The annual awards recognise the outstanding commitment and support to the global transport finance industry by the bankers and lawyers who put together some of the most significant financing deals for airlines, airports, shipping and railways, globally.

During the evening, the award for Shipping Loan Portfolio Advisor of the Year was presented to the Reed Smith team, led by co-head of Transportation Rob Wilkins and partner Richard Hakes.

The award for Shipping Loan Portfolio Deal of the Year was made to Deutsche Bank and Reed Smith, as advisors, in relation to the US$1.2 billion portfolio disposal of shipping loans to Oak Hill Advisors and Värde Partners. The judges specifically commented on the transaction’s innovative nature, its importance to the shipping industry, and Reed Smith’s expertise in this sector. 

The multi-disciplinary, cross-border team that advised Deutsche Bank was led by London-based asset finance partner Richard Hakes, who was assisted by fellow partners Simon Hugo, Bronwen Jones and Iain Balkwill in London, as well as Volker Kammel and Simon Grieser in Frankfurt, and Tilman Siebert and Thomas Gierath in Munich.

Rob Wilkins said: “We are delighted to have received further awards highlighting Reed Smith’s market leading expertise in shipping after our successes last year. We have advised on the most high profile and large-scale loan portfolio transactions in the shipping market in recent years, acting for both buy and sell side clients, as well as for financiers of loan portfolios.”