Linklaters

The team is familiar with all principal financing techniques used in the asset finance industry, advising on commercial, export credit-supported, tax-based, and Islamic financings as well as on “true sale” and synthetic asset securitisations. It advises both on the financing of specific assets and on the acquisition, disposal and financing of asset portfolios, acting for major banks, lessors, manufacturers and operators around the world.

 Our asset finance lawyers work with Linklaters’ pre-eminent banking, capital markets, securitisation, project finance, insolvency, litigation, real estate, environment and tax teams. They advise on market-standard financing techniques and develop innovative financing structures for transactions involving aviation, information technology, plants and equipment, rolling stock and shipping.

Recent asset finance experience includes:

• C.I. Prodeco S.A and Glencore International AG on the US$400m secured revolving pre-export finance facility agreement (2013)
• Vale S.A. - advised Vale S.A., one of the world's largest mining companies, in a K-Sure backed financing of around US$500 million to fund seven new-build vessels.
• ECA-backed oil and gas –advised China Development Bank on the Sinosure supported financing of a drilling jack up rig for a Ukrainian oil & gas company
• Norwegian Air Shuttle – advised Norwegian Air Shuttle on the sale and leaseback of 2 x Boeing B737 800 aircraft financed by Bank of America Leasing Ireland Company Limited (BALI) and on the US$133 million  financing of its pre-delivery payments for ten Boeing B737-800 aircraft, the carrier’s first aircraft financing of any kind
• UBS Leasing AG - advised UBS Leasing AG on debt and lease financings in 2010 for a total of 12 corporate aircraft for a range of private clients totalling approximately US$298 million
• Oman Air  - advised Oman Air on the ECA backed financing of 4 aircraft in 2010, including two A330 aircraft financed by Citibank and 2 A330 aircraft financed by J.P. Morgan
• UAE Armed Forces - advised Al Waha Capital PJSC as initial agent, lender and mandated lead arranger on the US$148m bridge financing for the acquisition by the UAE Armed Forces of twenty-five Pilatus PC21 Trainer aircraft
• Astraeus Limited – advised Dubai Aerospace Enterprise Capital, (a division of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) Ltd.), on the financing of one Boeing B737-700 aircraft currently on lease to Astraeus Limited
• Gulmar Energy S.A. – advised Oaktree Capital, in connection with its distressed acquisition of a 78% stake in Gulmar Energy S.A., a Middle Eastern marine services company focussed on the provision of diving support vessels and on the subsequent refinancing of its credit
• HSBC  - advised the staple funders including HSBC Bank, Credit Agricole SA, HSBC Bank plc, Lloyds TSB Group PLC, RBC Capital Markets, RBS; Societe Generale, and SMBC Capital Markets Limited raising between £1.7 billion and £2 billion by means of a bank and bond debt with respect to the disposal by HSBC of its UK rolling stock business
• Angel Trains Group plc – advised RBS on the award-winning sale of the Angel Trains Group plc (the first ROSCO (UK rail leasing company) to be sold in a number of years) for an enterprise value of £3.6 billion to a consortium led by Babcock & Brown European Infrastructure Fund