Stephenson Harwood

Finance

Partner

Simon specialises in aircraft financing, leasing and trading relating to both commercial aircraft and business jets. He also handles aviation joint ventures, aviation funds, Islamic financing, equipment leasing and general banking work. Simon’s main clients are international aircraft lessors and financiers in the PRC and in Europe.

Simon is a partner at our Hong Kong office, specialising in aviation law and asset finance. He has advised financiers, lessors, airlines and aircraft owners on various types of aircraft financing transactions (including syndicated loans, pre-delivery financing, off-balance sheet financing, Islamic financing and ECA financing), cross-border leasing transactions (including operating leases, finance leases, sale and leasebacks, tax-based leases and domestic PRC operating leases utilising the Tianjin SPV structure), commercial aircraft fleet acquisition projects, aircraft lease novation, engine and cabin equipment purchases, power-by-the-hour arrangements, sale and purchase of used aircraft and aircraft holding companies, aviation joint ventures in Mainland China, licensing arrangements and restructuring of tax leases.

He recently acted for a policy bank in China in a financing transaction involving eight aircraft on-leased to six airlines across the globe, including various flag carriers and fast developing low cost carriers. He also advised a major aircraft lessor in the establishment of an offshore leasing platform and the acquisition of its aircraft portfolio.

Simon acts for some of the most active aircraft lessors in China in cross-border aircraft leasing and financing transactions. These transactions involved complex negotiations when looking at it from a commercial, engineering and legal perspective. On the business jet side, Simon acts for many operators and aircraft owners in the region.

English, Mandarin, Cantonese