Oliver Hipperson is Head of the Asset Finance Group in London. Oliver advises a wide range of clients in the transportation sector, with a primary focus on the financing, leasing, trading and repackaging of aviation and maritime assets. He also advises banks and export credit agencies on export finance transactions across a wider range of sectors.
Oliver has been very active in secondary debt trading, having acted for both buyers, sellers and financiers of large secured and unsecured loan and lease receivable portfolios (including in some cases the subsequent restructuring and repackaging of those portfolios).
Oliver worked for two years in a commercial role in the investment banking division of Barclays Bank plc, giving him a particular insight into the structuring and execution of capital equipment financing transactions.
Aviation
- Advised TrueNoord on a US$400 million revolving warehouse facility provided by Citibank, Sociéte Générale, Royal Bank of Canada and NordLB, to expand TrueNoord's portfolio of 15-150 seat aircraft
- Advised multiple lenders in 8 JOLCO financing transactions involving aircraft leased to Scandinavian Airlines System, following the airline's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing
- Advised National Australia Bank on the disposal of a US$1.1 billion aircraft loan portfolio to funds managed by Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners, serviced by Bellinger Asset Management
- Advised the Balthazar insurers on the limited recourse financing, arranged by Natixis, of 3 Airbus A220-300 aircraft on lease to Air Baltic, with equity provided by a KGAL managed fund
- Advised CACIB and CIC on the sustainability-linked JOLCO financing of 3 Airbus A321NEO aircraft on lease to Wizz Air, with equity provided by SBI Leasing
- Advised Avolon on its order with Vertical Aerospace, an electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) manufacturer, and on Avolon's PIPE investment in Vertical
- Advised multiple lessors on the restructuring of Virgin Atlantic (the first ever UK Part 26A restructuring)
- Advised several lessors and lenders on leasing and insurance related matters arising out of the Russian sanctions
Maritime and cruise
- Advised Deutsche Bank, Polus Capital Management and Cross Ocean Partners on the restructuring of Vroon, the Dutch headquartered shipping company Vroon, including advising with respect to Vroon's English scheme of arrangement and Dutch WHOA
- Advised A.P. Møller-Mærsk A/S in connection with a US$725 million KEXIM-backed financing of 9 newbuilding methanol duel fuel container vessels currently under construction, under Maersk's Green Financing Framework, to be delivered in 2025 – 2026
- Advised ING Bank and Standard Chartered Bank (together with the respective mandated lead arrangers) on the US$1.8 billion ECA project financing of 5 pipe-laying support vessels chartered to Petrobras, supported by Atradius Dutch State Business and UK Export Finance, and sponsored by Seadrill and Sapura Energy Berhad
- Advised SACE, SIMEST and certain lenders on the lengthening, re-engining and modification of the Windstar cruise vessels STAR PRIDE, STAR LEGEND and STAR BREEZE, carried out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo
Other ECA
- Advised BNP Paribas Fortis, HSBC, NatWest, SACE and SIMEST on the c. US$743 million SACE- and Hermes-backed export financing of the ‘Viking Link’ interconnector project for National Grid
- Overall ECA-Backed Deal of the Year 2020 – TXF Export Finance ECA-backed Perfect 10
News and client work
Contact details
- Clifford Chance, London
- +442070064767
- Email me
- Speaks English and French
- Practice area Global Financial Markets
- Sector Aerospace & defence, Banks, Transport & logistics
Career and qualifications
- University College London (LLB) 1999
Professional bodies
- Law Society of England and Wales
Awards and citations
- "Oliver is an outstanding adviser with an innate understanding of the commercial drivers for our business and industry."
Chambers UK-Wide 2025: Asset Finance: Aviation Finance: Band 1
- "Oliver Hipperson is hugely hardworking and unflappable under pressure and has a tremendous ability to simplify the complex."
Legal 500 UK 2024: Finance: Transport Finance and Leasing – Tier 1; Leading Partner
- "He's a smart guy with good commercial appreciation and huge experience."
Chambers UK 2023: Aviation Finance - Band 1 - "He goes to great lengths to ensure we get the advice and support we need."
Chambers UK 2023: Aviation Finance - Band 1