Douglas Ochs Adler

Of Counsel

T: +1 (202) 312 3325 C: +1 (202) 251 3584 F: +1 (202) 312 3322

Washington, DC

Vedder Price has expanded to the UK. Read more.

Douglas Ochs Adler serves as Of Counsel at Vedder Price and is a member of the firm’s Global Transportation Finance team. He has significant international experience in the areas of complex project and structured finance transactions in a number of sectors including infrastructure, energy, aviation and maritime.

Mr. Adler previously served as Lead Counsel for the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). At Ex-Im Bank, he provided legal advice to loan officers in the financing of large aircraft as well as complex project finance transactions. He also was instrumental in the development of derivative products for use in a wide range of financing structures.

As the Office of General Counsel’s liaison to Ex-Im Bank’s Transportation Division, Mr. Adler supervised the structuring and closing of many of the more than $20 billion of aircraft financings supported by Ex-Im Bank, including the largest hard currency deal to take place in Pakistan, an integral component of which was the adoption and implementation of the Cape Town Treaty by Pakistan. Mr. Adler also negotiated the terms of the Cape Town Treaty with Indian government officials in connection with a $6.1-billion aircraft deal, which was awarded Asian Deal of the Year by Airfinance Journal, as well as an innovative $358-million financing of ten aircraft that was complemented by an Indian rupee securitization.

Prior to entering government service, he represented an international joint venture in the design, construction and operation of a modern container terminal in the port of Karachi. The project was financed with several currencies, including an Islamic-law-compliant Pakistan rupee component.

Mr. Adler has been involved with numerous transactions that were named "Deal of the Year." These include Perforadora Central, S.A. de C.V. and LeTourneau, Inc.: Deal of the Year, Trade Finance Journal (2006), Highlighted Transactions, Ex-Im Bank Annual Report (2006); Air India: Asian Deal of the Year, Airfinance Journal (2006); Special Ex-Im Bank Achievement Award, Aircraft Finance (2003); Pakistan International Airlines: Asian Deal of the Year, Airfinance Journal (2003); Best Deal of the Year, Global Trade Review (2003); Deal of the Year, Trade Finance Journal (2003); CSPCL- Nanhai Petrochemical Project: Asian Project Finance Deal of the Year, International Financial Law Review (2003), Best Project Finance Deal of the Year (2003) and Best Development Deal of the Year Asia Finance Journal (2002); Jet Airways: Deal of the Year, Trade Finance Journal (2002); and Hainan Airlines: Aircraft Debt Deal of the Year, Jane’s Transport Finance (2000).

Since 2001, Mr. Adler has served as Adjunct Associate Professor at the Washington College of Law of the American University, where he teaches international project and structured finance law.

show all >

• Real Estate and Land Use Practice Group Recognized in “Best of the Best 2011” Survey
• Commercial Aviation Review – May 2010
• The Emissions Trading Scheme in European Airspace Takes Shape-Can the U.S. Be Far Behind?
• India's Turning Point

• Aircraft Finance
• Global Transportation Finance
• Maritime Finance
• Project and Infrastructure Development and Finance
• Renewable Energy Development and Finance
• Secured Lending

• J.D., The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, 1979
• B.A., The George Washington University, 1974

• District of Columbia Court of Appeals, 1980 
• US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit Court, 1980
• International Trade Court, 1980
• US Supreme Court, 1993

• Vice Chair, India Committee, ABA Section of International Law
• Lecturer, International Project Finance, International Law Institute, Washington, DC
• Member, International Law Section, American Bar Association 
• Member, Advisory Group to US State Department on UNIDROIT Model Leasing Law, Washington, DC 

Publications

• Committee Editor, India Section of the Year-in-Review Issue, The International Lawyer
• Co-Author, Aircraft Financings Involving the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Aircraft Financing; Smith & Maxwell)
• Co-Chair, Choice of Forum Program and Chair, Port Development Program, Project Finance Committee, New York City Bar Association, New York
• Presenter, Moderator, US Perspective on Investing in Indian Infrastructure Projects, various programs for: ABA International Law Section (New Delhi), U.S.-India Business Council (Washington, DC), US-India Midwest Chamber of Commerce (Chicago), Aviation Finance Summit (New York)

Speaking Engagements

• Chair, Moderator, Aircraft Finance – The 2011 Aircraft Sector Understanding: Beware the Unintended Negative Consequences ABA Forum on Air & Space Law Annual Conference, Montreal
• Chair, Moderator, US Bankers’ Panel: A growth in exports but decline in margins? Global Export Finance, Euromoney Conference, Washington, DC
• Design and Chair, Structured Leasing of Transportation Assets, Two-Day Training Seminar for Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, Washington, DC 
• Co-Chair, Challenges and Opportunities: Development of Aviation, Tourism and Infrastructure in Sub-Saharan Africa, Conference, New York 
• Presenter, “Why Is Financing Airport Development Like an English Muffin?”   US Trade and Development Agency Sub-Saharan Africa Partners in Aviation Conference, Atlanta