About

In contrast to simply providing legal counsel to the company, the legal team at leading commercial aircraft leasing company AWAS are focussed on supporting their commercial “deal teams” worldwide, in doing so making an unquestionable contribution to the overall success of the company. Very much leading from the front, the advice and experience offered in securing deals enables AWAS to command an impressive presence in the market, with a fleet of 257 aircraft as of November 2015, which are leased to 99 airlines in 48 countries. In addition to this portfolio the team can point to 2015 revenues of $1.21bn as another measure of their success, as revenues for the company are generated through operating leases and aircraft sales that the team facilitate. Made up of eight lawyers and supported by six non-lawyers, the function, led by Philip Jackmauh AWAS’ general counsel, operates in a market environment that necessitates ‘significant hands-on legal management’ over a variety of tasks and functions related to the companies’ acquisition, sale, leasing and financing operations. The team also advise on key finance, strategic and corporate initiatives, demonstrating their broad remit. The global nature of AWAS’ legal function can be seen through its innovative deployment of lawyers in various regions across the world, spanning four cities and three continents. Dublin based vice presidents Rosie Waddingham and Caroline Harte manage transactions for the Europe and Middle East regions, while vice president Orla Gillen manages AWAS corporate governance matters, allowing the team’s 24/7 global legal support of company operations. Jackmauh explains how the team is ‘tasked with ensuring that AWAS realises its commercial goals in each transaction, while developing long-term and productive working relationships with its airline customers, lenders, and industry counterparts’.