Eiko Grieger is a partner in the firm's Finance practice. He focuses on aircraft, asset, equipment, and transport finance as well as infrastructure and acquisition finance. He has comprehensive experience in various kinds of complex domestic and cross-border transactions in Europe and Japan involving aircraft, rail, IT equipment, infrastructure, and leasing assets. He is involved in providing advice to banks, financial institutions, investors, closed-end investment funds, borrowers, high-net-worth individuals, and operators, as well as lessors and lessees in the aviation, infrastructure, rail, and public transport industries. He has worked on a variety of financial products, including Japanese operating leases (JOL), Japanese operating leases with call options (JOLCO), operating leases, finance leases, sale and leasebacks and portfolio sales, acquisitions, restructurings, and financings for multiple assets including rolling stock. As an IFR rated private pilot, he also has first-hand aviation experience.
Eiko joined the firm in January 2009 after working as a lawyer for another major international law firm in the fields of banking and finance. Prior to this, he worked abroad for a leading international consultancy in Japan.
In addition, he is a native German speaker and has practiced in Frankfurt for many years, during which time he advised major global lessors and financial institutions on lease and financing related transactions. As Eiko is also a Japanese speaker, he bridges the Japanese and the international financial markets.
- Listed by Lexology Index as a Recommended Lawyer of Japan - Transport – Aviation, 2024
- Recognized by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific as a Recommended Lawyer for Banking and finance: International firms and joint ventures in Japan, 2024
- Recognized in Who's Who Legal: Transport – Aviation Guide 2023 (Japan Chapter) for “highest-ranked Aviation lawyer”
- Involved in providing advice on Aviation 100 Asia-Pacific Debt Deal of the Year, Airline Economics, 2022
- Recognized in Who’s Who Legal: Transport – Aviation Guide 2022 (Japan Chapter) for “outstanding work on high-value aviation finance transactions”
- Ranked 2nd in Asia-Pacific, European and Middle Eastern Markets - Airfinance Journal's Legal Survey, 2019-2023
- Listed as a Top Three Law Firm Globally for Aviation Finance in Airfinance Journal's Guide to Aviation Lawyers, 2018-2023
- Ranked Top Law Firm by Airfinance Journal based on the number of JOL/JOLCO transactions completed, 2017-2023
- Involved in providing advice on Aviation 100 Asia-Pacific Debt Deal of the Year, Airline Economics, 2019
- Involved in providing advice on Aviation 100 Asia-Pacific Overall Deal of the Year, Airlines Economics, 2019
- Involved in providing advice on “ABS Deal of the Year” Airfinance Journal Global Awards, 2019
- International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT)
- German-Japanese Lawyers’ Association
Scholarships
- Graduate of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) scholarship “Language and Practical Training in Japan.” (2000-2002)
- Assumed the role of moderator at the Ishka Tokyo Conference, September 2023
- Assumed the role of moderator at the Tokyo Airline Economics Conference, April 2023
- Contribution to ”Tokyo AirFinance Engine Roundtable" 2017
- UAE: More Gold From the Desert, Cleared to Land, K&L Gates Aviation Newsletter, January 2019
- Contribution on legal aspects of engine financing to ”Tokyo Engine Roundtable 2017: Leasing demand grows”, AirFinance Journal May 2017
- Quoted, “Legal Survey 2025: Products,” AirFinance Journal, 6 March 2025
- Mentioned, "Japan Law Firm Awards," Asia Business Law Journal, 10 December 2024
- “K&L Gates promotes Grieger,” AirFinance Journal, 1 September 2024
- Quoted, “Legal Survey 2024: Products,” AirFinance Journal, 22 August 2024
- Mentioned, "K&L Gates names 26 partners and government affair advisors," Airline Economics, 5 January 2024
