Charles regularly represents lenders and borrowers in domestic and cross-border senior secured loan transactions, both asset-based and cash flow. Charles particularly focuses on providing a commercially-minded and efficient approach to getting transactions closed for his clients. He tries to view each transaction from the client’s direct perspective. He also exhibits a highly proactive mindset both in solving any difficult legal issues for his clients and in moving each loan transaction to successful completion.
Further, Charles has extensive experience in all aspects of aircraft finance, sales and leasing, representing lenders, leasing company purchasers as well as sellers across the world. He particularly excels at providing a high level of responsiveness to his cross-border clients in their time zone windows.
Since joining the Chicago legal community, Charles has acted as a mentor in the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity Law School Mentoring Program. He also recently joined the Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism’s 2025 inaugural mentoring program. Charles believes that mentoring younger attorneys as well as law students is key to advancing their success in the profession and to making the profession a more sustainable career path for them over the long-term.
- Representation of a national private equity investment firm as credit facility borrower in connection with the platform acquisition of a premier U.S. weighing and automation solutions company together with various succeeding add-on acquisitions.
- Representation of a global aircraft leasing company on several concurrent cross-border aircraft purchase and lease transactions spanning six continents.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial bank on the establishment of a $1.6 billion global asset-based revolving credit facility for a premier U.S. toy manufacturer.
- Represented a public fintech company in connection with the establishment and refinancing of multiple credit facilities (including, revolver, term debt, and unitranche) in original principal amounts ranging from $60 million to $160 million.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial bank on the establishment of a $300 million global asset-based revolving credit facility for a premier exercise equipment manufacturer.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial bank on the establishment of a revolving credit facility for a U.S. defense industry contractor.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial finance company on the establishment of a revolving credit facility for a global fashion company.
- Advice on a term loan and revolving credit facility to finance the acquisition of a national logistics company by a private equity investment firm.
- Representation of a multinational fragrance company on a $24 million term loan and revolving credit facility.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial bank on the $2.1 billion debtor-in-possession financing of a U.S. air carrier.
- Representation of a German commercial bank on the $125 million project financing of a railroad depot in Houston, Texas.
- Representation of a U.S. commercial bank on a $325 million capital call financing for a Texas private equity fund.
- Advice on a $275 million capital call financing of a Cayman Islands-based investment fund.
- Representation of a French commercial bank on the $30 million back-leveraged leasing of two aircraft for a U.S. aircraft lessor.
- Representation of three European commercial banks on a $100 million leveraged leasing of four aircraft to a Panamanian air carrier.
- Representation of 15 European banks on the $2.1 billion debt restructuring of an Irish aircraft leasing company.
- Representation of four European banks on a debt restructuring of 17 aircraft mortgage facilities for a U.S. air carrier.
- Representation of a French commercial bank on a $133 million mortgage financing of 28 engines for a U.S. air carrier.
- Advised on the $136 million mortgage financing of five aircraft for a U.S. air carrier.
- Representation of a U.S. educational testing corporation on a private placement of equity securities.
- Representation of an Australian investment company on the acquisition of a controlling interest in a semiconductor merchandiser with operations across Asia, the U.S. and Europe.