About Celine Zeng

Celine is a banking and finance lawyer who specialises in asset finance with a particular focus on the aviation industry. She regularly acts for airlines, operating lessors, major banks or other financial institutions on cross-border finance and leasing structures. Celine also advises on China-related transactions.

Celine completed her training contract at a leading international law firm in London and Munich before joining Freshfields upon qualification.

She speaks German, Mandarin, Shanghainese, English and French.

Recent work

• Advising Deutsche Lufthansa Aktiengesellschaft on more than 70 aircraft financings, including Japanese Operating Lease (with Call Option) (JOLCO), Finance Lease, and Operating Lease structures for A320 / A320N / A321 / A321N / A350 / A380 / B777.
• Advising Commerzbank AG on the financing of two B777 aircraft with DHL.
• Advising Etihad Airways P.J.S.C. on the financing of their group members.
• Advising KGAL GmbH & Co. KG on various aircraft financings with VivaAerobús, VietJet Air, Stobart Air, and an Asian carrier.
• Advising Air Berlin on a DIP-financing in the form of a state aid measure backed by the Federal Republic of Germany.
• Advising KfW IPEX-Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Ltd (SMBC) on the financing of the purchase of trains for the DISA franchise of Abellio.
• Advising a Chinese bidder on the acquisition financing for a leading German waste management company, Energy from Waste (EEW).
• Advising a Chinese company on the acquisition of the trademark of a leading Dutch cookware manufacturer.