Mr Stephen Gardiner > Matheson LLP > Dublin, Ireland > Lawyer Profile
Matheson LLP Offices
70 SIR JOHN ROGERSON'S QUAY
DUBLIN 2
Ireland
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Mr Stephen Gardiner
Work Department
Partner in the Finance and Capital Markets Department
Position
Stephen is a partner in the Finance and Capital Markets Department at Matheson.
Stephen advises aircraft lessors, financiers and airlines on the trading, financing, leasing and repossession of aircraft. His practice includes the establishment of corporate structures in Ireland to facilitate the financing and leasing of various asset classes, including aviation, maritime and industrial assets.
Stephen advises some of the world’s largest financial institutions and leading aviation industry participants on a variety of transactions and financing products utilising Irish corporate structures. These include joint ventures, operating leasing, orphan financings, sale and leasebacks, export credit agency supported financings, secured and unsecured lending, EETCs, JOLCOs, ABS and PDP financings, amongst others.
Stephen is recognised as an experienced advisor in airline regulation and aircraft registration in Ireland, and has advised on the establishment of a major international airline in Ireland.
Stephen was named as a key lawyer in transport in Ireland by Legal 500 in 2020 and as a Rising Star by Airfinance Journal in 2019.
Stephen is faculty member on The Law Society of Ireland’s Certificate and Diploma courses in Aviation Leasing and Finance. He is also a licenced private pilot.
Education
Admitted as a solicitor in Ireland
University College Dublin, Bachelor of Law and French Law
University of Paris II Panthéon-Assas, French Law
Law Society of Ireland, Diploma in Aviation Leasing and Finance
Lawyer Rankings
Ireland > Transport
(Next Generation Partners)Ireland > Asset finance
(Next Generation Partners)Maples Group
‘s aviation finance work is closely associated with its expertise in asset-backed securitisations and CLOs, along with the establishment of aviation platforms and private equity investments. With its fiduciary services arm, the firm is particularly noted for structured transactions involving a Cayman TopCo and Irish SPV; the Dublin team frequently works alongside colleagues in the Cayman Islands. With further expansion in the CLO sector, the Dublin office has also gained additional traction in the rail rolling stock sector. Led by Mary O’Neill, the team also features Alex Walsh and Eoin O’Leary. Stephen Gardiner was a new arrival in early 2025.
Top Tier Firm Rankings
- Asset finance
- Banking and finance
- Capital markets
- Commercial, corporate and M&A
- Data privacy and data protection
- Dispute resolution
- Employment
- Energy and natural resources
- EU and competition
- Fintech
- Healthcare and life sciences
- Insolvency and corporate restructuring
- Insurance
- Investment funds
- Media and entertainment
- Planning and environment
- Projects and PPP
- Public sector
- Real estate
- Tax
- Telecoms
- Transport