Representative Experience

  • Aviation Finance
    • Advised Smartwings in connection with its first ever Aircraft Finance Insurance Consortium (AFIC), supporting financing of three Boeing 737-8 aircraft
    • Represented Mizuho Securities USA Inc. as structuring agent and bookrunner on the $379 million debt placement and equity sale to Korean equity investor by Kestrel Aircraft Funding Limited, which acquired 18 commercial aircraft on lease to 15 airlines in 13 countries from affiliates of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd.
    • Represented World Star Aviation and Oaktree Capital Management in connection with a portfolio acquisition, warehouse financing and the Sprite 2017-1 Notes Offering.

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  • Represented SunExpress in a French tax lease financing of five Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
  • Represented Emirates regarding London Stock Exchange listing on the specialist fund market of an aircraft acquisition and leasing investment company.
  • Advised independent jet lessor Willis Lease Finance Corp. in expanding its $700 million revolving credit facility to $1 billion.
  • Represented BNP Paribas and a multinational finance company, as lead arrangers/joint bookrunners, in AIM Aviation Finance Limited’s novel $667 million debt issuance—awarded Airfinance Journal’’s European Deal of the Year.
  • Represented Turkish Airlines in financing of new Airbus aircraft in first yen-denominated EETCs with Japanese Operating Leases with Call Options (JOLCOs), which was awarded Capital Markets EETC Deal of the Year.
  • Acted for Natixis as liquidity provider and depositary on Latin America’s inaugural issuance of EETCs. As the first-ever EETC from Latin America, it earned Latin America Deal of the Year.
  • Represented Nedbank on the U.S. Ex-Im Bank financing of Boeing aircraft for South African low-cost carrier Comair, which won Africa Deal of the Year by Airfinance Journal.
  • Represented Emirates on an innovative financing of an A380 with a traditional senior loan, pari-passu senior tranche and 40% Islamic mezzanine tranche—recognized as the Sale and Leaseback Deal of the Year.
  • Rail/Rolling Stock
    • Represented variety of U.S., Canadian and European banks on locomotive, railcar and railcar lease portfolio acquisition financings and warehouse facilities.
    • Advised several potential purchasers on large-scale U.S. and European railcar portfolio acquisitions.
    • Served as counsel to financing parties for specialty railcars used exclusively to transport nuclear fuel rods.
    • Advised San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District on contracting, compliance, financing and development for rail transit and transit-oriented development, including energy service contracts and P3 transactions in California.
  • Shipping, Maritime and Offshore
    • Advised alternative asset managers regarding equity capital and junior debt financing of offshore rigs on time charter to an oil major and the financing of offshore construction vessels.
    • Represented global banking and financial services company and its subsidiary in Brazil in connection with the financing and refinancing of 21 offshore drill ships for Sete Internació
    • Represented multilateral institution and a U.S. government agency as senior project finance lenders and equity investor in financing a barge-mounted diesel-fired power plant.
    • Represented the borrower on an unsecured export credit-supported corporate credit facility transaction for an oil rig.
  • Equipment
    • Represented the lessor of automobile manufacturing equipment in a cross-border lease financing.
    • Served as counsel to the financing parties for the lease of heavy duty construction equipment.
    • Advised the lenders in the leveraged lease financing of diesel truck fleets.
    • Served as counsel to the lessee in a cross-border financing of multinational pipeline and pumping stations.

Practice Area Highlights

  • Ranked nationally in Aviation and Air Travel: Finance by The Legal 500 (2024).
  • Recognized by Chambers USA in Aviation: Finance (2024), Chambers Global in Assset Finance (2024), Chambers UK in Asset Finance: Aviation Finance (2025) and Chambers Asia-Pacific in International Asset Finance (2025).
  • Airfinance Journal and Airline Economics have awarded dozens of Pillsbury transactions “Deal of the Year” recognition.

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  • Assisted clients in financing or refinancing of more than 1,600 commercial and corporate jet aircraft with an aggregate value exceeding $75 billion.
  • Awarded Global Aviation Law Firm of the Year at the Airline Economics 2020 Aviation 100 Awards.
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