Europe - France

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

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Watson Farley & Williams LLP's aviation finance practice reflects the firm’s global strengths in this space, where the group counts clients such as lessors, arrangers, and manufacturers amongst its portfolio, advising them on the gamut of English and French law transactions. A specific focus of the practice lies in debt restructuring as well as sale and leaseback transactions, with additional capabilities relating to cross-border matters.  Asset finance expert Alexia Russell heads the team and offers particular expertise in ECA-backed financings. Philippe Monfort is another key member of the team and is qualified in France as well as England and Wales.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

  • ‘Responsive, well-structured team, good resource allocation, very helpful, great final product.’

  • ‘Lisa Tavlaridis is an excellent up-and-coming associate.’

Key clients

  • French Ministry of Defence
  • LCI
  • RIVE Private Investment
  • Société Générale
  • Turning Rock Partners

Work highlights

  • Advised RIVE Private Investment, LCI and Turning Rock Partners on their joint acquisition of a $115m portfolio of 19 helicopters as part of the expansion of their international helicopter leasing platform in Europe and beyond.
  • Advised the French Ministry of Defence in relation to the carrying out of their A400M aircraft programme and in connection with the preparation of new contracts and amendments to the existing contractual documentation.
  • Advised a group of lessors, together owning approximately 30 aircraft and/or aircraft engines in Lion Air’s fleet, regarding safeguard and receivership proceedings initiated before the French courts relating to the French subsidiaries of Indonesian airline group Lion Air.

Lawyers

Leading individuals

Alexia Russell

Alexia Russell

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

Alexia specialises in asset finance, leasing and project finance, where she acts primarily for banks and other financial institutions, equity investors, export credit agencies, and other lenders and lessors. Her asset finance and leasing practice focusses on transactions in the shipping, aviation and rail sectors, while in the project finance sphere she has developed strong expertise in the energy sector, especially as relating to renewables. Alexia has extensive experience in structuring, documenting and negotiating acquisitions, financing and leasing transactions and has been involved in numerous complex restructurings in the last few years. She has also developed a strong track record advising on ECA-backed financings.

Next Generation Partners

Philippe Monfort

Philippe Monfort

Watson Farley & Williams LLP

Philippe specialises in banking and finance law. He advises on French, English and cross-border aspects of financing transactions: corporate lending, acquisition finance, tax lease transactions (including in favour of the French overseas territories) and structured finance, with a particular focus on asset finance (aviation, shipping, rail and infrastructure). Philippe is a dually qualified: he is admitted as avocat to the Paris Bar and as solicitor in England and Wales.

Practice head

The lawyer(s) leading their teams.

Alexia Russell

Other key lawyers

Philippe Monfort, Lisa Tavlaridis