Smith Gambrell Russell

Smith Gambrell Russell Full-service, international law firm advising regional, national & global businesses.

Legal Alert: The English Commercial Court’s decision in CIT Group Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company v SpiceJet Limited...
06/23/2026

Legal Alert: The English Commercial Court’s decision in CIT Group Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company v SpiceJet Limited [2026] EWHC 1277 (Comm) confirms that aircraft lessors can enforce contractual reversion clauses that revive original lease liabilities where a lessee defaults under a restructuring or early termination arrangement. The ruling reinforces the enforceability of conditional redelivery mechanisms and makes clear that physical redelivery and acceptance certificates do not necessarily bring liabilities to a final end.

Our latest legal alert explores the Court’s analysis of reversion clauses, acceptance certificates, estoppel arguments, and the implications for aircraft lease workouts and restructurings.

🔗 Read More: https://loom.ly/5lUtAOA

Authored by: Gordon McAllister, David Russell, Patrick Swain, and Mark Turnbull

Legal Alert: The Divisional Court has upheld the CAT’s broad discretion over funder returns in Merricks v Mastercard, en...
06/17/2026

Legal Alert: The Divisional Court has upheld the CAT’s broad discretion over funder returns in Merricks v Mastercard, endorsing an approach that limited recovery to costs plus a 50% uplift. The ruling confirms that the tribunal’s central task is to achieve a fair and reasonable distribution of settlement proceeds, not to enforce contractual funding entitlements or market expectations.

Our latest legal alert explores how this decision reinforces the CAT’s wide supervisory role, underscores the outcome-dependent nature of litigation funding returns, and signals that class recovery will take priority over funder profits.

🔗 Read More: https://loom.ly/Gili_-g

Authored by: Gordon McAllister and Patrick Swain

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to announce that its Insurance/Reinsurance practice group has again been recognized ...
06/17/2026

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to announce that its Insurance/Reinsurance practice group has again been recognized as a Band 1 practice in Illinois in the Insurance: Dispute Resolution: Reinsurance category in the 2026 edition of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. As part of this recognition, John O’Bryan has received an individual ranking for the first time in this category.

In addition, five members of the group were recognized with individual rankings in their respective jurisdictions:

• Jim Boland
• Thomas Bush
• Kathy Ehrhart
• Joe McCullough
• Peter Steffen

Chambers USA rankings are earned through independent research, including direct interviews with attorneys and their clients — making this recognition a reflection of the work and relationships our team has built over the years.

Read more at: https://loom.ly/0J-iLNM

In the News: Smith Gambrell & Russell Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Rees recently spoke with Law360 for an articl...
06/16/2026

In the News: Smith Gambrell & Russell Chief Human Resources Officer Robert Rees recently spoke with Law360 for an article examining the growing strategic role of human resources in BigLaw. Robert discussed why HR teams make better decisions. As Robert put it, HR professionals from all walks of life are better equipped to recognize bias and challenge assumptions, and more inclusive policies emerge when HR teams can identify gaps that a single viewpoint might miss.

Read more: https://loom.ly/pj1m5Vk

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to announce the arrival of Associate Thomas Dydek to the firm’s Tampa office.Thomas ...
06/15/2026

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to announce the arrival of Associate Thomas Dydek to the firm’s Tampa office.

Thomas joins SGR’s Intellectual Property practice, where he handles intellectual property litigation and general commercial disputes for businesses across industries. His practice includes breach-of-contract actions, real estate and land-development controversies, white-collar investigations, and risk-related disputes. He represents clients in disputes and a broad range of commercial litigation matters, bringing a perspective shaped by work as in-house corporate counsel, outside general counsel, and as a federal judicial clerk.

Learn more: https://loom.ly/NlkDm2E

Smith Gambrell & Russell is proud to be recognized in the latest Nationwide Legal 500 rankings, reflecting the strength ...
06/12/2026

Smith Gambrell & Russell is proud to be recognized in the latest Nationwide Legal 500 rankings, reflecting the strength of our global platform and the outstanding work of our attorneys. Our ranked practices are:

Corporate & M&A – Atlanta
White-Collar Crime – Atlanta
Transport Finance & Leasing – London
Aviation – London

The following attorneys were ranked in their respective jurisdictions: Erin McCallum, Robert Hussle, Lori Gelchion, Tom Bever, and Erin Spritzer.

These rankings highlight our continued commitment to delivering exceptional results for our clients across key markets and industries.

Congratulations to our talented teams on this well-deserved recognition, and thank you to our clients for your trust and partnership.

In the News: Law360 Pulse recently featured Partner Todd Heffner in an article examining how artificial intelligence is ...
06/12/2026

In the News: Law360 Pulse recently featured Partner Todd Heffner in an article examining how artificial intelligence is reshaping litigation workflows, from live depositions to document review. Heffner shared how AI tools have helped streamline discovery, improve efficiency, and reduce costs for clients while emphasizing the importance of maintaining attorney oversight throughout the process.

“Heffner said that there's always a human in the loop when Legal Visor is used in depositions. While the tool provides information during depositions, it is up to the attorney to decide how to use it in the moment.”

Read more: https://loom.ly/ChmovWk

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to share that our Global Transport team has contributed the USA chapter to the Inter...
06/11/2026

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to share that our Global Transport team has contributed the USA chapter to the International Comparative Legal Guide (ICLG) – Aviation Finance & Leasing Laws and Regulations 2026.

Authored by Marc Latman, Mark Leventhal, Linus Liu, and Yumi Qiu with practice-specific guidance from SGR colleagues Brian Hall (Bankruptcy) and Jon Thoren (Tax), the chapter provides an overview of the legal and regulatory framework governing aviation finance and leasing transactions in the United States.

The chapter is available for free to read, print, or download from here: https://loom.ly/dDBZLPE

(This article was first published on June 3, 2026 in ICLG – Aviation Finance & Leasing Laws and Regulations 2026 by Global Legal Group.)

Legal Alert: The ICC’s 2026 Arbitration Rules reflect an important shift in international arbitration: earlier case defi...
06/10/2026

Legal Alert: The ICC’s 2026 Arbitration Rules reflect an important shift in international arbitration: earlier case definition, faster procedures, and greater procedural discipline. From the introduction of HEAP and express early determination powers to the removal of mandatory Terms of Reference, the reforms aim to streamline proceedings while preserving the institutional oversight that distinguishes ICC arbitration.

Our latest legal alert explores the practical and strategic implications of the new Rules for commercial parties, counsel, and arbitral tribunals.

🔗Read More: https://loom.ly/rthEFJo

Authored by: Gordon McAllister, David Russell, Chris Smith, and Patrick Swain

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to share that Partner Ian Dankelman was recently featured on the Catalyst 4 Growth S...
06/10/2026

Smith Gambrell & Russell is pleased to share that Partner Ian Dankelman was recently featured on the Catalyst 4 Growth Sales Professional Enrichment Podcast.

In Episode 119, Ian discusses succession planning for financial advisors, highlighting the importance of strong legal agreements, ethical responsibilities, and proactive strategies to ensure seamless business continuity and protect client relationships. It’s a great conversation for anyone thinking about the long-term future of their practice.

Listen here: https://loom.ly/e_eHTx8

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