Team · 03/05

Sofía Helguera

Of Counsel · Leasing

Specialist in Cape Town structuring and cross-border JOLCOs. She has advised on more than eight billion dollars in combined ticket value of aircraft finance transactions across Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Career

Sofía began her career in the banking department of Allen & Overy in Madrid, specialising in aircraft finance from her first year. After seven years at the firm she joined Avolon as in-house counsel, one of the largest aircraft lessors globally, where she structured operating and financial leasing transactions with flag carriers and low-cost airlines across four continents.

She is familiar with the nuances of the Cape Town Convention, the Aircraft Mortgage Register and the key national registers (Bermuda, Ireland, Spain, USA) from the lessor side, which allows her to give the client a very realistic view of what the counterparty requires — and tolerates — in each negotiation.

In her current role as Of Counsel she coordinates the firm's cross-border leasing and refinancing transactions. Her favourite areas are JOLCO structures with Japanese banks, where she combines technical knowledge, cultural sensitivity and a network of contacts in Tokyo.

Practice Areas

Aircraft finance Sale & leaseback JOLCO Cape Town & IDERA Aircraft Mortgage Fund refinancing Cross-border

Education

  • Law Degree — Pontifical University of Comillas (ICADE)
  • Double Law-Business Degree (E-3)
  • LL.M. in Financial Law — King's College London
  • Languages: Spanish, English (C2), Italian (B2)
  • Member of the Madrid Bar Association
"A well-executed leasing transaction goes unnoticed when it flies. You only notice it when there is turbulence: that is where the quality of the contract shows." — Sofía Helguera

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