Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) is delighted to announce that Paris Assets and Structured Finance Associate Hugues Hounkpati has been named a ‘Rising Star’ for 2023 by leading aviation sector publication Airfinance Journal.
Each year, Airfinance Journal identifies ‘rising stars’ by asking readers around the globe to nominate promising young lawyers whose work has made a notable impression on the aviation industry.
Hugues joined WFW in March 2022 and has developed a strong expertise in the aviation space with in-depth knowledge of the sector’s people, practice and products. In only a short space of time he has established a strong reputation with clients in the aviation industry and colleagues across WFW’s international network.
He was an integral part of the WFW team that advised a group of lessors on safeguarding and receivership proceedings before the French courts relating to the French subsidiaries of Indonesian airline group Lion Air. This transaction won Ishka’s Best European Deal 2022, European Restructuring Deal of the Year at Airline Economics’ Aviation 100 Global Leaders Deals of the Year and was shortlisted for Airline Restructuring Deal of the Year at the AFJ Awards 2022.
Hugues also advised a syndicate of lenders in the first ever sustainability-linked aircraft non-payment insurance-supported JOLCO financing of an Airbus A350 aircraft leased to Air France which was named Airline Economics Aviation Global Lease Deal of the Year 2022.
Paris Assets and Structured Finance Partner Alexia Russell commented: “Hugues is smart, hard-working, pragmatic and collaborative – a real asset to our team and the firm as a whole. I am pleased to see that these assets of his and his excellent legal acumen has been noted and recognised by Airfinance Journal – congratulations Hugues”.
