Germany: Aviation
Aviation is one of the leading industries in Germany. A major source of work for lawyers is asset and project financing. Due to the difficult European economy, the industry is experiencing a mild slowdown, but lawyers maintain their levels of activity by advising on regulatory and compliance issues and financial restructurings. We feature 13 lawyers in this chapter.
Urwantschky Dangel Borst & Partner boasts three inclusions in the aviation chapter, a testament to its good reputation and expertise. According to our sources, “these are the top guys for complex cases in Germany”. Peter Urwantschky is an active member of the aviation industry. He gets “five stars” for his international aviation practice. Claudia Hess is “highly recommended as a rising star”, particularly for her interest in Sino-German aviation commerce. Rainer Amann is a “specialist” in this area.
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP features an equally impressive showing. Based in Frankfurt, Konrad Schott concentrates on financing in the aircraft and aerospace arena. He counts Lufthansa and Air Berlin as clients. Alongside him is Dirk Schmalenbach, co-head of the firm’s finance practice and an aviation finance lawyer. He is “really first rate” and considered to be “one of the best in the field”. In Düsseldorf, Jochen Lüdicke combines his tax knowledge with his experience of working on aviation matters to provide expert advice to clients in that industry on international and national tax law and reorganisation.
Wolfgang Melzer of Allen & Overy LLP works on leasing and asset finance deals for aircraft financing. He is “well respected” by his peers. At Norton Rose LLP, Ralf Springer is an asset finance lawyer based in Munich. He is renowned for his work on aviation and asset finance and leasing.
At Clifford Chance LLP, the head of banking and capital markets in Germany Riko Vanezis represents clients in airport project financings and is lauded for his work on restructuring in the air travel industry.
At Ehlers Ehlers & Partner, Nikolai Ehlers acts for clients on liability, regulatory requirements and licensing. He is described as “top tier” from one of our contributors. A consistently recommended lawyer in our international editions, Ina Brock of Hogan Lovells represents clients on aircraft liability, recalls and product liability for the manufacture of commercial planes and helicopters.
Chair of the Frankfurt office at Paul Hastings LLP, Peter Smeets works on all forms of financing in the aerospace arena, including acting for leasing companies, banks, air carriers and airports, as does Gudrun Bechtloff of Schierk Becktloff: a “leading” aviation practitioner.