Kris Podkonski

Krzysztof (Kris) Podkonski focuses his practice on Global Transportation Finance, advising financiers, lessors, servicers, operators and export credit agencies on complex aviation finance and leasing transactions. He structures, negotiates and executes cross-border secured debt and lease transactions, aircraft and engine trading, asset-backed securitizations, and portfolio sales and acquisitions, helping clients achieve commercial objectives while managing risk.

Kris guides clients through financing strategies including ECA-backed deals, PDP financing, finance leases, insurance-backed financing, and operating lease structures. He also supports transactions involving aircraft deliveries, redeliveries, repossessions and fleet placement, aligning legal solutions with operational and investment goals.

Before joining Vedder, Kris advised lessors and financial institutions on Irish law matters at an international law firm and completed a secondment with a major aircraft lessor in Dublin, gaining hands-on experience in aircraft acquisition, leasing, and portfolio management.

He speaks Polish and English and is learning Portuguese.

Experience

• Advised lenders in connection with the Balthazar non-payment insurance-backed financing of two (2) A321 aircraft for Asiana Airlines
• Advised lenders in connection with the USD- and Euro-denominated back-leveraged financing of two (2) Airbus A321 aircraft leased to Wizz Air for AerDragon Aviation
• Advised an export-credit agency in connection with the ECA-supported financing of two (2) Boeing model 777-F aircraft and one (1) General Electric model GE90-110B spare engine to Silk Way West Airlines
• Advised BBAM in connection with the operating lease restructuring for AirAsia Berhad of two (2) A320 aircraft
• Advised BBAM in connection with the operating lease of two (2) Airbus model A321 freighter aircraft to AirAsia
• Advised servicer and purchaser parties in connection with the purchase of three (3) Boeing 737 MAX aircraft from Bocomm Aviation Leasing, novation with flydubai and the financing of the aircraft