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Chris Knight

Partner
London

Partner, London

T: +44.20.7847.9640
T: +44.20.7847.9640

Areas of Focus

Chris Knight is “excellent. He is commercial, very responsive and very diligent. He is always available, very easy to deal with and quick to understand the underlying transactions.”
—Chambers and Partners, UK

Chris Knight is a partner in Pillsbury’s Asset Finance team. Based in London, his practice focuses on acting for funds, banks, ‘alternative’ lenders, lessors, servicers, airlines, and ECAs on a wide range of high-value, cross-border aircraft and engine finance transactions.

Cited by clients in Chambers and Partners, UK (2025) as an “excellent lawyer and very nice to deal with” and a “well-rounded aviation lawyer” and in The Legal 500 (2025) as the provider of “practical and business-oriented advice,” Chris' extensive transactional experience spans sale and leasebacks, finance and operating leases, OEM purchase agreements, trades, insurance, and ECA-backed finance and lease structures, PDP, warehouse, bridge and Islamic financings (amongst others), ABS transactions, engine maintenance/support agreements and loan/mortgage deals. In 2016, Chris undertook a six-month secondment at Emirates in Dubai, advising on a range of delivery, redelivery and ad hoc matters. 

Representative Experience

  • Advised Oaktree and World Star Aviation on their 21-aircraft Sprite 2017-1 and 35-aircraft Sprite 2021-1 ABSs.
  • Counseled a syndicate of 10 lenders on a circa $900 million warehouse financing involving a large lessor and many different airlines across the globe.
  • Acted for a major lender on a $418m 22-aircraft lessor refinancing, involving multiple lessees and jurisdictions.

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  • Represented a syndicate of five lenders on a 10 A330-300 freighter conversion facility.
  • Advised a large Dubai-based bank in connection with a major lessor’s Islamic financing of three A321NEOs on lease to a Middle Eastern carrier.
  • Worked on various Itasca-backed financings, including for a significant Japanese lender relating to a five-engine deal, for Novus in connection with Tamweel Aviation Finance’s mezzanine financing for Virgin of an A350-1000 aircraft, and for Azorra as part of the acquisition of two A330-300s operated by Turkish Airlines.
  • Acted for WLFC in documenting its then new revolving credit lease engine financing product with a European-based operator, the first of its kind.
  • Representing numerous major lessors, including Azorra, BBAM, Crestone, DAE, Falko, FTAI, JSA, Macquarie, Minsheng, Sky Holding, SAEL, TrueNoord, WLFC, and the former AMCK and MCAP platforms on a vast array of aircraft leases, sale and leasebacks and trades.
  • Worked on multiple A350-900 JOLCO, Balthazar and ECA-backed transactions for Ethiopian Airlines, structured with both senior and junior debt.
  • Acted for Emirates on all aspects of its A380 and B777 aircraft deliveries over many years.
  • Represented various lenders on multiple PDP financing and revolving and warehouse facility-related deals.
  • Advised Kuwait Airways’ and LATAM on various Airbus purchase agreements, and a European cargo carrier on its B777F purchase agreement with Boeing.

Professional Highlights

  • The Legal 500 UK, recognized for Transport Finance & Leasing (2019 – 2025)
  • Chambers UK, recognized for Asset Finance: Aviation Finance (2020 – 2024)
  • Best Lawyers, recognized for Banking and Finance Law (One to Watch) (2025)

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Education

  • Legal Practice Course, BPP Law School, 2009
    Distinction

    LL.B. (Hons), University of Liverpool, 2008
    First

Admissions

  • England and Wales

Chris' Insights

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