Paul Briggs

Paul Briggs is a Consultant at Bird & Bird in the UK, offering clients over 35 years' experience in Aviation Law, covering almost every aspect of the aviation and aerospace sector.

Since the start of his career in 1987, Paul has worked as a lawyer and commercial director negotiating thousands of aviation commercial deals. After 17 years as Joint Head of the International Aviation & Aerospace Sector Group at Bird & Bird LLP, he is now a Consultant, supporting the new sector leadership.

He helps with client relationships and major business development campaigns, and does client legal work where he is still the house expert (regional and sub-regional and aircraft maintenance and technical issues) or where his industry experience helps.

His recent focus areas include how the industry is being transformed by technology and the digital world, OEM services and the after-market, assisting clients to embrace disruption. He worked on the Boeing 737 MAX grounding crisis for a period and was heavily involved on the investor and airline side during the COVID crisis.

He is leading the firm's efforts in the sector in sustainability, covering everything from SAF and policy to eVTOL and new business models and sustainably linked leases and loans.

Having worked in GPA, BAE and Airbus, he remains well connected across the global industry and frequently moderates panels or makes presentations at Airline Economics, AfJ/Ishka, MTO Network and the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He is well known for a friendly, no-nonsense, direct approach to business and his enthusiastic passion for the sector. As he is no longer a partner, he is free to act as a non-executive director or strategic adviser to clients and projects that interest him.