Ishka Airfinance, an aviation intelligence and advisory firm, has named McGuireWoods associate Muhammad Sohail a 2026 “Global Rising Star for the Americas.”
Based in Dallas, Sohail represents asset owners, private equity firms, servicers and other investors in domestic and cross-border aviation transactions, including sale and leaseback financings, individual and portfolio aircraft sales and lease novations, and other complex financing arrangements.
His recent deal portfolio, with transaction values ranging from $150 million to $1.5 billion, includes asset-backed securitizations, commercial lease agreements, aircraft and engine portfolio acquisitions, sale-leasebacks, and aircraft and engine financing arrangements.
“I am honored by this recognition and grateful for the trust clients place in us to execute deals that move fast and carry high stakes,” Sohail said. “I’m fortunate to work alongside McGuireWoods colleagues who push me to think creatively and get complex transactions across the finish line.”
McGuireWoods partner Deepak Reddy, who leads the firm’s Aviation Finance Practice Area, noted that Sohail’s experience “gives him a rare commercial awareness — he instinctively understands the priorities and pressure points on both sides of the table, which allows him to drive deals to completion efficiently and pragmatically.”
“Muhammad consistently delivers exceptional results with a level of composure and precision that is remarkable for an associate at his level,” Reddy added.