Rob Walsh

Rob advises financiers, lessors, and operators on aircraft debt and lease financing, from structuring and negotiation to documentation and closing, including complex cross-border finance and operating leases. 

• Advised on delivery of a $60m Gulfstream finance lease from inception to close in two weeks, providing round-the-clock client contact throughout the transaction and attending all lease negotiation meetings. 

• Advised on a complex ‘back-to-back’ lease and sublease for a broker client between a large bank and an aircraft operator based in Dubai. 

• Advised an aviation finance company on various high-value transactions including leases, sale and leaseback arrangements, and refinancings. 

• Advised a large international company on the PDP financing of a new aircraft. 

Rob handles cross-border aircraft sale and purchase transactions, from LOIs and APAs to closing, ensuring compliance with tax, customs, and regulatory requirements. 

• Advised and led a complex cross-border aircraft sale navigating tax, customs and regulatory challenges, and received excellent client feedback. 

• Advised and led multiple complex ‘back-to-back’ purchase and sale transactions for broker clients, managing sensitive aspects of such transactions such as tax considerations, resale certificates, and pricing confidentiality.  

• Advised and involved in dozens more aircraft transactions from LOI and APA negotiations through to closing. 

• Advised and handled a back-to-back lease transaction for a repossessed aircraft, drafting all documentation and leading meetings with the CEO to secure arbitrage opportunity for the broker client. 

• Advised and involved in a series of sale and purchase agreements for aircraft parts for a defence contractor client, including export control and regulatory compliance aspects. 

Rob provides ongoing commercial and regulatory legal advice to aviation service providers, fuel suppliers, and operators, including contract drafting, compliance, and drafting of general terms and conditions. 

• Advised and provided ongoing commercial legal services to a large aviation fuel provider under retainer, including contract drafting and aviation regulatory advice. Became the main point of contact for this relationship. Advised and drafted GTCs for supply of sustainable aviation fuel for this client. 

• Advised various clients on International Registry and CAA matters. 

• Advised various clients on aircraft operating agreements. 

• Advised various clients on aircraft management agreements. 

Rob supports clients in complex commercial disputes and arbitration, preparing case materials, coordinating counsel, and advising on aviation and shipping-related claims in multiple jurisdictions. 

• Advised and took ownership of a long-running commercial dispute, conducting a comprehensive review of thousands of documents and emails to create a concise case chronology, and drafting correspondence to maintain claim momentum. 

• Advised and assisted with Commercial Court proceedings for a ship designer in a submarine cable-laying vessel dispute involving breach of contract and confidential information. 

• Advised and drafted a multi-jurisdictional freezing order enforcement advice for a blue-chip client. 

• Advised and took part in multiple arbitration proceedings, including attending an IDRC hearing in London and a SIAC hearing in Singapore on secondment. 

• Advised and represented an aircraft insurer in a landmark $4bn Commercial Court claim. 

Rob advises on complex finance and operating lease structures, secured debt financing, pre-delivery payment financing, and other finance structures in the aviation sector. 

• Advised a client regarding a finance lease for a $60m Gulfstream aircraft.  

• Advised various clients on aircraft leases, debt financing, and refinancings. 

• Advised a broker client on a ‘back-to-back’ lease and sublease arrangement between a large bank and a Dubai-based operator. 

Rob specialises in cross-border aircraft transactions, advising on finance, leasing, sales, operating and management agreements, regulatory compliance, and general commercial matters for UHNW individuals, lessors, operators, brokers, and service providers.

• Advised on dozens of aircraft transactions from LOI and APA negotiations through to closing. 

• Advised various clients on International Registry and CAA matters. 

• Advised various clients on aircraft operating agreements. 

• Advised various clients on aircraft management agreements. 

Rob has acted as lead adviser on retainer for a major aviation fuel provider, handling all commercial and regulatory matters including sustainable aviation fuel supply contracts, general terms and conditions, and staff training.

• Acts as lead adviser and main point of contact for a major aviation fuel provider under ongoing retainer, handling all commercial legal and regulatory matters 

• Drafted comprehensive general terms and conditions for the supply of sustainable aviation fuel, navigating the evolving regulatory landscape and commercial considerations specific to SAF.