ATLANTA (October 19, 2023) – Smith, Gambrell & Russell, LLP (SGR) is pleased to announce the Firm’s 2024 Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK rankings. Partner Adrian Beasley has been selected for inclusion in the 2024 edition of Chambers UK Guide, ranked in Band 3 in Asset Finance: Aviation Finance. For The Legal 500 UK 2024, SGR’s Global Transport Practice has been recognized in Tier Five in London for Transport Finance & Leasing. Additionally for The Legal 500 UK 2024 in Finance: Transport Finance & Leasing, Adrian is recognized as a Leading Individual, along with Individual Mentions for Partners Pete Barlow, Ben Graham-Evans, Matthew Leigh, and Mark Turnbull.
Adrian Beasley is a partner and a member of SGR’s Global Transport Practice where he advises clients on international asset finance and leasing transactions, with a particular emphasis on the aviation industry. Adrian has been consistently recognized by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK in aviation finance and commended for his client-centric approach.
Pete Barlow is the leader of the Firm’s Global Transport Practice. His practice concentrates in the areas of aircraft finance, commercial and corporate aircraft acquisitions and leasing, airline representation, aviation law, and general corporate representation. Pete is also recognized by Chambers USA in Transportation: Aviation: Finance Nationwide.
Ben Graham-Evans, co-founding UK partner, is a member of SGR’s Global Transport Practice. His practice specializes in international aircraft finance and leasing transactions advising lessors, purchasers, and operators on buying, selling, and leasing of commercial aircraft, engines, and parts. Over the course of his legal career, Ben has been repeatedly recognized by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK.
Matthew Leigh is a member of the Firm’s Global Transport Practice. He specializes in structured asset finance and leasing, acting for banks, financial institutions, lessors and operators in a wide range of jurisdictions. Matthew has been previously recognized as a leading lawyer in aviation by Chambers and Partners and The Legal 500 UK.
Mark Turnbull, co-founding UK partner, is a member of SGR’s Global Transport Practice where he advises financial institutions, aircraft leasing companies, airlines, MROs, and aviation industry participants on commercial and corporate aviation. Mark has been regularly recognized by Chambers UK and The Legal 500 UK for his work in the aviation industry.
SGR’s UK Global Transport Practice was lauded by The Legal 500 UK for its “strong aviation knowledge/experience,” and noted as “commercially minded and extremely efficient especially when deadlines are tight.”
SGR’s UK practice has continued to grow since the London and Southampton offices were established in 2017 by Ben, Mark and Gareth Hawes (partner). Over the last year, the UK practice has welcomed Rachel Thomasen (senior associate), Oliver Murray (associate), Gemma Patterson (senior associate), and Adrian Beasley. Significant hires in 2021, 2020, and 2019 include Matthew Leigh, Aleksandra Puścińska (associate), Rory O’Driscoll (associate), and Zara Evans (associate). SGR’s Global Transport Practice now comprises nearly 40 lawyers located across the Firm’s network of offices, which also includes Atlanta, Austin, Charlotte, Chicago, Miami, and New York.
About Chambers and Partners
Chambers is the world’s leading legal ranking and insights intelligence company. For over 30 years, Chambers has differentiated the very best legal talent by identifying and ranking law firms and lawyers through an unrivalled research methodology, delivering indispensable insights based on irrefutable rankings that truly reflect ability and talent. Chambers’ in-depth research teams assess lawyers and law firms across more than 200 jurisdictions around the world, providing independent and impartial intelligence and market insight. All our research, analysis and insight can be found at www.chambers.com.
About The Legal 500
For 33 years, The Legal 500 has been analyzing the capabilities of law firms across the world, with a comprehensive research program revised and updated every year to bring the most up-to-date vision of the global legal market. The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in over 150 jurisdictions, the results of which can be viewed free of charge. Research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers, and a team of researchers who have unrivalled experience in the legal market. The Legal 500 produces a wide ranging series of resources for in-house lawyers including roundtables, client insight reports, and recognizes and rewards the best in-house lawyers through the GC Powerlist series and The Legal 500 Awards. For more information, please visit www.legal500.com.
About Smith Gambrell Russell
SGR is a full-service, international law firm that advises regional, national and global businesses on a wide range of legal matters. The Firm’s nearly 400 attorneys provide legal counsel in more than 50 specialized practice areas, including corporate transactions, litigation, intellectual property, aviation, banking, real estate, insurance/reinsurance, construction, employment law, international, and employee benefits and executive compensation. Founded in 1893, SGR has 14 domestic and international offices, including Atlanta; Austin; Charlotte; Chicago; Jacksonville, FL; London; Los Angeles; Miami; Munich; New York; Southampton; Springfield, IL; Tampa, FL; and Washington, D.C.