Carla S. Machnik

Ms. Machnik represents financial institutions in Canada and the United States in cross-border transactions, acting on behalf of agents and lenders in multi-jurisdictional asset-based, acquisition, commercial, and equipment finance transactions involving public and private debtors. She also advises financial institutions seeking to expand their operations across the border on applicable laws, regulations, and market dynamics.

She also devotes a significant part of her practice to aircraft finance and aircraft purchases, sales, and 1031 exchanges. As part of her aviation practice, Ms. Machnik advises clients on compliance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations, on domestic and international aircraft registration, and on issues involving Cape Town Convention compliance. She has completed more than 200 aviation finance transactions originating in multiple states and Canada with an aggregate value of more than $450 million.

Ms. Machnik holds law degrees from the United States and Canada and is licensed to practice in both countries. She structures, negotiates, and documents complex transactions with unusual efficiency due to her understanding of laws and markets on both sides of the border. She often works with members of Bodman’s Business Law Group to advise clients on the Canadian law aspects of cross-border M&A and other business transactions, including due diligence, Canadian corporate structure and documentation requirements, and finance issues.

Ms. Machnik has been recognized multiple times by The Best Lawyers in America and by Michigan Rising Stars in Banking Law and in Aviation and Aerospace Law. She is a member of the International Law and Aviation Law sections of the State Bar of Michigan and is a former member of the International Law Section’s governing board. She is a member of the Law Society of Ontario and received that organization’s award for academic excellence while at the University of Windsor School of Law.

Honors, Awards, and Recognition

• University of Windsor Law Alumni, Dual JD Transnational Leader Award, 2023
• The Best Lawyers in America© 2021-2025, Banking and Finance Law
• Michigan Rising Stars 2008, 2010-2012, Banking, Aviation and Aerospace

Civic, Cultural, and Community Activities

• Law Society of Ontario, Member
• State Bar of Michigan
  • International Law Section
  • Aviation Section

Publications

• “The Federal Safety Act and Antiterrorism Technology: Liability Protection and Other Considerations,” Michigan Business Law Journal, Vol. XXIV, Issue 3 (Fall 2004)
• “Ontario Franchise Law: Considering Business Expansion to Ontario?” Michigan International Lawyer, Vol. XVI, No. 2 (Spring 2004)

Speaking Engagements

• “Nuts and Bolts Issues of Cross-Border Projects,” panelist, State Bar of Michigan International Law Section Annual Meeting, September 13, 2018
• “Investing in Canada,” presentation held at the Canadian Embassy, Warsaw, Poland, June 11, 2013
• “Cape Town Treaty: How the Cape Town Treaty—enacted in the U.S. in March 2006—regulates the buying, selling, leasing and financing of aircraft and engines,” presentation to Automation Alley Consortium, February 6, 2006

Related News

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• 07/24/2024Carla S. Machnik Receives University of Windsor Law 2024 Transnational Leader Award
• 08/17/202370 Bodman PLC Attorneys Listed in The Best Lawyers in America 2024
• 08/23/202270 Bodman PLC Attorneys Listed In The Best Lawyers in America 2023
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