What We Do

"One of the leading players in the aviation finance sector. It gets the deal done."
Chambers Europe 2010

We have extensive aviation experience with operating leasing, commercial debt and export credit agency supported financings in addition to aircraft and aircraft engine portfolio trading.  We act for many of the leading international aircraft and aircraft engine financing and leasing companies as well as a number of domestic and international airlines. We advise both domestic and international asset financing banks in relation to financing and leasing of commercial and corporate aircraft and helicopters. We regularly act as deal counsel or Irish counsel in complex cross border aviation financings including those supported by the European Export Credit Agencies and the US Export-Import Bank. We have a dedicated Aviation Tax Group with extensive experience in the aviation sector providing advice and analysis in respect of tax enhanced aviation financings in addition to providing advice and support as and when required by our clients. We act as general counsel to the Registrar of the International Registry established pursuant to the Cape Town Treaty and Aircraft Protocol.

Matheson Ormsby Prentice is the only Irish law firm to be selected as one of the "top 10 aviation finance law firms" in the world by Air Finance Journal 2010. 

Lawyers in our Aviation Finance Group have advised among others:

• A major private equity fund in relation to its acquisition of an aircraft portfolio comprising in excess of 150 aircraft
• An international investor in a 50/50 joint venture arrangement to acquire up to 70 Airbus A320 aircraft 
• A domestic airline in its acquisition of up to 20 new aircraft 
• The Export-Import Bank of China in respect of its financing of six Airbus A320 aircraft to a Chinese based lessor. The first aircraft delivered under this facility was the first non European assembled Airbus aircraft and the first A320 to be produced at Airbus' new assembly facility in Tianjin, China. 
• A domestic airline in its acquisition and financing of 10 ATR aircraft pursuant to a European Export Credit Agency supported financing 
• An international lessor and financier in its acquisition of 15 Boeing 737-800 aircraft 
• An Irish aircraft lessor on its acquisition of 30 aircraft and an airline
  

In addition to:

• Regularly acting as rating agency counsel on aircraft securitisation transactions
• Regularly acting as Irish counsel on US EX-IM supported financing of Boeing aircraft 
• Regularly acting as Irish counsel on European Export Credit supported financing of Airbus and ATR aircraft 
• Regularly acting as Irish counsel on BNDES Brazilian export credit supported financing of Embraer aircraft
• Regularly advising on the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol

Commentators laud this team as “practical, pragmatic, succinct and commercial in its outlook.” The group works on a wide range of banking matters, but observers highlight structured finance as its forte; as the credit crunch takes effect, this has increasingly involved restructurings and private placements. The team is also strong in securitisation and asset finance, and the department’s international capacity is key to its strong showing in aviation financing; it is also attracting an increasing number of clients looking to buy assets abroad. Sources were keen to praise the service on offer here, and especially appreciate that the lawyers “structure their advice clearly, with simple explanations of legal issues.” Chris Quinn heads up the asset finance team and is central to the firm’s renowned aircraft and shipping finance practice.
Banking and Finance: Chambers Global 2009