Madalyn M. Miller

Madalyn Miller is a partner in the New York office of Gibson Dunn, Co-Chair of the Transportation and Space Group, and a member of the firm's Finance Practice Group.

Madalyn's practice centers on structured finance and securitization across a wide range of asset classes, with particular depth in esoteric and hard-asset transactions. She represents underwriters, initial purchasers, lenders, issuers, sponsors, and investors in portfolio securitizations, warehouse and acquisition financings, note offerings, and secured and unsecured lending, along with the trust and structuring work that underpins these transactions.

While she has a particular specialization in transportation — and is widely recognized for the depth of her commercial aviation practice — Madalyn advises across the full spectrum of asset classes, including fiber, spectrum and satellite, data centers, cell towers, turbines, large- and small-ticket equipment, rolling stock, maritime, automotive, and business aviation. She also regularly counsels clients on the formation of complex trust and securitization structures and on the acquisition and disposition of leasing platforms and large asset portfolios.

Awards and Accolades

• Chambers USA, “Transportation: Aviation: Finance” (2018–2026)
• Lawdragon, “500 X – The Next Generation” (2025–2026)
• Legal 500, “Next Generation Partner: Aviation and Air Travel Finance” (2025–2026)

Selected Experience by Asset Class

Commercial Aviation

• Marathon Asset Management on MAST 2026-1, its ~$615 million aircraft securitization backed by 27 Airbus and Boeing narrowbody aircraft leased to 18 lessees across 15 countries.
• FTAI Aviation LLC as borrower on a $2.5 billion asset-level debt financing led by Atlas SP Partners and Deutsche Bank to finance on-lease commercial aircraft.
• FTAI Aviation as issuer's counsel on FTAI MRE 2026-1, a $612 million asset-backed securitization secured by 48 aircraft on lease to 23 airlines.
• The initial purchasers on Castlelake's CLAS 2026-1, an $843.3 million aviation ABS backed by a portfolio of 37 aircraft (33 narrowbody, one E195-E2, and four widebody) leased to 31 lessees in 22 jurisdictions.
• The initial purchasers in the 144A/Reg S offering by ALTDE 2026-1 Trust of two classes of notes, an approximately $667 million issuance backed by 23 aviation assets — eight narrowbody and eight widebody aircraft, five engines, and two freighters — on lease to 16 lessees across 13 jurisdictions.
• Sculptor Capital Management, as issuer and asset manager, on Eclipse 2026-1, a $415.5 million aircraft securitization backed by 23 Boeing and Airbus aircraft leased to 16 airlines across 15 countries.
• Deutsche Bank and Goldman Sachs, as managers and initial lenders, on an aircraft portfolio financing for Castlelake valued at up to $1.327 billion, secured by 60+ aircraft.
• Castlelake as issuer and servicer on its C-LAKE 2023-1 transaction, issuing $467 million of notes backed by 12 aircraft loans relating to 32 aircraft with 7 obligors in 6 countries.
• AIP Capital, as issuer's counsel, on its $242 million EETC financing, backed by seven new Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft leased to two airlines.
• FTAI Aviation on a sale and leaseback of 30+ aircraft with LATAM Airlines Group, including bespoke engine maintenance provisions.
• Corrum Capital Management and Sightway Capital on the sale and transfer to Castlelake, L.P. of the Wings aviation servicing business, a portfolio of over fifty aircraft across four financings.
• An aviation management, investment, and leasing platform on its establishment and a $230 million non-recourse acquisition facility from Citibank, N.A. for seven Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

Other Transportation and Equipment

• CAL Automotive (a subsidiary of Auto Lenders) in its joint venture with Ares Management Alternative Credit funds to invest up to $1.5 billion in prime new vehicle leases — an off-balance-sheet financing structure for CAL's lease originations.
• Oaktree Capital Management, in its partnership with North Mill Equipment Finance, on its approximately $502 million acquisition of an equipment finance portfolio from Midland Equipment Finance.
• Flexjet, Inc. as issuer of a $550 million unsecured note issuance.
• Deutsche Bank AG, as lender, administrative agent, and syndication agent, on a $200 million warehouse financing secured by rolling stock.
• I Squared Capital and its portfolio company Star Leasing, a trailer leasing and maintenance provider, on a $750 million upsize to Star Leasing's $1.3 billion asset-backed loan facility.
• Stonebriar Commercial Finance on a $350 million warehouse facility.

Telecommunications & Digital Infrastructure

• SpaceX on the business trust aspects of its approximately $17 billion acquisition of EchoStar's full portfolio of AWS-4 and H-block spectrum licenses.
• An ad hoc group of lenders and noteholders on Zayo Group's amend-and-extend transaction, including a structured financing commitment supporting Zayo's ~$4.25 billion acquisition of Crown Castle's Fiber Solutions business.
• Igneo Infrastructure Partners, a global infrastructure investment manager with $23 billion in AUM, on its financing of the acquisition of an approximately 75 MW, 750,000 sf portfolio of seven operational data centers from CVC DIF and Northleaf Capital Partners.
• A leading global alternative asset manager on an off-balance-sheet joint venture investment in a cell tower infrastructure platform.

Education

Madalyn earned her Juris Doctor from Columbia Law School in 2011, where she was Notes Editor of the Columbia Business Law Review, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oakland University in 2008. She is also a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, where she teaches Structured Finance and Securitization.