Full Profile
Peter has over 29 years’ experience working for the aviation industry, including working for a Hong Kong airline in the early 1990s and working for legal practices in London, Singapore and Hong Kong over the last 26 years, 23 years of which have been Asia.
Peter advises on a range of legal issues in the lifecycle of the aviation industry, including ownership and control, licensing of aircraft and operations, market entry, crew employment, commercial contracts, sanctions, data privacy, contingency planning, emergency response, government investigations and prosecutions, civil liability claims, uninsured commercial disputes, corporate restructurings, enforcement against assets and insolvency. Examples of his work in the last 3 years includes advising on the termination of Boeing MAX 737 contracts, the restructuring of Cathay Pacific Airways, emergency humanitarian flights to/from China, the licensing of Greater Bay Airlines, numerous aircraft accidents and incidents around the world and the grand aircraft theft in Russia.
Peter is consistently recommended by legal directories such as Chambers Asia Pacific, Legal 500 and Who’s Who Legal.
Peter qualified in England and Wales in 1996 and Hong Kong in 2003.
Peter Coles is singled out for his focus on the aviation industry. He has extensive experience when it comes to aviation-related insurance claims, and has worked on mandates across the Asia-Pacific region.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2020
Peter Coles attracts praise from clients for the "excellent advice" he offers in relation to aviation-related insurance claims. His counsel is sought by major international insurers and companies within the aviation sector to act on high-value cross-border claims across the Asia-Pacific region.
Chambers Asia Pacific 2019
Peter is described as “a bright and well-known aviation lawyer”, highly sought after by clients for his strong expertise on regulatory and liability matters.
Whos’ Who Legal: Aviation 2018
Experience
- Acting for start-up and existing airlines in APAC on obtaining AOCs and foreign carrier permits, air service agreements, designation, licences and airport slots
- Advising operators on hiring of pilots and management and training bonds
- Advising airlines, MROs and ground handlers in relation to foreign direct investment decisions including due diligence, nationality of ownership and control restrictions, structures, insurance and acquisitions.
- Advising airlines and owners on the Boeing MAX debacle; and the grounding of other aircraft due to defective engines.
- Acting for airlines and ground handlers in relation to the introduction of e-freight, use of e-AWBs and processes
- Advising MROs on heavy airframe and line maintenance, fleet technical and inventory management, PBH and other agreements, licensing
- Advising airlines, general and business aviation operators, and others as to their terms and conditions of carriage and trade (with passengers, travel and cargo agents, ferry and rail operators),charters, code share agreements, mandatory reporting and antibribery practices
- Acting for airlines, logistic operators and MROs in relation to dawn raids and antitrust clearances, investigations and proceedings in APAC and North America.
- Acting for cargo terminals in relation to Pearl River Delta cross border trucking arrangements
- Representing aircraft operators, flying clubs, manufacturers and ground handlers and their insurers in relation to contingency planning, major aircraft accidents and serious incidents involving aircraft, hangars and warehouses, fires and structure collapses, handling official investigations, health and safety prosecutions, claims and subrogated recoveries.
- Advising North American and European equipment manufacturers in relation to product liability investigations and litigation.
- Assisting in the recovery of debts from operators and lessors of aircraft, including asset seizures and bankruptcy proceedings in Bahrain, Hong Kong, mainland China, Philippines, Russia, Taiwan and Thailand.
