Airfinance Global Recognizes K&L Gates as a Top Law Firm in the 2025 Legal Survey

Global law firm K&L Gates has again been ranked among the top law firms in Airfinance Global’s 2025 Legal Survey, with the firm being recognized as the second most active for operating lease transactions and third most active for sale and purchase transactions, both based on deal volume in 2024.

The 2025 Survey also lists K&L Gates as the second most active law firm in the Asia-Pacific and Africa and the third most active in the Middle East. The firm is listed among the top three most active law firms globally.

Robert Melson, a partner in the Tokyo office and a leader of K&L Gates’ global Aviation Finance practice said: “I am very proud of our global team’s accomplishments this year. We continue to be one of the most active law firms in the world advising on aircraft finance and leasing matters. Asia-Pacific was particularly busy for us last year, and it continues to be the case this year as well. Japanese investors involved in JOLCOs and JOLs have driven a lot of our work across the Asia-Pacific region, but we have also been extremely busy advising clients doing business in China, Southeast Asia, and Australia. We thank our clients for their trust and unwavering support and appreciate the continued recognition from Airfinance Global as a top law firm and trusted adviser in the annual legal survey.”

Airfinance Global’s annual Legal Survey ranks law firms that advise on aviation sector transactions. The survey records the overall number of deals for each law firm and law firms secure points based on their placement in each region, product, and category.

K&L Gates’ Aviation Finance practice represents financial institutions, leasing companies, and airlines around the world in connection with aircraft finance and leasing transactions, including the structuring, documenting, and negotiating of aircraft finance transactions and cross-border transactions involving multiple jurisdictions. The team works closely with colleagues in the tax, regulatory, and litigation support practice groups to advise and assist financial institutions, leasing companies, and airlines on a variety of aviation matters.