Debevoise has been at the forefront of the aviation sector for more than 60 years, making it, in The Legal 500’s view, “unquestionably second to none” in representing airlines.
Paul D. Brusiloff
Brian E. Liu
Geoffrey P. Burgess
Ranked as a leading firm for Transportation: Aviation: Finance by Chambers USA (2022) and for Transport: Aviation and Air Travel – Finance by The Legal 500 US (2022).
Their service level and responsiveness is impeccable.
—Chambers USA, 2022
Debevoise is strategic, forward-thinking, thoughtful and efficient.
An excellent law firm and a valuable partner. Their practice is well coordinated and works together as a team. They have a combination of quality practitioners, top-tier tax and securities support, historical knowledge base, and an industry and client-specific focus.
—Chambers USA, 2021
Clients praise Debevoise’s “accomplished” finance practice which is “highly adept” and active in transactions across an enormous range of industries.
Debevoise & Plimpton is a ‘very sophisticated finance shop.
They are very talented and really smart lawyers … very thoughtful in pushing points and being creative with documentation.
—Chambers USA, 2020
They are highly responsive, intelligent and savvy, with an incredible knowledge of the aviation industry.
—Chambers USA, 2019
The team’s expertise was second to none
—The Legal 500 US, 2022
Debevoise is one of the few firms that has experience handling the full range of aviation transactional matters – including aircraft and non-aircraft financings, capital markets transactions, fleet purchases, M&A, in- and out-of-court restructurings and airport infrastructure development and financing.
The practice’s clients include two of the world’s largest airlines, and it has been a trusted advisor to each in some of the largest and most complex transactions of their kind, including more than 22 EETC offerings covering well over 470 aircraft and raising more than $14.1 billion. Debevoise has for many years been at the forefront of developing innovative structures in aircraft financings, and has assisted clients in accomplishing critically important aircraft fleet transactions.
In addition, the Aviation practice has worked on a broad array of transactions involving aircraft leasing companies, including outright sales, portfolio sales, joint ventures and financing transactions, as well as aviation-sector transactions funded by private equity, hedge funds, pension plans and sovereign wealth funds. These include market-shaping deals, such as the firm’s recent representation of AIG in its $7.6 billion sale of International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC) to AerCap Holdings N.V.
Acknowledged by Chambers as providing an exceptionally high level of client service, the group’s multidisciplinary and international team is known for its ability to tackle challenging transactions in the face of demanding time constraints. The Aviation practice is able to draw upon resources and skills of all relevant practices, including the tax and litigation practices, and of the firm as a whole, taking a truly collaborative approach to client matters.
It should therefore come as little surprise that The Legal 500 US calls the Aviation practice “one of the country’s finest,” and that Chambers USA comments on the team’s superior client service: “[T]hey take the time to discuss and explore difficult topics, seek creative solutions when roadblocks appear and never flinch at demanding time constraints.”
For more than 60 years, Debevoise has been at the forefront of the global aviation industry, representing airlines and other industry participants in the full range of aviation-related matters, spanning a broad array of disciplines.
Finance & Capital Markets
Restructuring & Workouts
Mergers & Acquisitions
Fleet Transactions
Business Jets
Airport Infrastructure Development & Financing
Litigation