BARBERA & WATKINS - Key Persons
Dawn is a founding partner of Barbera & Watkins, LLC. She focuses her practice in corporate aircraft transactions, including related aviation regulatory, insurance and tax issues. Dawn assists clients with purchase, sale, finance, lease and management contracts and various issues for new and used aircraft. Her practice often provides an opportunity to be involved with an aircraft from the initial offer through purchase stage, its years of use and ultimate disposition.
Dawn has been practicing in business and general aviation law since 2001, prior to which she practiced for three years in a Denver area law firm in the area of contracts, municipalities and special districts.
She is a 1995 graduate of the University of Missouri with a B.S. with honors in finance. She received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law in 1998. Dawn is a member of the Colorado, Missouri and Kansas Bar and is licensed to practice in Missouri and Kansas.
Joanne is a founding partner of Barbera & Watkins, LLC. Since 1993, Joanne has practiced in business and general aviation law, including aviation regulatory and tax matters. She has extensive experience in the areas of the purchase, sale, leasing, financing and management of corporate aircraft (including domestic and foreign registration) and related insurance, regulatory and federal and state tax issues.
Joanne was the chairperson of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Tax Committee and served on the NBAA Operational Excellence Strategic Focus Team from 2007 to 2009, and continues to serve on the Advisory Group to the Tax Committee and on the Regulatory Issues Advisory Group. She has authored numerous articles on business aviation regulatory and tax topics. Joanne has been recognized by the Missouri and Kansas Super Lawyers for excellence in the practice of law, is a member of the International Aviation Women's Association and is board chair of Angel Flight Central.
Joanne often speaks at NBAA Tax, NBAA Regional Forums and other legal and business aviation programs across the country. She has presented on a variety of topics including personal use of aircraft, state tax issues, carriage of elected officials, heavy maintenance (capitalize or expense), depreciation, passive activity loss limitations, corporate aviation transactions and aircraft ownership and leasing.
Joanne is a 1993 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, and received her B.A. with honors from the University of Notre Dame. She completed her masters of law degree in taxation (LL.M.) at the University of Missouri at Kansas City in 2006. Joanne is a member of the Missouri and Kansas Bar and is licensed to practice in both states.
Melissa is a partner at Barbera & Watkins, LLC who focuses on aviation and tax law. Melissa has been practicing in business and general aviation law since 2008. She is a member of NBAA Tax Committee. Melissa has given presentations on business aviation regulatory, transactions and tax issues. She assists individual and corporate clients who own and operate aircraft with purchases and sales, management, leasing, financing and various other matters including tax and regulatory structuring.
Melissa received her B.S. from Truman State university. She is a graduate of University of Missouri - Columbia law school, where she was the Layout and Design editor on the Journal of Alternative Dispute Resolution and received a Certificate of Dispute Resolution. She received her masters in law degree in taxation (LL.M.) at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Melissa is a member of the Missouri and Kansas Bar and is licensed to practice in both states.
Job Titles:
- Paralegal and the Office Manager
Natalie serves as both a paralegal and the office manager for Barbera & Watkins, LLC. She began her career in the aviation field in 2001 and is proficient in assisting with corporate aircraft transactions.
Pat is an attorney of counsel at Barbera & Watkins, LLC. His areas of practice include general civil litigation and insurance, aviation, transportation and appellate law. Pat has represented clients in federal and state courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth and Tenth Circuits, the Missouri Supreme Court and the Kansas Supreme Court.
Pat is a 1992 graduate of the University of Kansas Law School and received his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. He is a member of the Missouri and Kansas Bar and is licensed to practice in both states.
Tracy serves as a paralegal for Barbera & Watkins, LLC. She began her career in the aviation field in 2007 and is proficient in assisting with corporate aircraft transactions. She is fluent in Mandarin Chinese.