Equipment Financing and Leasing

Holland & Knight represents a variety of clients in the purchase, sale and leasing of business and industrial equipment. Our clients are owner-participants, synthetic lessors, operators, manufacturers, buyers, sellers, lenders, indenture or owner trustees, and credit enhancement providers. In all cases, they require a law firm that knows how to find the optimum financing structure. With our attorneys' broad experience across every industry, global connections and in-depth knowledge of financing and leasing, Holland & Knight provides valuable service to clients financing or leasing equipment. 

Clients benefit from our multidisciplined approach, which allows us to draw on the knowledge of Holland & Knight attorneys in related practices. We often collaborate with our colleagues who focus on specific industries, such as aviation, shipping, railroads, motor carriers, mining, energy, technology and telecommunications. Each transaction has its own challenges. We also work with lawyers in our financing, bankruptcy, litigation and corporate practices, and ultimately can address any issue that our clients face.

We pride ourselves on our responsiveness to clients. Our team approach, enabled by attorneys in 34 offices coast to coast in the United States, as well as in Latin America and London, means that equipment financing clients can rely on us for answers to problems whenever and wherever they need counsel.

Industry Involvement

We immerse ourselves in our clients' industries. For example, we are leaders in the Aviation Working Group, where three of our attorneys hold positions on the legal advisory panel executive committee. One of our attorneys is the current secretary general of the MAC Working Group, which represented the private sector in the creation of the MAC Protocol, the fourth protocol to the Cape Town Convention that covers mining, agricultural and construction equipment. We also are active in the Maritime Law Association of the United States and other organizations that promote our clients' industries. As a result of our close monitoring of business trends, we offer timely advice that helps our clients make critical business decisions.

We Serve All Industries

Aviation. Holland & Knight is an international leader in aviation finance, advising clients in the purchase and sale of aircraft, engines and parts worldwide. We typically complete over 250 aviation transactions annually, and during the past five years have worked with clients in more than 70 countries on the acquisition, financing, leasing and structuring of aircraft and helicopter transactions. Our clients include nine of the world's 10 largest aircraft leasing companies, major U.S. and international airlines, investment funds, investment banks, corporate jet owners, government guarantors, high-net-worth individuals and other key players in the wider aviation industry ecosystem. 

Shipping and maritime. Working with attorneys in our Maritime Transactions and Asset Finance practices, we represent shipping, offshore and cruise companies around the world, as well as investors in those industries. Our broad experience includes shipping industry taxation issues, capital markets transactions and leasing. 

Automobiles, buses, trucks and trailers. We structure automobile vendor leasing programs and leveraged lease financings for fleets. 

Energy and power facilities. Our lawyers work with energy companies to lease and finance solar, wind, cogeneration and hydro plants and turbines, as well as recycling facilities and water treatment operations. 

Manufacturing equipment. We counsel clients on structuring leases for a broad range of manufacturing equipment in diverse industries from semiconductors to glass and paint. 

Mining. Our clients have included coal companies that used lease financings to build a coal preparation plant and a coal washing facility, as well as acquire mining equipment. 

Office and computer equipment. We have advised companies on the leasing of computers, furniture and other equipment to furnish offices. 

Rail. Holland & Knight has created operating and leveraged leases for the acquisition of locomotives and all rolling stock for railroads and mass transit systems. 

Telecommunications. Our transactions to support this industry have included lease financings of satellite transponders as well as optical and switching equipment for telecommunications and entertainment companies.