James Aylward - Principal, Attorney at Law

Jim is a former Air Force/Air National Guard Fighter Pilot, having flown the F-106 and F-15 for twenty years. During that time, he flew a wide variety of missions, including counter-drug operations in Central America, NORAD air defense alert, and combat air patrol over Iraq during Operation Northern Watch. He holds a bachelor's degree in aeronautics from Saint Louis University, an MBA from the University of Massachusetts, a JD from Northwestern California University Law, and a Master of Science in human factors psychology. Jim is a member of the California Bar.

Jim holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with type ratings in the Boeing B-727, MD-11, and Boeing B-777. He has over three decades of international operational experience and nearly 20,000 hours of total flying time. He is a certified flight instructor/instrument. Jim also holds a third-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Robert Simeone – Advisor, Firearms expert

Bob is a former Navy Fighter Pilot who flew the FA-18 Hornet. Bob is a decorated combat veteran of Desert Storm I. He also held the position of Nuclear Weapons Training Officer, VFA-82. Bob has a degree in Applied Mathematics from the University of Massachusetts, which he attended on a full football scholarship. He is a firearms expert and author.

Bob holds an Airline Transport Pilot license and is type-rated in the Boeing 777, which he flies worldwide. He has accumulated over 15,000 hours of flying time. Bob was, along with Ted below, one of the initial cadres of FFDOs trained to bring firearms on civilian aircraft.

Ted Wallace – Advisor, Maintenance/Operations

Ted is a retired Navy Captain with 29 years of service as a Fighter Pilot and instructor. Ted was Commanding Officer, VFA-106, flying the FA-18 Hornet. Ted has held the position of maintenance and Operations Officer Department Head VFA-131 and has over 4,000 combined hours in the FA-18 and A-4 with over 600 carrier landings. During this time, he was involved in combat operations in Bosnia, Somalia, and Iraq, receiving numerous awards and citations. Ted was Navy East Coast Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) expert.

Ted is a United States Naval Academy graduate with honors, where he captained the baseball team. He is the founder and former CEO of Force Protection Insurance Services, LLC, which provides force protection insurance services worldwide. Ted was the security chairman of the FedEx MEC. He holds an Airline Transport Pilot license with MD-11 and B-767 type ratings. He currently flies as a B-767 Captain.

Tom Shane – 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.