Expertise
Matheson has a dedicated market leading Aviation Finance and Transportation Group consistently ranked Tier 1 across Chambers Global and Europe, Legal 500 and IFLR1000. We advise both domestic and international asset financing banks, leasing companies and airlines in relation to the financing and leasing of commercial and corporate aircraft, helicopters, rail rolling stock and ships. We, together with our specialist aviation tax expertise, have assisted a number of the current top ten aircraft lessors in establishing their leasing platforms in Ireland.
We regularly act as deal counsel or Irish counsel in a broad range of complex cross-border structures and financings and have significant experience in the establishment of new aircraft leasing and financing platforms, joint ventures and sidecars, high profile restructurings, mergers and acquisitions, portfolio sales, acquisitions and financings, leasing transactions relating to all such asset classes. In addition, being part of our Finance and Capital Markets Department, we regularly advise on structured finance, private credit, alternative lending platforms, ABS (asset-backed securities) and repackaging transactions relating to all such asset classes including the establishment of special purpose companies funded by public and private issuances.
We are members of the Aviation Working Group’s Irish practice group and have a strong aviation regulatory practice and regularly advise Irish airlines and leasing companies on airline licensing and registration issues with the Irish Aviation Authority and Commission for Aviation Regulation in addition to all aspects of the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol.
Our Team
- John Coary
- Maireadh Dale
- Stuart Kennedy
- Rory McPhillips
- Yvonne McWeeney
- Kevin Smith
- Gerry Thornton
- Michelle Daly
Experience Highlights
- Leading Irish law firm advising multiple lessors in the complex, cross-border aviation insurance disputes in the Irish market arising in 2022 / 2023 from aircraft previously operated by Russian airlines.
- Advising an international lessor on a USD 2.5 billion strategic capital initiative focussed on acquiring 737NG and A320ceo aircraft.
- Advising an Irish aircraft lessor in connection with a Term Loan B financing including a USD 988 million debt financing facility, the issuance of USD 550 million of senior unsecured notes and a Term Loan B facility in an amount of approx. USD 460 million.
- Advising ALAFCO in the sale of 53 current and next-generation commercial passenger aircraft and an order for 20 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, valued at USD 2.2 billion, to Macquarie.
- Advising CBD Aviation on its inaugural sustainability linked loan in an amount of USD 625 million.
- Advising Azorra Aviation on its acquisition of 37 aircraft and recapitalisation of certain aircraft owning silos of Nordic Aviation Capital pursuant to a prearranged US Chapter 11 process.
- Advising Norwegian and several of its affiliated group companies during the examinership proceedings and implementation of global restructuring resulting in the write-down of the airline debt.
- Advising Azorra Aviation on the acquisition on the acquisition of the Voyager Aviation aircraft leasing business.
- Acting as Irish deal counsel to a major private equity fund and an alternative aviation lender in connection with the acquisition and financing of an asset portfolio, comprising of 107 aircraft engines and APUs by a private equity fund.
- Advising on a shariah-compliant aircraft financing structure in Ireland.
In addition to regularly:
- acting as Irish counsel on aircraft securitisation transactions.
- acting as Irish counsel on Export Credit Agency financings supported by UK Export Finance Department, Export-Import Bank of China, US EX-IM, European Export Credit and BNDES Brazilian.
- acting as Irish counsel on non-payment insurance financings supported by AFIC, Balthazar and ITASCA.
- advising on the establishment of JV aircraft/helicopter finance and leasing platforms.
- acting as Irish counsel on PDP financings, warehouse facilities and portfolio financings.
- advising on the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol.
Accolades
“Stuart Kennedy and Rory McPhillips are proactive, calm and understand the asset finance business and are extremely efficient and knowledgeable.”
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2025
“Extremely responsive team that understand the market and are able to lead complex transactions as well as work seamlessly alongside other teams when advising on the Irish law aspects of international asset finance transactions.”
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2025
“Stuart Kennedy is one of the key partners in the asset finance practice, very personable and knowledgeable. Rory McPhillips is another key partner who has been involved in the space for many years.”
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2025
"The team is very flexible and approachable, very easy to get in touch with and the lawyers come back quickly with good advice and guidance."
Asset Finance Chambers Europe 2025
"The team is made up of very commercial, proactive, good negotiators."
Asset Finance Chambers Europe 2025
"The Matheson team is very experienced, creative and commercial simultaneously."
Asset Finance Chambers Europe 2025
"Lawyers in the group have a great ability to simplify legal matters and clearly explain them to non-legal professionals."
Asset Finance Chambers Europe 2025
"The Matheson team is experienced and has a commercial outlook."
Asset Finance Chambers Europe 2025
"The team has very strong expertise and a leading market position in Ireland in the area of asset finance and aviation, which when coupled with speed of response and service orientation makes them a pleasure to deal with."
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2024
"The team has very strong expertise and a leading market position in Ireland in the area of asset finance and aviation, which when coupled with speed of response and service orientation makes them a pleasure to deal with."
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2024
"The Matheson team are extremely approachable and have strong knowledge of the aviation industry which makes them are great legal service provider to any client in the industry. Matheson has a large team so they have capacity to support a variety of transactions."
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2024
"Industry profile, knowledge and experience, combined with responsiveness and service orientation, makes the Matheson team stand out from their peers."
Transport: The European Legal 500 2024
"The Matheson team have extensive experience, knowledge and strong commercial acumen. The team are friendly, proactive and are always available to provide advice. They focus on solutions rather than highlighting problems and provide guidance every step of the way. Matheson are our go-to firm for legal advice."
Transport: The European Legal 500 2024
"The Matheson team is commercial, and its lawyers are leading practitioners in their market. They know best practices, understand cross-border implications and are very reliable."
Asset Finance Chambers Global and Europe 2024
“The Matheson Asset Finance team always provides commercially sound advice in a timely manner. Rory, Stuart and the team’s advice is always on point.”
Asset Finance: IFLR1000 2024
“They know how to guide clients through tricky issues, are very solution oriented and super responsive.”
Banking and Finance: Asset Finance Chambers 2024
“They are extremely knowledgeable, approachable and provide responses to queries in a timely manner. They are also lovely people to work with.”
Asset Finance: IFLR1000 2024
“The lawyers have a sufficient breadth of knowledge to handling everything very well.”
Banking and Finance: Asset Finance Chambers 2024
"The law firm is easy to work with and very contactable. It always delivers on time and it is
always an efficient team to work with."
Asset Finance Chambers Global and Europe 2024
"The Matheson team is approachable with strong aviation knowledge. I enjoy working with them on transactions – their client focus makes transaction run smoothly and efficiently."
Transport: The European Legal 500 2024
“The firm always delivers and are always an efficient team to work with.”
Banking and Finance: Asset Finance Chambers 2024
“Matheson is a highly specialised law firm within aviation finance, and provided in-depth knowledge and on-the-spot assistance in such transactions.”
Asset Finance: IFLR1000 2023
"Always super responsive; pleasant to work with; high quality of work; flexible."
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2023
"The lawyers are very strong and among the best international aviation lawyers. The service levels and responsiveness are very good. They know the industry and all the major parties very well, and know what is happening in the market. They are very good at understanding the commercial needs of the client."
Chambers and Partners Global 2023
"Matheson are one of the best firms for aviation finance in Ireland. Real strength in depth. The fees are competitive and advice clear."
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2023
"They know the market inside out, and are friendly, efficient and always willing to go the extra mile to help. Their breadth of experience means that they can assist on any transaction we throw at them."
Transport: The European Legal 500 2022
"The best law firm in Dublin working in the asset finance (aviation) segment, provides exceptional legal advice and market knowledge. They take a practical and pragmatic view on complex matters and have superb communication skills. They are commercial, collaborative and proactive in bringing issues to our attention which our team and clients greatly appreciated. The team are client-friendly and easy to deal with."
IFLR1000 2022
"The Matheson team is extremely knowledgeable, professional and responsive with regards to its Asset finance practice. They have a depth of knowledge and experience that is at the top of the industry!"
Asset Finance: The European Legal 500 2022
“The firm has scale and depth to provide a full all round service which is invaluable to our company. The specific team has supported us in all aspects from inception and we have a lot of trust in them which is key. Technically they are very strong and also commercially very current in our sector and great at judging the level of hand holding required or not in a given transaction.”
The European Legal 500 2022