Having focused on commercial aircraft finance for over 20 years, Mr. Surpin has amassed significant experience representing airlines and counseling operating lessors, borrowers,  finance companies, manufacturers and investors in all manner of aircraft finance transactions. He is well skilled in negotiating and bringing stakeholders together in portfolio securitizations and warehouse financings involving substantial commercial aircraft portfolios, cross-border operating lease transactions, and numerous multijurisdictional aircraft portfolio acquisition and disposition transactions, restructuring and commercial lending.

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Mr. Surpin practiced law in London and Los Angeles before serving as Vice President and Corporate Counsel to International Lease Finance Corporation/AerCap (ILFC/AerCap), the world’s largest global aircraft operating lessor. At ILFC/AerCap, Mr. Surpin advised senior management in financing and securitization matters and was instrumental in the extraction of aircraft from difficult jurisdictions. With this distinctive background, Mr. Surpin provides legal counsel and representation to aircraft lessors and lessees that is both real-world pragmatic and efficient.

Mr. Surpin works with clients on various day-to-day matters, such as leasing structures, aircraft and engine maintenance agreements, consignment agreements, modification and conversion agreements, and servicing and management agreements, as well as general corporate law matters. Mr. Surpin has extensive transactional experience in Australia, India and Brazil.

Mr. Surpin was recognized from 2016—2017 by The Legal 500 United States in the Finance—Asset Finance and Leasing category and from 2018—2020 in the Transport: Aviation and Air Travel—Finance category. In 2021 he was ranked as a Next Generation Partner and from 2022-2024 he was recognized as a Leading Lawyer, also in the Transport: Aviation and Air Travel—Finance category. Mr. Surpin was recognized among the World’s Leading Aviation Attorneys for inclusion in Euromoney’s Legal Media Group Rising Stars Expert Guide for Aviation since 2017. In 2015, 2017 and 2018, Vedder Price was named Airline Economics Aviation 100 Law Firm of the Year. In addition to English, Mr. Surpin is fluent in Portuguese, Hebrew and Spanish.