BNP Paribas, Bank of America, and Atlas Air are all clients of the ‘incredibly hard-working, diligent, and detail-orientated’ team at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLP for aviation finance cases. New York’s Mark Lessard leads the team, which exhibits a particularly strong track record in portfolio financing, cross-border leasings, and engine acquisition. Lessard leads an international team, developing a strong understanding of international aviation markets, which aids his work in m&a, chapter 11 bankruptcies, and aviation financing. Recently, alongside Pat Reisinger he worked on the negotiation of a major debt financing facility for Azorra Aviation Holdings, later assisting them with their first capital markets transaction. Reisinger also brings skill in work involving bonds and cargo aircraft leasing. The New York office is further strengthened by Melissa Jones-Prus who is active in the private equity space, leading major structured financing cases for the team. In Los Angeles, Richard Evans leverages his ability to practice in both California and England whilst advising on key multi-jurisdictional deals involving aviation regulation, portfolio financing, and asset-backed securitizations.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Lawyer & team quality
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Cohesive working groups of competent attorneys who like working together, provide excellent service and are able to sort through and focus on issues important to the client.’
‘Melissa Jones-Prus and her team are highly capable and knowledgeable in all aspects of aviation finance. Melissa has a strong grasp of the industry, experience working with key players in the space, which lends credibility to her practice and also facilitates document negotiation Melissa approaches her practice with a collaborative spirit, which I greatly appreciate and we see her as a partner in building our aviation strategy. ’
Key clients
- Azorra Aviation
- Bank of America
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Next Generation Partners
Junior partners with significant recognition from clients and peers in the market and key roles on multiple matters.
Melissa Jones-Prus
Pat Reisinger
Practice head
Mark Lessard
Other key lawyers
Pat Reisinger; Richard Evans; Melissa Jones-Prus