Milbank Recognized as “Americas Law Firm of the Year” 2024 by Airline Economics Magazine 

Global law firm Milbank LLP was named “Americas Law Firm of the Year” 2024 at Airline Economics’ Aviation 100 Americas Awards, during the publication’s annual Growth Frontiers New York conference. Milbank’s leading aviation practice was honored during an awards ceremony held on October 17, 2024 in New York City. Recognized as the premier aviation law firm in North America, Milbank has garnered the “Americas Law Firm of the Year” recognition every year since 2022. The Aviation 100 Americas Awards recognizes the year’s most outstanding performers in the commercial aviation industry in the Americas region. 

Milbank also advised on six deals selected for “Deal of the Year” awards by the publication, including PK AirFinance’s inaugural aircraft loan asset-backed securitization, PK Air 2024-1 (“Americas Overall Deal of the Year”), JetBlue’s 2024 liquidity raise, including a loyalty and a notes offering (“Americas Equity Deal of the Year”), JetBlue’s $662 million secured A/B term loan facility (“Americas Debt Deal of the Year”), JetBlue’s 2024 $600 million sustainability linked revolver (“Americas Sustainability Deal of the Year”), Hawaiian Airlines’ $1.2 billion exchange offer (“Americas Capital Markets Deal of the Year”) and BBAM’s Freighter term loan (“Americas Freighter Finance Deal of the Year”). 

As a leading law firm in the global aviation sector, Milbank’s aviation practice includes partners Drew Fine, Brett Nadritch, Alexandra Johnson, Jim Pascale, Freyda Mechlowicz, Joshua Forman, Andrew Walker and Jonathon Jackson in New York and James Cameron and Nick Swinburne in London, along with a team of special counsel and associates. The team advises clients on a broad range of transactions – including acquisition and warehouse financings, secured portfolio financings, private placements including EETCs, ABS, structured financings, loyalty program financings, AFIC financings and ECA financings, IPOs and aviation mergers and acquisitions including joint ventures and aircraft portfolio acquisitions and disposals.

“On behalf of Milbank’s global aviation team, we are truly grateful that year after year, our clients put their trust in us to provide the highest level of client service while allowing us to work with them on the most complex aviation financing deals,” noted Ms. Johnson, Milbank’s Transportation and Space Group Practice Group Leader. “We are thrilled that Airline Economics has selected Milbank for this recognition, highlighting the strength of our practice.” 

“We are thankful to have had the opportunity to structure the aviation market’s most innovative and first-of-its kind deals alongside each of our exceptional clients over the last year, and over the last few years, a true testament to our talented aviation team, said Drew Fine, Chair of Milbank’s Finance practice and Transportation and Space Group.

Ranked in the top band of Chambers USA, Chambers UK and Chambers Global, Milbank notably stands out as being the only firm globally to have its aviation attorneys selected for a Band 1 individual ranking in Chambers Global’s asset finance rankings.