Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Nikki Foley, Professional Support Lawyer, Nikki joined Matheson in 2011 as a Professional Support Matheson Lawyer. She trained and qualified as a solicitor in Clifford Chance LLP in London and was based in the firm’s Tokyo office for over two years. She then worked in- house as Senior Legal Counsel at Airbus in France, before returning to Dublin to work at A&L Goodbody and subsequently Matheson.
Nikki has been the course consultant on both the Diploma and Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance at the Law Society of Ireland since 2012.
Marie O’Brien, Partner, Marie is a partner in the Banking and Finance A&L Goodbody Department of A&L Goodbody, specialising in asset finance and leasing. She is very experienced in advising on the acquisition, leasing, financing and trading of a variety of asset classes including aircraft, engines, helicopters, ship, rail, machinery and equipment.
Marie regularly speaks in Ireland and internationally on asset finance and Cape Town Convention related topics. In addition to lecturing on the Law Society of Ireland’s programmes in Aviation Leasing & Finance, she lectures on the UCD Law of International Finance Diploma. Marie is Head of A&L Goodbody's Chinese Lawyer's Programme.
Donna Ager, Partner and Head of Aviation, Donna is head of the Aviation practice in Maples and Maples and Calder Calder's Dublin office, advising on tax efficient leasing and financing structures. Having worked for more than 13 years in aviation finance, Donna has extensive industry and structuring knowledge in the aviation sector. Her aviation expertise extends across general aircraft leasing and financing, to include structured products (securitisations, EETCs and general ABS), ECA and bank finance, aviation platform financings, manufacturer funding, and support mechanisms.
Prior to joining Maples and Calder in 2015, Donna was a partner in the asset finance team in the Simmons and Simmons London office. She also worked for over eight years at Clifford Chance, London, and for three years with Airbus S.A.S. in Toulouse, France.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to. change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Mary Townsend, Director of Aviation Mary is Director of Aviation Finance at A&L Goodbody.
Finance, A&L Goodbody She has gained extensive experience acting on a variety of financing structures including cross border, commercial bank, private equity and export credit supported financing.
Mary has acted for many of the world's leading financial institutions, aircraft leasing organisations and private investors on transactions involving the acquisition, leasing and securitisation of aircraft and other equipment.
Brian Skehan, Assistant Director of Safety, Brian is the Assistant Director for Airworthiness at the Strategy & Planning, Irish Aviation Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). He has been with the IAA Authority for 19 years. He previously worked at Aer Lingus and as a Senior Engineer for airframe systems.
Brian has extensive experience with the EU rule making process and serves on the Rule Making Committee of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). He has also served as the Technical Advisor for Ireland on the EASA Management Board.
Ronan Stewart, Chief Executive - Ronan joined Santos Dumont in 2005 and was appointed Commercial, Santos Dumont Chief Executive – Commercial in January 2016. He has held a number of both technical and commercial roles on a diverse portfolio of asset acquisitions, sales, management, and redelivery projects.
Most recently, Ronan has been responsible for the strategic development of the Commercial side of the business and has broadened the business lines to include areas of Risk, Maintenance Cost Analysis, Maintenance Event Forecasting and Strategic Investment Analysis.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
John McMahon, Aviation Consultant John McMahon has over 25 years of experience in commercial aviation and finance. He manages M.J.McMahon & Company Limited, which offers advice,
consultancy, and training with a focus on commercial aviation, aircraft/asset finance, private equity, and business start-up and development. In addition, John holds non-executive directorships at BNP Paribas Ireland, Wizz Air Holdings plc, Waypoint Leasing Limited, and a number of aviation asset investment companies.
John is currently an Adjunct Professor at the University of Limerick, where he lectures on the Aviation Finance and Aircraft Leasing modules of the MBA (Aviation Management) programme.
Gerry Thornton, Partner, Gerry is a partner in the tax practice at Matheson. He Matheson advises financial institutions and international corporations doing business in Ireland on all aspects of corporate tax. His main focus is the financial services sector, including investment banking, structured finance, investment funds, leasing, derivatives, and insurance.
Gerry advises many of the world’s leading financial institutions, asset management companies and leasing companies carrying on business in or from Ireland. He lectures extensively on financial services tax matters, both at the Irish Taxation Institute and the Law Society of Ireland, and regularly publishes articles in leading tax journals.
Yvonne is a senior associate in the Asset Finance Group Yvonne McWeeney, Senior Associate, at Matheson. She has gained considerable experience in Matheson advising international financial institutions, airlines and aircraft leasing companies on all aspects of the financing and leasing of aircraft and aircraft engines.
Yvonne has a wide range of experience in advising on the structuring of aircraft acquisition, sale, financing and leasing transactions and acts for a number of aircraft lessors, financiers and airlines in leveraged, syndicated and export credit agency backed financing facilities. She also has significant experience in advising on all aspects of the Cape Town Convention.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Catherine Quinlan, Aviation Insurance Catherine has over 30 years’ aviation insurance Professional experience in the leasing industry, commencing her career with Guinness Peat Aviation (“GPA”) in 1985 as
Executive Assistant to the Chief Legal Officer. As Director of Insurance she transitioned to GE Capital Aviation Services (“GECAS”) in 1993. While at GECAS, Catherine reached the position of Senior Vice President, Insurances.
In May 2011, she joined AWAS where she was responsible for all aviation and non-aviation insurance matters. During the past five years, Catherine has presented at various conferences, including lecturing on aviation insurance for the Law Society of Ireland’s Diploma in Aviation Leasing and Finance since its launch in 2013. She recently left AWAS and is pursuing other opportunities.
Deirdre Ní Chearbhaill, Legal Counsel, Deirdre joined Avolon in December 2011 as legal Avolon counsel, with responsibility for negotiating and managing aircraft lease, purchase, sale and financing transactions with our counterparties worldwide.
Prior to joining Avolon, Deirdre worked as a solicitor with McCann FitzGerald where, as part of the firm’s aviation and asset finance team, she acted on behalf of a variety of aircraft leasing companies and financial institutions. Deirdre has also worked in the legal department of EADS Astrium (now Airbus Defence & Space) in France and in the UK.
Kieran Oliver, Legal Counsel, Kieran is Legal Counsel at Shannon Engine Support Shannon Engine Support Limited, one of the world’s leading lessors of CFM-56 aircraft engines. He provides advice on all aspects of the company’s leasing and general commercial operations.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Dan Roberts, Chief Legal Officer, Dan heads up the legal team and brings extensive Lobo Leasing aviation law expertise to Lobo. Dan graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge and qualified as an
English lawyer with the magic circle London law firm of Allen & Overy LLP.
Dan worked in A&O’s aviation finance department advising airlines, lessors and financiers on a range of operating lease, debt, derivative, restructuring and merger transactions. Subsequently, Dan moved in-house
with International Lease Finance Corporation (the world’s largest aircraft lessor and now merged with AerCap) where he handled the negotiation of commercial aircraft leases worldwide and a variety of repossessions and other litigious matters.
Niamh O’Meara, Vice President and Senior Niamh is Vice President and Senior Counsel for Counsel, Milestone Aviation Group Milestone Aviation Group, a GECAS company and the world’s largest helicopter lessor, based in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to joining Milestone, she worked in private practice in Dublin.
Niamh qualified as a solicitor with the Law Society of
Ireland in 2006 and holds a postgraduate diploma in Legal Studies from Dublin Institute of Technology, and an MA in History of International Relations and BA International (French and History) from University College Dublin.
Stuart has widespread experience in advising Stuart Kennedy, Partner , international financial institutions, aircraft owners, aircraft Matheson lessors and airlines on all aspects of the financing and leasing of aircraft, aircraft engines, and parts. He has significant expertise in all aspects of the Cape Town Convention, from advising on the applicability of the Cape Town Convention and Aircraft Protocol to practical aspects of setting up entities as Transacting User Entities and carrying out registrations with the International Registry.
Stuart regularly presents to aircraft and aircraft engine lessors on all aspects of the Convention and Aircraft Protocol and to company directors on their duties and responsibilities under Irish law. Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Niamh has been involved with the Diploma and Certificate courses in Aviation Leasing and Finance since their introduction by the Law Society of Ireland.
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Daniel Kiely, Partner, Mason Hayes & Daniel is a partner in the Asset Finance and Leasing Curran group at Mason Hayes & Curran. He has obtained an extensive knowledge of the aviation industry, having
completed secondments with an operating lessor in Shannon, Ireland, and also with the national British export credit agency in London where he advised on the export credit agency-supported financing of Airbus aircraft.
With a particular focus on aviation, Daniel advises international corporates, financial institutions, export credit agencies, lessees, lessors (both engine and aircraft), and airlines on all aspects of cross-border asset financing and leasing.
Jeanette Delehanty, Legal Counsel, Jeanette joined Avolon in May 2015 as Legal Counsel. Avolon She is responsible for the negotiation and management of aircraft lease, purchase, sale and financing transactions with our counterparties worldwide.
Jeanette began her legal career in 2006, completing a nine month internship in the legal department of Schering Plough AG (now Merck) in Switzerland. Following completion of the Legal Practice Course, she joined the global law firm White & Case LLP as a trainee solicitor in 2009. She trained for two years in the firm’s London and Hong Kong offices, before being admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2011.
Kirk Malahy, Partner, DLI Law Kirk is a founding partner at DLI Law and formerly Vice President and Counsel GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). He was previously Senior Legal Counsel at Standard Chartered Bank. Prior to that, Kirk worked in the Finance practice at Maples and Calder and in the Structured Solutions group at Clifford Chance LLP.
Niamh has been involved with the Diploma and Certificate courses in Aviation Leasing and Finance since their introduction by the Law Society of Ireland.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre
Certificate in Aviation Leasing & Finance Autumn 2017 Faculty Booklet
Stephen Gardiner, Associate, Matheson Stephen Gardiner is an Irish qualified lawyer with broad experience in the areas of aircraft finance and aviation regulation.
Stephen advises aircraft owners, aircraft lessors, airlines and financial institutions on the financing and leasing of aircraft, aircraft engines and aircraft parts worldwide.
Correct at time of print, September 2017. Subject to change. Law Society of Ireland Diploma Centre www.lawsociety.ie/diplomacentre