Bob Greenspon retired from the partnership in November 2008. He headed the firm's equipment finance practice. He has broad experience in international aircraft finance, including all varieties of cross-border finance and leasing. He represented financial institutions in the public and rated securitization of debt in equipment finance transactions. He also participated in most of the major airline bankruptcies and workouts on behalf of equipment providers and lenders. Prior to joining the firm in 1992, he was senior vice-president and general counsel of the leasing divisions of GPA Group plc, the world's largest aircraft leasing company at its headquarters in Ireland.
Described by the Airfinance Journal as "one of the leading lawyers in aircraft finance and leasing," Mr. Greenspon participated in billions of dollars of equipment financings. Mr. Greenspon led Latham & Watkins aircraft finance teams on two high profile, award-winning deals, which were cited for their innovation in the prestigious 2005 Airfinance Journal "Airline Deal of the Year" awards. In the 2008 Legal 500 US guide Robert Greenspon was recognized for his work in asset financing.
He represented financial guarantors (MBIA Insurance Co., FGIC and Ambac Financial Group Inc.), banks (Citibank, Shinsei Bank, Nippon Credit Bank), airlines (British Airways, America West Airlines, Gemini Air Cargo, Royal Jordanian Airlines), leasing companies (GPA Group plc, Sunrock Aircraft Corporation, Pegasus Aviation) and others (Xerox, DreamWorks SKG, Deloitte & Touche, PG&E Generating, Owens-Illinois) in all aspects of equipment finance, securitizations, loan workouts and restructurings. Having closed transactions in Europe, South America, Asia and the Middle East, his practice was truly international.
At the time of his retirement, Mr. Greenspon was a frequent lecturer before professional and industry groups. He presented papers in Singapore, Cannes, Melbourne, Dublin, London, Washington, D.C., Durban, South Africa and New York. Mr. Greenspon is listed in Euromoney's "Expert Guide to the World's Leading Aviation Lawyers" and in Marquis Who's Who in America, 56th Edition, Who's Who in American Law, 5th Edition and Who's Who in the World, 19th Edition.
His publications include:
- "Documentation of Aircraft Operating Leases" (16 International Business Lawyer, May 1988)
- "Airline Reorganizations in the United States and their Impact on the Interests of Aircraft Lessors and Secured Creditors" (Air Law, volume X, no. 6, December 1985. Kluwer Law and Taxation Publishers, The Netherlands)
- 14 International Business Lawyer, April 1986), as co-author "Continental Spoke Softly But Used 'Cramdown'" (90 Commercial Aviation Report, June 15, 1993)
- "Enforcement of Security Interests in Spare Aircraft Engines: The US Approach to Choice of Law Issues" (Air Law, volume XXI, no. 3, June 1996. Kluwer Law International, The Netherlands).
At the time of his retirement, Mr. Greenspon was the former Vice-Chair of the American Bar Association's International Law Section's Committee on Aviation and Aerospace and was active on the Aeronautical Law Committee of the International Bar Association. He served on the board of advisors of the International and Comparative Law Center for the Southwest Legal Foundation in Dallas. At the time of his retirement, he was a member of the New York and Connecticut bars.