Philippe Wenker
Partner, LLM (Corporate and
Commercial Law)
Philippe specialises in aviation & transport as well as asset finance. A main focus lies on transactional work and financing matters where he advised domestic and foreign banks and other financiers in many multinational asset financing transactions (such as aircraft, yachts and art) with relevance to all major jurisdictions.
Philippe Wenker advises airlines, business jet owners (corporations and HNWI), operators and suppliers (maintenance, cargo, catering, aircraft interior completion, etc.) to the aircraft and transport industry on a wide variety of contractual, commercial, corporate, regulatory, tax and contentious and non-contentious matters. A main focus of his works relates on aircraft and asset financing matters where he has advised banks, lessors and other financiers in a large number of multinational financing transactions. Furthermore, he regularly advises on aircraft sale and purchase transactions, operating leases (wet and dry) and finance leases as well as on tax-optimised structures to hold and operate aircraft of all categories.
Philippe graduated from the University of Zurich in 1996 and has been admitted to the Zurich Bar in 2000. He also holds a master of laws (LLM) of the New York University School of Law. He is a member of the Zurich Bar Association, the Swiss Bar Association, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA), the European Air Law Association (EALA) and other relevant industry organisations.
Prior to joining gbf Attorneys-at-law, he worked for a Zurich District Court and various Zurich based business law firms and was a longstanding partner at Blum&Grob Attorneys at Law where he was co-heading of the aviation & transport and asset finance team.
Since years, Philippe is continuously listed with distinction in The Legal 500, the Euromoney's Expert Guide to the World's Leading Lawyers in Aviation Law as well as in The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers – Transport & Aviation (Global Leader, Thought Leader Switzerland).
He regularly speaks at conferences and publishes on various aviation and therewith related topics
Publication01.06.2022
Drone Regulation
Contribution of Swiss chapter of Lexology’s Getting the Deal Through Series on Drone Regulations 2021.
Publication02.02.2022
L2B Aviation - International Aircraft Registration Guide
Contribution of Swiss Chapter in L2B Aviation - International Aircraft Registration Guide.
Publication01.08.2018
Ship Finance
Contribution of Swiss chapter of Getting the Deal Through Series on Ship Finance 2018.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing of a Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft
Aircraft Leasing
Acted as Swiss counsel to an international leasing company for the leasing of two Embraer E190 aircraft
Aircraft Purchase
Advised a Business Jet Operator on the acquisition of two Embraer Phenom 300 aircraft
Aircraft Purchase
Advised a HNWI on the acquisition of a Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing of a Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft
Helicopter Purchase
Advised a company on the acquisition and operation of a Bell 429 helicopter
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing of a Pilatus PC24 aircraft
Space law regulation
Established comprehensive comparative space law study for a government space agency.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as Swiss legal counsel to a global bank in context with the financing of the purchase of a new Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft.
Aircraft Sale and Purchase
Comprehensively advised a multinational corporation on the acquisition of a pre-owned Bombardier G5000 aircraft by way of trade-in of a Bombardier CL605 aircraft.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing of a Boeing BBJ aircraft and an Airbus ACJ aircraft for a UHNWI.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the restructuring of a financing of Bombardier Global 5000 aircraft.
Aircraft Purchase
Comprehensively advised a HNWI on purchase, financing and operation of a Gulfstream G500 aircraft.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing of Dassault Falcon 8X aircraft.
Art Finance
Acted as Swiss legal counsel to a global bank in context with the refinancing of various artwork portfolios.
Aircraft Operations
Comprehensively advised a Swiss AOC operator in the preparation, negotiation and implementation of numerous aircraft operating agreements and therewith related legal documentation (for aircraft ranging from Pilatus PC12 to Gulfstream G650).
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to an US Global bank of the workout and restructuring of the financing of a Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major Swiss global bank for the financing of a pre-owned Dassault Falcon 900DX aircraft.
Aircraft Finance
Acted as lead counsel to a major global bank for the financing (including pre-delivery stage payments to the manufacturer) of the acquisition of a new Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft.