Sidanth Rajagopal is a partner in the London finance team and is a practice group coordinator of the global banking and asset finance group. He is part of the aviation finance team operating out of London and Dubai. As an aviation finance lawyer, he is recognised as having experience in a broad range of complex cross-border aviation finance matters. Sidanth provides key commercial and technical advice throughout the deal cycle, but counsels clients in the following key areas; financing, leasing, purchasing, restructuring and repossessions for both commercial aircraft (fleet and individual) and business jets and also works alongside clients on equity capital markets and debt capital market transactions. This experience includes innovative financing structures involving Sharia-compliant aircraft leasing, insurance-backed finance, PDP financing and structuring majority share purchases in AIM listed entities, setting up funds focused on aviation assets and other aviation business acquisitions.
Although experienced across various geographies, Sidanth is best known as a prominent aviation finance lawyer in South East Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Correspondingly, Sidanth global clientele include emerging and established airlines, leasing companies, private equity investors, and asset financing banks.
Sidanth has been recognised by leading aviation industry commentators. In recognition of his practice, he is the recipient of Airline Economics 40 under 40 in 2018. Earmarked as a thought leader in the field, commentary on him included, ‘A flock of satisfied clients wrote of his “tremendous commercial understanding on the issues which leads to innovative solutions” as well as his dedication to “deliberate improvement” and “progressive excellence”. Sidanth is also named in Legal 500, Indian Business Law Journal, Asia Law Leading Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal. Sidanth’s market insights is consistently solicited by the aviation industry and he regularly speaks at industry conferences and contributes to industry publications.
