Joshua D. Gentner

Partner / Chicago | New York

Joshua D. Gentner is a Partner in the Global Transport Practice of Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP.

Full Bio

Mr. Gentner represents and counsel’s clients in connection with a wide variety of debt, equity, and lease financings, including U.S. and cross-border leveraged leases, mortgage financings, operating leases, project financings, export credit agency supported financings and securitizations including, ABS transactions, EETCs, and pass-through certificates. He handles matters related to aircraft, locomotives, rolling stock, vessels, and other machinery and equipment financing. Mr. Gentner has extensive experience in cross-border leasing transactions, including those on behalf of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. He has also represented major commercial airlines and secured creditors in bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring transactions in the U.S. and abroad.

Mr. Gentner served as legal counsel in connection with two transactions that were awarded Deals of the Year for 2020 by Airfinance Journal. He represented Aviation Capital Group as part of a Virgin Atlantic transaction which was awarded Europe Deal of the Year for 2020, and in a Pegasus Airlines transaction which was awarded Tax Lease Deal of the Year for 2020. Mr. Gentner was featured in The International Who’s Who of Aviation Lawyers and Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World’s Leading Aviation Lawyers. From 2010 to 2024, Chambers USA ranked Mr. Gentner in the Nationwide Transportation: Aviation: Finance category, as well as in the Nationwide Banking & Finance: Equipment Finance & Leasing category in 2013. He was also selected for inclusion in Euromoney’s Expert Guides (Aviation) on numerous occasions and Euromoney’s Best of the Best USA in 2016. In addition, Mr. Gentner has been selected by his peers as a Leading Lawyer in Corporate Finance. In 2016 and 2017, he was recommended by the Legal 500 United States guide in the Finance—Asset Finance and Leasing category.
Bar Admissions

Colorado
Utah
Education
Undergraduate
- Indiana University
Law School
- Northwestern University
Languages

Conversational French
Recognitions

Chambers USA - Transportation: Aviation: Finance, USA-Nationwide (2010-2025)
International Advisory Experts Award - Transport Law in New York (2020)
Publications and Speaking Engagements

Panelist, “Use of Charitable Orphan Trust Structures to Achieve Remoteness” 2014 ABA Aircraft Financing Subcommittee Annual Meeting, Chicago, Illinois, September 2014

Moderator, “Where is the ECA market going?” 16th Annual Global Airfinance Conference, Dublin, Ireland, January 2014

Author, US Ex-Im Bank’s response to the financial crisis, published by Aircraft Finance Guide, November 2011

Panelist, “The US Ex-Im Bank Capital Markets Transactions,” 2010 ABA Aircraft Financing Subcommittee Spring Meeting, Denver, Colorado, April 2010
SGR Publications
Press