Watson Farley & Williams (New York) LLP > New York, United States > Firm Profile

Watson Farley & Williams (New York) LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Transport > Shipping: finance Tier 1

Praised by clients as ‘The clear leader in shipping finance’, Watson Farley & Williams (New York) LLP‘s New York-based practice advises on the gamut of shipping finance transactions, including capital markets and private equity deals. It also assists with restructurings, insolvencies, sanctions, and tax issues; and on behalf of owners, shipbuilders, investors, lenders and operators, the group advises on the Jones Act. In recent highlights, the team assisted Altera Infrastructure with aspects of its Chapter 11 restructuring process in the US. Senior partner and New York office head, George Paleokrassas represents shipping lenders and shipowners on the structuring and restructuring of loan and leasing deals, as well as transactions involving distressed assets; and Christopher Belisle assists with asset-based loan facilities for ships, along with lease financings. The practice further showcases John Benson, who represents financial institutions and investment funds, as well as owners and operators in the international shipping markets; and corporate, private equity, securities and capital markets transaction expert, Steven Hollander, who ‘gets the job done’. Other names to note are maritime sector specialists Filana Silberberg (a late 2022 hire from Seward & Kissel LLP), Will Vogel, C J Chido, Maxi Adamski-De Visser and Todd Johnson. In October 2023, former partner Daniel Rodgers left the firm.

Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance Tier 3

Watson Farley & Williams (New York) LLP‘s aviation team is particularly active in aviation-related asset finance and structured financing. It also has a strong market reputation for sustainability and ESG matters in the aviation industry. Acting for aircraft lessors, commercial airlines and financiers throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas, Philip Jackmauh routinely advises on commercial aircraft leasing and aviation finance. The practice also features Susanne Burstein, who acts on aviation sector-related asset and structured finance, and cross-border aviation leasing and financing transaction specialist Julia Sim. Working between the firm’s London and New York offices, Jeffrey Wool, who serves as secretary general of the not-for-profit Aviation Working Group, joined the practice in January 2023 from Holland & Knight LLP as senior global advisor. All attorneys listed are in New York unless otherwise stated.