Brian Liu and Paul Brusiloff lead the New York-based aviation group at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, representing international and domestic airlines on financial matters involving enhanced equipment trust certificates, frequent flyer loyalty programs, and joint ventures. Brusiloff focuses predominantly on borrowers and investors, helping them with equity financing and complex restructurings. Liu’s practice covers a wide variety of transactional matters ranging from equipment leasing and syndicated credit facilities to warehouse facilities and aircraft acquisition. Iryna Nikolaieva is a rising star in the practice, experienced at managing domestic and cross-border transactions. Key clients include American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, and Phillippine Airlines. The team regularly acts in portfolio transactions, the structuring of revolving credit facilities, and mortgaging financing.
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Profile

Work Department

Aviation Finance

Position

Paul Brusiloff is a retired partner/of counsel in the firm’s New York office. He is/was corporate partner and a member of the firm’s Finance and Private Equity Groups. Mr. Brusiloff’s practice focuses/focused on representations of borrowers and LBO sponsors and of mezzanine and other private capital investors in complex debt and equity financings and refinancing, recapitalization and restructuring transactions.

He co-led HD Supply’s multibillion-dollar refinancing of its entire debt capital structure from 2012 to 2013 after earlier co-leading the 2007 financing of the acquisition of HD Supply, Private Equity International’s LBO Deal of the Year. He also played key roles in American Airlines’ multibillion-dollar acquisition of the TWA aircraft fleet and Delta Air Lines’ 2004–2006 aircraft restructurings.

Mr. Brusiloff is a member of the American Bar Association. He is/was also a contributing author of The Private Equity Primer: The Best of the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report and the Debevoise & Plimpton Private Equity Report.

He received his B.A. from Harvard University in 1986 and his J.D. summa cum laude from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in 1991, where he was editor-in-chief of the Law Review. He subsequently served as a law clerk to the Hon. Carol Los Mansmann, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1991–1993) before joining the firm in 1993.

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Key clients

  • AAR Corp.
  • Alaska Airlines
  • American Airlines
  • JetBlue Airways
  • Spirit Airlines
  • Philippine Airlines
  • Hawaiian Airlines

Work highlights

Advised Hawaiian in the exchange offer for the company’s outstanding senior notes secured by the company’s loyalty program and brand intellectual property assets.
Represented Alaska Airlines in a term loan and senior notes offering secured by the company’s loyalty program assets.
Represented Spirit Airlines in its Chapter 11 proceeding.
L500 | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP > Aviation and air travel: finance > United States | Legal 500 law firm profiles