AG has one of the best real estate finance teams in the market, acting on the largest cross-border investment and development finance transactions across all sectors, including office, retail, student accommodation, hotels, residential logistics, healthcare and PRS / BTR. Our private wealth finance lawyers specialise in supporting private banks, family offices and high net worth individuals from a lender and borrower perspective (including as the only appointed counsel in some deals) to complete a transaction as quickly and efficiently as possible, and most importantly, with the long-term relationship of the parties as the priority. 

The AG team have decades of experience in advising lenders, collectors (private and corporate), dealers, galleries, auction houses and other intermediaries on all aspects of art finance and art related activities across the world. Our lawyers also lecture on art finance, including provenance and enforcement, at institutions across the world. We advise in respect of single pieces or large portfolios and cover all types of artwork on both a recourse and non-recourse basis. 

Deals:

• Large bank: acting for a large bank on a £30 million SONIA based revolving credit facility to a London art gallery secured against its stock of paintings, drawings and sculptures.
• International bank: advising on a loan facility made to a US resident borrower and secured against a significant modern art collection located in the US and Thailand. Subsequently enforcing through various US courts when the borrower absconded with the secured portfolio. 
• Private collector: Assisting with the sale of an old master by a private Italian collector to a Swiss buyer.

AG has a pre-eminent shipping practice and are market leaders advisers lenders, purchasers, charterers in connection with the financing of and enforcement against yachts. Our team members have experience in locations across the world and author the most respected books on the subject. More generally, our international yacht practice also acts for builders, boatyards and managers on all matters relating to yacht ownership and management.  

Deals: 

• High street bank: Sale of a luxury sailing yacht following repossession. We assisted the Bank in the voluntary surrender of the yacht by the defaulting borrower; mobilisation to a secure marina in Gibraltar; supporting the marketing process; negotiations with the borrower; negotiations with a series of intending purchasers, including Cayman Islands flag registry procedures of sale by a mortgagee-in-possession. Ed Watt is the author of the leading textbook in this area, therefore these quite sophisticated processes are second nature.
• Expatriate ultra-high net work individual based in Dubai: Purchase of a bespoke luxury catamaran motor yacht.  This custom-modified production model was exhibited at the Monaco Yacht Show 2018.  This private client, the beneficial owner of a significant property developer company, was referred from within Addleshaw Goddard by our Real Estate team, providing from within the firm the niche expertise needed upon ship building contracts.  We have guided UHNW private clients in relation to numerous such transactions and can do so with confidence
• RBS, Lombard: Advising RBS/Lombard in relation to the £158m disposal to Investec and Shawbrook of its entire Lombard Offshore portfolio. The portfolio consisted of over 3,800 individual transactions, spanning multiple asset categories, and including circa 50 individual secured financings of super-yachts, pleasure boats and light aircraft. Working alongside our colleagues in multiple disciplines, particularly those in corporate M&A, Financial Regulation, Competition and Data Protection, we ran the entire auction process alongside the client and KPMG, conducting all Vendor Due Diligence, and advising on the structure and commercial terms of the sale, including transitional arrangements and the eventual legal and operational migration of the portfolio to the purchasers.

The AG team has decades of experience in advising lenders and purchasers in connection with the financing of and enforcement against private jets across the world. More generally, our international aviation practice also acts for airlines, operating lessors, asset managers, export-credit agencies and MROs in relation to the acquisition, new delivery, and disposal of aircraft and capital market transactions. We are also considered market leading advisors in relation to sustainable aviation fuel and hydrogen projects.

Deals: 

• Various banks and airlines: on Islamic financings including Ijarah (leasing), Murabaha (facility), double exposure Murabaha (rolling facility) and Wakala (agency deposit facilities)
• A large airline: on the leasing, financing and security over aircraft and engines to government entities
• Individuals: advising various families on the purchase, delivery and financing of corporate jets

Our art, yacht, real estate and private jet finance capabilities sit alongside our expertise across financing a range of other luxury assets, including classic cars, helicopters, watches, jewellery, wine and whiskey. As such, we have been winners of the Asset Finance Legal Provider of the Year award for many years.

Deals:

• Private bank: a large private bank on the finance of a portfolio of jewellery, watches and artwork.
• Individuals: various families on the financing and security over wine and whiskey stock 
• International banks: many large banks on the finance of collections of classic cars