Today, Pillsbury welcomed Thomas A. Zimmer to the firm’s San Francisco office as a partner in the firm’s Finance group. Zimmer, formerly a partner with Holland & Knight, will serve as co-leader of Pillsbury’s transportation finance team along with partner Mark Lessard in New York. He was previously Chair of Holland & Knight’s Finance group and was the Deputy Section Leader of its Business Law Section.

Zimmer represents clients in aircraft finance and equipment leasing, commercial finance, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and general corporate law. He has over 20 years of experience on domestic and cross-border equipment leasing and asset-based financing transactions, representing equity, debt and operators on a wide variety of transactions involving aircraft, rail, vessels and other equipment and facilities. He has also assisted both technology and bio tech companies in general corporate and contract negotiations.

“Tom has built an impressive practice, and he greatly complements and enhances our renowned transportation finance team in New York,” said James Rishwain, Jr., Pillsbury’s Chair. “Tom is also a welcome addition to our San Francisco office, where we are focused on continued growth.”

Mark Lessard added, “Tom significantly increases our exposure to aircraft leasing, which is the fastest growing area of air finance and is clustered on the West Coast. He is also an aggressive and energetic entrepreneur – traits that we regard highly here at Pillsbury.”

“I am very excited to join Pillsbury, which has a marquee name not just in San Francisco but throughout the world and which has a stellar reputation in the aviation and aircraft industry with a commitment to expand its practices serving this industry,” Zimmer said. “I have been approached by other firms over the years but none offered the combination of ‘fit and vision’ that Pillsbury represents for me and my practice.”

Zimmer graduated magna cum laude from the University of Michigan Law School and earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan. He is licensed to practice in both California and Michigan.

Zimmer is a member of the American Bar Association – Aircraft Financing Subcommittee, the American Bar Association Forum on Air and Space – Aircraft Finance and Contracts Division, and the American Bar Association Uniform Commercial Code Committee – Leasing Subcommittee. He frequently speaks and writes about topics in the aircraft finance and equipment leasing industry.

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