Watson Farley & Williams (“WFW”) has advised Investec Aviation Finance (“Investec”) on the launch of its new aviation debt platform in partnership with a major Japanese institutional investor to initially target a US$500m portfolio of well-diversified loan assets.
A seed portfolio of US$70m of senior loans across six aircraft and airlines in three continents has already been agreed and the partnership will see Investec originate lending opportunities and co-invest in every deal on the platform. Moving forward, Investec will provide advice on the ongoing management of the portfolio including recommendations related to potential loan amendments, restructuring, aircraft repossession and exit opportunities.
Founded in 1991 and dual-listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges, Investec is an international banking and asset management group, operating primarily in Europe, Southern Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.
The WFW London Aviation team that advised Investec was led by Global Aviation Sector Co-Head and Assets & Structured Finance Partner Jim Bell, working closely with Senior Associate Abi Carter.
Jim commented: “It was a pleasure to help Investec establish a key partnership through this aviation debt platform. This deal highlights WFW’s expertise in advising on high-value and complex transactions and further cements our position as a global leader in the aviation sector”.
