Former Boeing Captain / Principal, Attorney at Law

Jim is a former U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard fighter pilot with 20 years of service flying the F-106 and F-15 in missions ranging from NORAD air defense to combat air patrol over Iraq. He holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautics, a JD from Northwestern California University School of Law, an MBA, and a Master of Science in human factors psychology. He is a member of the California Bar and the Lawyer-Pilots Bar Association.

With nearly 20,000 flight hours and type ratings in the B-727, MD-11, and B-777, Jim brings over 30 years of global aviation experience. He is also a certified flight instructor and a panel attorney for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

Advisor | Aviation & Firearms Expert

Robert "Bob" Simeone is a former U.S. Navy FA-18 Hornet fighter pilot and decorated combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm. With a background in nuclear weapons training and a degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, Bob brings both operational and analytical expertise to the team.

He holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with a Boeing 777 type rating and has logged over 15,000 flight hours flying internationally. As a certified firearms expert and published author, Bob was among the first group of pilots federally trained to carry firearms aboard civilian aircraft, enhancing aviation security from within.

Advisor | Maintenance, Operations & Risk Management

Ted Wallace is a retired U.S. Navy Captain with 29 years of distinguished service as a fighter pilot, instructor, and squadron commander. He led VFA-106 and served as Maintenance and Operations Officer for VFA-131, accumulating over 4,000 flight hours in the FA-18 and A-4, with more than 600 carrier landings. Ted participated in combat operations across Bosnia, Somalia, and Iraq and served as the Navy’s East Coast FOQA (Flight Operations Quality Assurance) expert.

A U.S. Naval Academy graduate with honors and a former team captain of the Academy’s baseball team, Ted later founded Force Protection Insurance Services, delivering global security-focused coverage. He also served as Security Chairman for the FedEx MEC. Ted holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with MD-11 and B-767 type ratings and currently flies as a B-767 Captain.

Advisor, legal counsel, business development

Tom founded Shane & Associates in 2015 to provide entrepreneurs legal counsel that understands the needs of growing businesses. Tom brings over 35 years of experience as an entrepreneur and attorney to solving his clients' legal issues in a practical and efficient manner. Tom founded his prior firm, Shane & Paolillo, in 1988, at its peak a firm of 46 attorneys on both coasts, in which Tom developed deep experience in litigation & corporate law. 

Tom began his business career as one of the founders of Faded Glory, the company that introduced the concept of pre-washed high “fashion” jeans to the world. He was instrumental in both the establishment and management of the company. Tom was the co-founder, vice chairman and general counsel for Leading Edge Products, Inc., a pioneer in computer manufacturing that popularized the IBM clone strategy and which set the trend for the growth of the computer industry.  Tom has founded, operated and sold multiple companies including Faded Glory, acquired by a Hong Kong private equity group, Pioneer IBM clone marketer, (buyer NDA) and Shane and Paolillo, acquired by separate law firms in two of the three major cities it had offices. Tom founded Business Strategy Group in 1993 to leverage his combination of business, legal and entrepreneurial experience and skills. Tom has the experience and know-how to identify and help build companies in different industries with ground breaking products or services that materially help shape a market. Tom graduated from Boston College, cum laude, and obtained his JD from Suffolk Law School and his MBA from Babson College.