Neil Poland > Vedder Price > London, England > Lawyer Profile

Vedder Price
4 Coleman Street
LONDON
EC2R 5AR
England
Neil Poland photo

Work Department

Global Transportation Finance

Position

Partner

Career

Neil Poland is a Partner and a member of the Global Transportation Finance team. Mr. Poland concentrates his global practice on asset and structured finance, primarily in the aviation and rail industries.

His breadth of aviation experience includes acting on behalf of banks, airlines, lessors and export credit agencies on a wide variety of financing structures for airlines across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. His experience also includes restructurings, joint ventures, finance and operating lease structures, including export credit financings, German leases, JOLCOs and public debt issues. Mr. Poland also has extensive experience in the helicopter and corporate jet market.

His rail industry experience includes acting on behalf of financial institutions on capital markets financings, as well as bank syndicates on the financing of European locomotives and passenger rolling stock.

Memberships

  • Member, International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT)
  • Member, The Aviation Club

Education

  • The College of Law, Guildford, Common Professional Examination, 1989
  • University of Birmingham, LL.B., 1988

Lawyer Rankings

London > Finance > Transport finance and leasing

(Leading partners)

Neil Poland Vedder Price

The ‘seasoned’ London-based aviation finance practice at Vedder Price has strong and well-established relationships with lessors, financiers, operators and funds which are appreciative not only of its vast sector knowledge but also its ability to advise on both English and New York law debt products, often in unison with its market-leading US offering. Although it does handle some more commoditised financings, the partner-led team adds particular value on more complex and often heavily structured mandates, involving commercial and export-credit-backed debt. Gavin Hill has deep expertise at handling the financing, leasing and acquisition/sale of commercial/business aircraft and aircraft engines. Neil Poland is ‘able to distil complex legal issues’, including in the context of operating lease structures and export credit financings, into ‘clear, reasoned and commercially focused advice’ for lessors, banks and airlines. Dylan Potter is a ‘safe pair of hands’ on aviation finance transactions and also heads up the office’s maritime and equipment finance practices. The ‘professional and reliable’ Derek Watson handles corporate jet work alongside his commercial aviation offering, while John Pearson continues to gain recognition for his knowledge of ESG-related aviation matters.