Industry leaders look to White & Case's global team of more than 40 aircraft finance lawyers to provide in-depth advice on the most ambitious cross-border financing deals. Our lawyers represent airlines, financial institutions, lessors, manufacturers, credit support providers and industry advisors in a broad spectrum of lease and finance transactions, as well as related securities, tax, litigation, restructuring, bankruptcy and regulatory matters. The team has significant US, English and French law experience and has completed aircraft financing transactions in more than 50 jurisdictions.

Practice Strengths

• Warehouse financings, predelivery payment financings and other secured debt financings
  
• Operating leases (typically cross-border and multi-jurisdictional)
  
• Securitizations of aircraft operating leases
  
• Financings backed by export credit agencies in the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada and Brazil
  
• Private placement financings
  
• Financial guarantees of public and privately placed debt
  
• Purchase and sale transactions on behalf of our airline and lessor clients, including negotiation of purchase agreements with manufacturers
  
• Airline lease and ticket receivable financings
  
• Backstop financings, residual or asset value support agreements and other types of manufacturer support
  
• Maintenance agreements, including power-by-the-hour arrangements and inter-airline swap and pooling arrangements
  
• Acquisitions of executive aircraft, including participations in fractional ownership and sales programs

We also have substantial experience in executing tax-motivated aircraft finance transactions, which are increasingly important options in today's global economic climate. These transactions include typical tax advantaged US sale and leaseback transactions, French tax leases and Japanese operating leases.

Recognition

• Advised on the "Cargo and Aerospace Deals of the Year 2007" — Airfinance Journal, 2008
  
• Advised on the "Asia Pacific Deal of the Year 2006" — Airfinance Journal, 2007
  
• Recognized as a leading industry law firm earning high marks for deal support, innovation, quick turnarounds and value — Airfinance Journal, July 2007