Strength in transport

Charting the way ahead for aviation, rail and shipping

We have over 200 transport specialists worldwide and a longstanding reputation for world-class expertise in the aviation, rail and shipping sectors. We are supporting our clients through a time of considerable change involving consolidation, increased state investment and intensified funds and financing activity. In particular, we assist our clients in benefiting from connections between transport, real estate and infrastructure within a sustainable framework, closing highly technical transactions and advising on future policy requirements. Together with our clients, we are charting the way ahead for transport.

We deliver

world-class asset finance specialists, in an axis that stretches from London to Moscow to Abu Dhabi to Singapore to Sydney, and all bases between
market knowledge derived from decades of experience in the transport sector
incisive market research
experience of every form of finance and leasing structure used in recent years, including Islamic finance
expertise in debt financing and restructuring
expertise in M&A transactions, joint ventures and other forms of co-operation in the transport sector
guidance on antitrust, competition and international regulatory systems and controls
a dedicated business ethics, reputational and risk management programme
a global green economy team with access to policy-makers and key industry players
specialist knowledge of sustainability, climate change, carbon finance, urban regeneration, ports, light rail, environmental, planning and health & safety developments
dispute resolution specialists in shipping, aviation and rail.

Top tier

Asset finance
Shipping: finance
Transport: rail
Chambers UK 2010

No.1

Shipping finance law award
Finance deal of the year (Europe)
Aircraft leasing deal of the year (South America)
Ship financing debt deal of the year (S E Asia)
Jane’s Transport Finance 2008

Transport track record

In the last 12 months we have advised

on shipping transactions (in 2008-09) in excess of US$28 billion
Goldman Sachs on one of the first joint ventures between an investment bank and a shipping group, including advice on establishment of the JV, corporate structuring, international tax planning, potential liabilities and corporate governance
Standard Chartered, Fortis, Brunei Investment & Commercial Bank and Societe Generale on the US$505 million Islamic lease financing facility for Brunei Gas Carriers - a multi-award-winning transaction
European export credit agencies underwriting a US$1.4 billion aircraft financing facility for Dutch operating lessor AerCap NV
Deutsche Bank, Lloyds TSB and other members of a consortium on the £2 million acquisition of UK rolling stock leasing company Porterbrook Leasing from Abbey, part of the Santander Group
Etihad Airways on the US$102.3 million ClubA340 financing, one of the first aircraft financing transactions in the UAE since the Cape Town Convention came into force - and winner of Airfinance’s Middle East deal of the year
the sole transhipper for the Mozambique Beira mine
the liquidators of the aircraft leasing division of Swissair, the Flightlease Group, involving the courts of Paris, the Cayman Islands, California, South Africa, Switzerland, Ireland and Guernsey and culminating in a successful result for our clients
the UK Government on the introduction of Pendolino trains and the procurement of Diesel Multiple Units and the Office of Rail Regulation on key developments
the European Commission on practical and legal aspects of applying the European Emissions Trading Scheme to the shipping sector.

“Market-leading asset finance capabilities” Chambers UK 2010

“The firm’s massive, dedicated team has ‘the ability to get down to key issues in a fast-moving environment’… clients praise [the lawyers] for being ‘technically excellent but also commercial; quick but always thorough.’” Chambers Global 2009