Jason Merritt, Paris, France

Part of the legal team at Natixis specialising in aviation finance covering both English and French law matters. I also assist with English law matters in respect of general asset finance, project finance and trade finance transactions.
As part of a team of only two legal advisers I am responsible for the assisting the aviation finance desks of the bank in Paris, New York, London, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Singapore. This often involves managing competing deadlines from internal clients across the world, in both English and French. I am also part of the "Design Thinking" working group at the bank.
My day-to-day work involves:
• drafting documents and supervising the drafting of documents by external law firms
• managing and negotiating new transactions
• advising on insolvency and restructuring transactions
• running training sessions for internal clients
• monitoring legal and regulatory developments; and
• managing internal document models and best practice materials.

I worked in the Paris office of Norton Rose Fulbright LLP specialising in asset finance. I represented export credit agencies, manufacturers banks, financial institutions and operating lessors. I gained experience with a broad range of transactions, under both French and English law including:
• Acting for various French banks on tax-leases for aircraft delivered to airlines in Turkey, the Middle East and Asia
• Acting for various French banks on tax-leases for Chinese lessors for aircraft subleased to various Chinese airlines
• Advising the Canadian ECA, on the financing of various Bombardier aircraft leased to various Canadian and German lessors and subleased to a Spanish airline
• Advising an Italian manufacturer on the financing and leasing of various aircraft to a European airline and a Mexican airline
• Part of the legal team advising the ECAs and a syndicate of banks on the restructuring of financing of eighteen aircraft leased to a Russian airline
• Advising the Canadian ECA on the restructuring of various aircraft for a Scandinavian operating lessor with aircraft on lease to airlines in multiple jurisdictions
• Advising a French bank on the restructuring of various aircraft leased to airlines in the UK and Scandinavia for a major Middle Eastern lessor
• Advising ECAs and financiers on the unwinding of the financing and leasing structures of various aircraft for a Middle Eastern lessor
• Advising ECAs and financiers on the unwinding of the financing and leasing structures of various aircraft for a Malaysian carrier


My responsibilities included drafting, reviewing and negotiating legal documentation, and liaising with various parties including legal counsel, airlines, manufacturers across a number of jurisdictions. I am also responsible for managing transactions and ensuring that they are completed on schedule and to the satisfaction of the commercial parties.

I undertook my training contract at the London office of Kirkland & Ellis, a US law firm specialising in private equity and leveraged finance transactions. I spent six months in each of the funds, banking & finance, arbitration and M&A departments. Notable transactions I was involved in included:
• Assisting a Middle Eastern logistics company with various arbitration proceedings against governments in the Middle East and Asia.
• Assisting a major US private equity fund with litigation proceedings brought against it by a French labour union in relation to the restructuring of a portfolio company.
• Assisting CVC Capital Partners with the acquisition of Parexgroup S.A., a French industrial group.
• Assisting various banks and financial institutions on a revolving credit facility for Twin Set Group, an Italian clothing retailer and portfolio company of Carlyle Group.
• Assisting GTCR with the acquisition of Callcredit Group, a UK based data, analytics and software company.
• Assisting Goldentree Asset Management LP and the other shareholders of the Peermont Group, in the agreement with Sun International to sell Peermont to Sun International for c.$775 million.
• Assisting Sun Capital on its acquisition of the Finlays Group, a horticultural business based in Africa and Europe, from James Finlay Limited.