« Yvonne McWeeney leads an exceptional team of partners and paralegals. All transactions were expertly handled, but with an army of knowledgeable professionals to assist them. « The team prioritized clients` needs from start to finish, setting them apart from other law firms we use. The service we have received from the aviation team has always been very efficient, and the team has shown that they understand our business, know how it works and know our customers and our values. The team is very diverse and speaks several different languages, which makes the firm and the team unique and accessible. Herbert Smith Freehills LLP`s « highly accessible » five-person team, led by Jahnavi Ramachandran after Rex Rosales` departure in March 2022, advises financial institutions, lessors and airlines on a range of financing and leasing transactions where clients also benefit from access to a particularly strong offering from the Asia-Pacific region. Ramachandran is « exceptionally commercial and legally savvy, » qualities she displays well in a range of commercial lending, ECA-backed financing, and capital markets operations for lenders and borrowers. « King & Wood Mallesons` asset finance practice in Hong Kong has a proven track record. An important part of Wikborg Rein`s transaction flow is the provision of legal advice in English to banks that lend to Norwegian clients, as well as the substantial list of the firm`s Norwegian operator clients. Team leader Jonathan Goldfarb is particularly well versed in the development and financing of offshore energy projects, including the LNG sector. In addition to overseas transaction work, Jonathan Page also handles a range of conventional commercial shipping issues for borrowers and lenders in traditional bank credit markets, as well as for lessors and tenants in sale and sale-leaseback transactions. « Marc-Alexandre Tremblay is pragmatic and does not create unnecessary tension or debate. This makes it possible to be more efficient and, ultimately, to limit legal costs.
« The Hogan Lovells team has a holistic view of the aviation industry, which allows them to capture and anticipate potential concerns for the benefit of the customer. « Clyde & Co has proven to be an excellent choice for a complex set of aviation claims. « Stuart Kennedy and Yvonne McWeeney in particular are also outstanding lawyers. Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP`s core competencies include aviation product liability, military and civil aircraft accidents, commercial airline defense and aviation insurance litigation. Denny Shupe has extensive experience representing aviation clients in litigation and accident investigations, and is a senior partner in the Philadelphia office. Jonathan Stern, a Washington, DC-based attorney, focuses on aerospace-related litigation. The Aviation Group is co-chaired by Robert Williams, an aviation litigation and product liability claims specialist based in the Pittsburgh and Philadelphia offices. and Barry Alexander, based in New York and Philadelphia, expert in commercial litigation, product liability and personal injury. In Philadelphia, Stephen Shapiro, co-chair of the litigation services division, regularly defends major commercial airlines against passenger claims; and Partner Lee Schmeer focuses on aviation and product liability issues. « Caroline Courtney has extensive experience in commercial aviation and private aviation operations and the risks involved.
It is always available, very practical and extremely efficient. Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP`s practice focuses on private aviation financing. It was well positioned during the COVID-19 pandemic, given the decline in commercial aviation business and the rise of private and corporate-funded aircraft. The team is able to offer legal expertise in the U.S. and U.K. in connection with high-profile cross-border transactions, buyouts and restructurings. The team is now led by London`s Graham Tyler, following the departure of former training director Paul Jebely, who joined Withers in January 2022. « Mayer Brown`s Aviation Leasing team is exceptional. They bring with them in-depth knowledge of legal and economic perspectives and extensive experience. Without them, we would not have been able to complete our transactions. Watson Farley & Williams recently strengthened its aviation finance practice by hiring Jackson Chow and William Ho, senior consultant at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP, in January 2021. Chow and Ho has extensive experience in the aerospace finance and leasing market and has recently worked on a number of major restructuring agreements.
They work for a number of clients in Greater China. The culturally diverse team is led by Madeline Leong, a ship finance expert, who is qualified to practice in Hong Kong, England, Wales and Australia. She has over 30 years of industry experience and specializes in debt restructuring and enforcement work. Christoforos Bisbikos handles ship leasing and debt financing. Attorney Valerie Lee advises banks and financial institutions on debt restructuring. Jones Day has extensive experience representing clients in the aviation industry and has a team of civilian and former military pilots, former senior FAA and Justice Department officers, and former in-house lawyers for the aircraft manufacturer. John Goetz, based in Pittsburgh, leads the global airline and aviation practice initiative and advises airlines and aviation customers in China, Japan, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia, as well as the United States. Other notable names include Matthew Papez, a litigator in Washington DC who has a particular focus on the aerospace industry; and Stephen Cowen of Detroit, who has represented aerospace clients in contract infringement, patent, trade secrets and tort litigation. As a member of the company`s global transportation group, Reed Smith LLP`s asset finance team combines deep industry knowledge with expertise in handling a range of complex cross-border financing and leasing structures. Marine finance remains an integral part of the company`s offering, and while it still works for commercial banks, its focus on working for fund clients is really paying off in the current economic climate – as they are increasingly the main providers of capital to many companies in the market (given the banks` cuts). Rob Wilkins has been « adept at managing and finding solutions » and has been instrumental in this success for the fund`s clients, not only on the credit front, but also, with the « exceptional » Richard Hakes, in terms of market exposure of the NPL portfolio.