Barnabas Finnigan is Counsel in the London Corporate practice. His practice encompasses all aspects of corporate finance and banking law, including asset finance, project finance, structured finance, cross border financing, merger and acquisitions, and Cayman Islands stock exchange listings. Barnabas has a particular focus on aviation, finance and shipping finance transactions, including aircraft and vessel registration and aircraft ABS transactions.
Barnabas advises a broad range of international banks and financial institutions, corporations and investors in connection with the entry into complex cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions.
He has extensive experience in aircraft and ship financing transactions and regularly assists ship-owners, airlines, lessors, operators and financiers with Cayman Islands law aspects of acquisition, financing and leasing transactions for commercial and private aircraft, helicopters, commercial vessels and yachts, managing local ship and aircraft mortgage registrations and advising on local security aspects of these transactions.
Barnabas has worked on a number of market leading ABS transactions and also regularly advises Cayman Islands issuer vehicles in connection with the establishment and entry into repackaging and note issuance programs and other structured finance transactions.
Barnabas has previously contributed to the Cayman Islands chapter of The Aviation Law Review (3rd-7th Editions). He was also recognised as one of Airline Economics’ “40 under 40” leading individuals in aviation finance in 2020.
Jurisdiction
Experience
- assisting with the establishment of, and providing on-going corporate and finance advice to, certain aircraft leasing platforms, including assisting with corporate structuring matters and advising on aircraft financing, acquisition and disposal activity on an on-going basis;
- acting for the issuer vehicles in connection with a number of market leading aircraft ABS/portfolio securitisation transactions;
- advising owners, operators and lenders on local aircraft registration requirements and assisting with the registration of mortgages over locally registered private and commercial aircraft;
- assisting an aviation client in connection with the establishment of an entity within the Cayman Islands Special Economic Zone’s Maritime and Aviation City; and advising various financial institutions in connection with the establishment and on-going management of certain note issuing vehicles for the purpose of repackaging transactions, either as standalone entities or as part of a wider programme.
Qualifications
Professional Background
- Reed Smith (formerly Richards Butler), London – Trainee Solicitor
- Richards Butler, Hong Kong – Trainee Solicitor
- Norton Rose, London – Associate
- Maples and Calder, Cayman Islands – Associate
- Maples and Calder, Dublin – Associate (on secondment)
Education
- BPP Law School Leeds, Legal Practice Course, 2005
- Leeds Business School, Graduate Diploma in Law, 2004
- Durham University, BA (Hons) Dunelm, History (2:1), 2003
Bar Admissions
- Cayman Islands, Attorney-at-law, 2012
- England and Wales, Solicitor, 2008
Awards & Accolades
- Recognised in the 2024 edition of Legal 500 Caribbean (foreign based expertise; banking, finance and capital markets)
Associations
- Law Society of England and Wales
- Cayman Islands Legal Practitioner’s Association
- Member of the education committee of the Cayman Islands Legal Practitioner’s Association
Publications
Corporate Digest: Notable Deals and Transactions – Winter 2020
The Aviation Law Review (7th Edition) – Cayman Islands chapter
The Aviation Law Review (6th Edition) – Cayman Islands chapter