Bird & Bird's Aviation Finance team recognised in AirFinance Journal’s 2018 Lawyers Guide

• sixth among all law firms globally for aviation finance transactions;
• first on operating lease transactions globally; and
• second in Asia Pacific in terms of number of aviation finance transactions completed. 

The results follow a very successful 2017, when the team - led by Jim Bell and Matthias Winter - scooped two AFJ 'Deal of the Year' awards and was ranked sixth globally; second in the Middle East; and fourth on leasing transactions globally.  

This is particularly noteworthy as the legal survey accurately records, verifies - from both commercial parties and other law firm testimony - and totals all aviation finance transactions completed by each law firm throughout the relevant year.  

This year's survey highlighted a number of industry trends, including the growth in emerging markets; strong commercial lending; limited ECA financing; a move towards more innovative structures with less traditional players such as pension and insurance companies; a competitive leasing market; and teams working on a number of restructurings and repossessions. 

Jim Bell, Partner, says:

"We are delighted that the team's strong performance has been recognised once more in the AFJ 2018 Lawyers Guide. We have an excellent team of friendly, dynamic and highly skilled people who have been working on some of the biggest transactions in the market. The strong performance in the AFJ guide evidences core strengths like operating leasing but also showcases our financing and capital markets capabilities."

Matthias Winter, Partner adds:

"It has been an exciting year for aviation finance, with more restructurings and an increase in alternative structures reflecting the changing nature of the market. These results demonstrate our team's skill and expertise around the world and our ability to compete with larger law firms on big ticket transactions".

Leo Fattorini, Partner, based in Singapore, commented:

“Asian airlines continue to add to their fleets to meet ever-increasing passenger demands, and Chinese investment into aircraft leasing continues to drive the market forward. As focus has continued to shift towards Asia, we have been fortunate to work on a significant number of the transactions happening in the region."