal Deadlines for Commercial Tenants and Landlords
6 minute readMeet the Attorneys—and Little Known Law—Behind $20M Miami Dispute
Law Firms Mentioned
Trending Stories
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250