About

Headquartered in Dublin, SMBC Aviation Capital is another of Ireland’s global aircraft leasing companies with an international remit, with over 160 employees across Europe, Asia and the United States. With a fleet of aircraft worth around $9bn, the world’s third largest aircraft lessor faces many of the challenges one would expect from the complexities of cross-border, big-ticket transactions but has faced remarkably few problems due, in large part, to its standout legal team. Chief legal officer Catharine Ennis leads a compact, Ireland-based legal function concerned with ensuring the aircraft leasing business of SMBC Aviation Capital is producing good results against the backdrop of a fast-moving, pressure-filled and competitive market. The team’s focus combines several important commercial aspects to safeguarding SMBC Aviation Capital’s aircraft portfolio and expanding it, with an emphasis on mixed corporate governance, commercial agreements, company secretarial and corporate legal matters.