Challenges and opportunities for corporate counsel in a distressed market

Catherine Kearns, Associate General Counsel, ORIX Aviation, Ireland

Current stresses in markets and the daily industry and worldwide financial developments generated by such stresses raise specific challenges for corporate counsel which I have attempted to detail below in an inclusive albeit not comprehensive list. While the range of challenges may at first appear daunting, opportunities arise for in-house counsel to gain from awareness of and success at meeting those challenges. Furthermore, as will be seen later, many of the challenges arise due to a new intensity of focus on particular areas fuelled by market conditions rather than a necessity to grapple with new areas of learning.

Catherine Kearns is the Associate General Counsel of ORIX Aviation, leading the legal department which is responsible for the negotiation, review, administration and drafting of contract documentation and corporate legal matters. Catherine joined OAS in 2002 and has a wide range of experience in the aviation industry. Prior to joining OAS she spent time practicing commercial law in a Dublin based law firm. Catherine qualified with an honours law degree from Trinity College, Dublin in 1996, a Masters in European law from University College Dublin in 1997 and was admitted as a solicitor in Ireland in 2000.

ORIX Aviation was founded in Ireland in 1991 as an aircraft leasing company and currently has a fleet of approximately 115 commercial jet aircraft with a worldwide range of customers and range of aircraft types valued in excess of US$3.35 billion.