Watson Farley & Williams LLP supports commercial airlines, financial institutions, and aircraft leasing companies with employment matters, ESG and regulatory compliance, and commercial agreements. The team also handles high-value litigation and arbitration involving leasing, financing, and ownership issues across jurisdictions. The global aviation practice is headed by Jim Bell, who acts for aviation clients on structured and asset finance transactions. On the contentious side, Robert Fidoe stands out for his specialism in international commercial arbitration, while Tim Murray advises on aviation and travel-related dispute resolution and regulatory matters. Competition specialist Solange Leandro counsels aviation clients on regulatory issues, including data protection, international trade, and sanctions matters. Randeep Bubbra, known for his asset finance and leasing expertise, joined the team in 2024.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘They are a class act, and genuine specialists, with a thorough knowledge of all aspects of aviation work, including regulatory matters and more. ’
‘Tim Murray is a doyen of aviation solicitors. He has a gigantic brain, and his analysis of even the most complex of problems is invariably clear, compelling and correct. He has a deep specialist knowledge of the sector.'
‘Watson Farley & Williams stands out for its practical, solutions-driven approach and close partner involvement. A responsive, collaborative culture and clear commercial insight.'
‘Solange Leandro stands out for her rare combination of deep legal expertise and practical, business-focused advice. She is exceptionally responsive, clear in her communication, and attentive to the strategic needs of the business.'
‘Solange Leandro is an excellent professional, with a solid knowledge of the aviation industry and is always available with a pragmatic and helpful approach.’
‘Solange Leandro is a rising star as a lawyer specialised in the aviation industry, and she stands out for her expertise and knowledge, but also for her availability and capacity to listen to the client's needs.’
Key clients
- Air India
- Ryanair
- Vistara Airlines
- NatWest
- Investec
- JP Morgan Asset Management
- Standard Chartered Bank
- Avolon
- Minsheng Financial Leasing
- Aviation Working Group
Work highlights
Acted on a pro bono basis for RMI and a working group of banks on the development and launch of the Pegasus Guidelines, a first-of-its-kind framework enabling banks to measure and disclose their aviation lending portfolios’ emissions independently.
Advising as primary international advisors to the Aviation Working Group, a consortium of leading banks, lessors, and manufacturers in aviation.
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Practice head
Jim Bell
Other key lawyers
Tim Murray; Robert Fidoe; Randeep Bubbra; Solange Leandro;