Brian E. Liu

Partner

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New York

Tel: +1 212 909 6190

Overview

Brian E. Liu is a corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Aviation Practice Group. His practice focuses on all aspects of aviation and equipment ... Read Full Biography

Experience

- Alaska Air Group in its $2.85 billion financings consisting of a $2 billion loyalty secured senior notes offering and term loan facility and a new $850 million revolving credit facility.
- Hawaiian Airlines in its exchange offer of $1.2 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.750% Senior Secured Notes due 2026 for $985 million aggregate principal amount of 11.000% Senior Secured Notes due 2029 and cash and related consent solicitation, which closed on July 26, 2024.
- Spirit Airlines in its $600 million secured notes offering, backed by assets and intellectual property of Spirit’s Free Spirit and Spirit Saver$ Club programs.
- Spirit Airlines in the financing aspects of its sale, later terminated, to JetBlue for $3.8 billion.
- Spirit Airlines in its merger, later terminated, with Frontier Group Holdings, parent company of Frontier Airlines, in a transaction valued at $6.6 billion.
- JetBlue in its $808 million 2020-1 EETC offering and $116 million 2019-1B EETC offering.
- Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air Industries in their $1.17 billion inaugural EETC offering.

Education

Northwestern University, 2003, B.A.
University of Pennsylvania Law School, 2006, J.D.

Brian E. Liu is a corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Aviation Practice Group. His practice focuses on all aspects of aviation and equipment finance, and he regularly represents airlines, leasing companies and financial institutions.Mr. Liu’s extensive experience includes advising clients on enhanced equipment trust certificate and secured notes issuances, securitizations, syndicated credit facilities, second lien facilities, warehouse facilities, sale/leasebacks and restructurings. A number of transactions on which he has worked have been selected for “Deal of the Year” industry honors; these complex structured financings, encompassing portfolio securitizations and U.S. and foreign carrier EETCs, have been recognized within the aviation finance industry for their innovation and significance.Mr. Liu joined the firm in 2017. Prior to joining Debevoise, he served as partner at an international law firm, focusing on equipment finance matters.Mr. Liu is ranked as a leading practitioner for aviation finance by Chambers USA (2024), where he is described as “a brilliant attorney in the airline space” and “a master of his craft.” Clients note that “his attention to detail, awareness and responsiveness make him a unique advisor.” They say that he is “a solution-based thinker who shows a keen attention to detail and gets things done” and “his market awareness, breadth and depth of knowledge associated with aircraft financing and leasing is outstanding.” He is also described as “an amazing attorney who exceeds all expectations.” Mr. Liu is recognized for his aviation finance capabilities in The Legal 500 US (2024), where he has been described as “a consummate problem solver with deep industry experience.” He is also named a Rising Star by Law360 and Airfinance Journal.Mr. Liu earned his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 2006 and received his B.A. from Northwestern University in 2003.