Transport
Composed of ‘forward-thinking, solutions-driven and vibrant legal practitioners’, Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner is best-known for its work in the rail sector, where it combines ’deep industry knowledge’ with a strong understanding of ‘the needs of key stakeholders’. Russell Clifford is the lynchpin of the team’s work for rolling stock lessors, which are appreciative of his ’strategic and pragmatic advice’ on procurement projects. The ‘very detail-oriented’ Jamie Wiseman-Clarke is also key to this rolling stock leasing work and ’will not leave any stone unturned for his clients’. The smaller aviation finance offering is headed up by Anton Chambers, whose broad-ranging offering includes expertise on aircraft leasing and acquisition matters, commercial arrangements and aircraft portfolio financing facilities.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
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Profile
Work Department
Transport: Rail
Position
Partner
Career
Russell is the Head of the Asset Finance group at BCLP having joined the firm as a Finance partner in September 2009 from Allen and Overy LLP.
Russell is highly experienced in structured asset finance and leasing, practising in domestic and cross-border markets.
He has acted for banks, lessors, investors, operators, manufacturers, vendors and purchasers on transactions involving all types of asset classes and a diverse range of financing products and structures including structured debt facilities, tax based and non tax-based leases, limited recourse facilities, off-balance sheet financings, receivables financings, sales and purchases of leasing companies, sales and purchases of asset portfolios, joint venture financing platforms and other equity financing and securitisations.
Russell is identified in the key independent directories as one of the leading practitioners in the market and in particular has established an excellent and growing reputation for rail finance.
Languages
English
Content supplied by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- 'The practice as highly competent, responsive and proactive.'
- 'The team is excellent technically, and knows our business very well, which is a really effective combination when working together, and produces really positive results in transaction negotiations.'
- 'The team is made up of forward-thinking, solutions-driven and vibrant legal practitioners.'
- 'Russell Clifford and Jamie Wiseman-Clarke are both excellent lawyers, highly personable and very good at meeting the demands of our business.'
- 'Jamie Wiseman-Clarke is a very detail-oriented lawyer who can be trusted with the most complex technical matters. He will not leave any stone unturned for his clients.'
- 'Russell Clifford provides strategic and pragmatic advice. His experience and reputation in the rail market is second to none.'
- 'Anton Chambers' vast experience in complex financial matters sets him apart in the field of asset and aviation finance. Having worked extensively on a wide range of aircraft leasing and acquisition matters, mergers and diverse commercial arrangements, Anton brings a wealth of perspective to all matters he takes up on behalf of his clients.'
- 'Deborah Boddy is a scrupulous technical lawyer who is very proactive and, like the rest of the team, very personable and easy to work with.'
Key clients
- EY
- ICBCIL Aviation Company
- Milestone Aviation Group
- Condor Flugdienst
- Green Africa Airways
- Aerovista
- Fly2Sky airlines
- Angel Trains
- Beacon Rail
- Heathrow Airport
Work highlights
Advised Angel Trains on the financing of expansion works at Tyseley Depot in the West Midlands to accommodate a new fleet of Class 196 DMUs.
Advised Beacon Rail on the re-leasing of Voyagers (including trains transferring from Avanti West Coast (AWC)) to CrossCountry Trains, an Arriva Group franchisee, which was awarded a new National Rail Contract (NRC) by the Department for Transport commencing in October 2023.
Advised Beacon Rail in respect of the leasing to TransPennine Trains (TPT), an operator of last resort, of a fleet of CAF passenger coaches, completing the transaction in a very short timescale.