Practices
Christopher Belisle is Co-Head of Maritime Finance within the Maritime and Transportation Practice. Chris frequently advises on asset-based loan facilities for ships and helicopters and lease financings. He also has extensive corporate experience, including advising in relation to joint ventures, strategic alliances and on the acquisition, disposal and restructuring of companies in addition to company filings and commercial contracts.
Notably, Chris has extensive experience advising on various aspects of the Jones Act for US and international clients including owners, shipbuilders, potential investors, lenders (including DIP lenders) and operators in the Jones Act space.
Chris is ranked in Band 3 for Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance – USA – Nationwide in Chambers USA and is recommended as a Key Lawyer for Transport: Shipping – Finance in The Legal 500 US.
Chris received his B.A. from State University of New York at Stony Brook and J.D. from St. John’s University School of Law. He is admitted to practice law in New York and is a member of the Maritime Law Association.
Representative Experience
- Acting as aviation counsel to an ad hoc group of secured bondholders on the Chapter 11 restructuring of Spirit Airlines.
- Acting as special maritime counsel to Beal Bank in respect of a loan facility of up to $122.5 million to Harley Marine Financing, LLC and Harley Marine Special Leasing LLC.
- Advising two international commodity trading companies with respect to a merger of their South American, United States and UK businesses.
- Advising secured lenders and DIP lenders with respect to the restructuring of distressed vessel loan facilities for vessels.
- Advising vessel owners and operators with respect to responses to private and government-based RFPs.
- Advising vessel owner with respect to a $300 million project financing of U.S. Jones Act tankers.