Nicholas Harding

I have built my practice around the aviation sector and have advised on some of the most significant and technically demanding aircraft transactions in the market. I regularly work with airline management teams on fleet acquisitions and the financing and leasing arrangements that support them.

My experience spans a wide range of structures, from export credit-guaranteed and tax-based financings to pre-delivery payment facilities, finance and operating leases, manufacturer-supported arrangements and insurance-backed financings. I also advise on aircraft sales and acquisitions and fleet procurement projects.

A second strand of my practice is business aviation. I advise owners, operators and financiers on business jet and private aircraft acquisitions, financing and leasing. I enjoy this work because the requirements can be very different from those of a commercial airline transaction, and it calls for a similarly detailed understanding of the aircraft, the parties and the structure.

I have worked in aviation finance for many years, but the sector continues to evolve. That makes it an interesting area in which to practice. New financing structures, changing market conditions and evolving requirements mean there is always something new to explore and new challenges to solve.