Whether operating on land, in the air, at sea or across all three, clients in the transport sector face similar challenges, such as how to expand their business whilst dealing with emerging technology and tougher regulations.
Our in-depth sector experience delivers proactive legal advice which enables our clients to focus on getting people and things where they need to go quickly and efficiently.
Our transport team has broad industry knowledge and decades of experience.
The team creatively and efficiently solves problems in order to support our clients on their business and legal issues. We simplify issues and respond with clear advice.
We work with public and private passenger service providers (rail, bus and air), freight operators, infrastructure providers/managers (including rail networks, ports and airports), government bodies and members of the supply chain (including train, aircraft and ship manufacturers and maintainers).
We understand how transportation companies need to operate on a local and global scale. Our large sector team offers a full-service legal practice, supporting clients on major infrastructure investment, devolution, alliancing and smart ticketing and standing by their side during commercial litigation or restructuring.
Rolling stock procurement, leasing and maintenance
Public finance and bond issuance (tax exempt and taxable)
Compulsory purchase, including development consent orders and compensation
Asset purchases
Charter parties, intermodal transportation contracts and supply chain agreements
Emergency response and representation regarding claims arising from transportation casualties, including shipboard, pierside, and over-the-road personal injuries and death, pollution incidents, collisions, and cargo loss
Jones Act and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulatory compliance
Marine finance transactions
Maritime and trucking products liability and warranty dispute resolution
White collar criminal representation and counsel associated with internal investigations, enforcement actions, grand jury subpoenas and governmental investigations
Facilitating Letter of Credit transactions in international sale of goods, and advising clients with respect to form of documents
Managing big data, smart technology, contactless payments, e-commerce and driverless cars, smart grids, mobile ticketing, e-medical devices and networking
Dispute resolution
Competition.
Examples of work
We have completed equipment finance and leasing deals in the aggregate of over 5 billion dollars with individual transactions ranging from $750,000 to $350 million. Many of these transactions helped to finance transportation assets such as aircraft (corporate and commercial) and rail equipment, as well as locomotives and vessels (barges and tankers)
We regularly advise on both heavy and light rail franchising and concession arrangements.
Recent examples of our involvement include advising Govia on its bids for the Northern and the West Midlands franchises, and advising Transdev on its bid to operate the Manchester Metrolink. We also advised Govia on its successful bid for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise – the UK's biggest rail franchise – which involved advising on the bid strategy, the franchise agreement and all rolling stock arrangements
We handle casualty and litigation matters arising in ports throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. We have an on-call Emergency Response Team available 24/7 to respond to and investigate casualties and incidents of all types, including collisions, shipboard and dockside personal injuries, cargo damage, pollution and HAZMAT discharges, alleged safety violations, expanded Port State Control inspections, and other shipboard emergencies
We have vast experience advising on all aspects of rolling stock, including procurement. Recent examples include the simultaneous procurement and financing of two new fleets (to be built by Bombardier and Stadler) for Abellio's successful East Anglia franchise bid. The Abellio East Anglia order represents collectively the largest privately-led rolling stock procurement ever seen in the UK. The trains themselves are worth over £1.5bn and, with the associated maintenance arrangements, the total contract value is in excess of £1.8bn
We provide litigation services to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority related to Phase 2 of the Dulles Metrorail Project. It is one of the largest public transportation construction projects taking place in the United States right now
We supported Bristol Airport on planning applications and infrastructure agreements, strategic advice on expansion plans including advice on surface access issues, the night noise quota system, ecological issues, air quality, compulsory acquisition, property and CAA regulation
We acted for Arriva in its successful abuse of dominance claim against Luton Airport, challenging the award by Luton Airport of an exclusive coach concession to a rival operator (Arriva The Shires Ltd v London Luton Airport Operations Ltd [2014] EWHC 64 (Ch)).
We serve as General Counsel to an international airport and have provided representation for almost 10 years. Our engagements include a wide range of issues affecting the general aviation business. These issues require us to deal with regulations, directives and documents issued and promulgated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation
We represent regional airports as bond counsel providing legal services in connection with financings. These representations have resulted in over $1 Billion in refinancing
We provide legal counsel to one of the largest rental car companies in the US.
Overview
Overview
With extensive knowledge on transportation law, our dedicated transport lawyers can deliver comprehensive legal advice to clients across all three sectors: land, sea and air. Helping transport operators better understand this complex area of law, we advise on an array of issues affecting transportation, including how they can expand their business while dealing with emerging technologies and tougher regulations.
At Womble Bond Dickinson, we have decades of experience in transport sector law, including aviation, maritime and traffic laws, which means we can deliver proactive legal advice to our clients. With an in-depth insight and understanding of the sector, we help transport businesses focus on what they do best: getting people and things from A to B in a quick and efficient way.
Transport Law Clients
With a broad range of industry knowledge, our transportation attorneys are equipt to provide innovative solutions in order to support our clients with their business and legal issues. Just a few examples of the clients that our transport lawyers support include:
Public and private passenger service providers (rail, bus and air)
Freight operators
Infrastructure providers/managers (including rail networks, ports and airports)
Government bodies and members of the supply chain (including train, aircraft and ship manufacturers and maintainers).
Transportation Law Services
Our large sector team has a detailed understanding on how transportation companies need to operate on a local and global scale. Working at the forefront of new transport technology, we offer a full-service legal practice that supports clients on major infrastructure investment, devolution, alliancing, smart ticketing and we will stand by their side during commercial litigation or restructuring. Other transportation law services offered by our highly knowledgeable transport attorneys include:
Helping clients with rail franchising and concession arrangements
Managing big data, smart technology, contactless payments, e-commerce and driverless cars, smart grids, mobile ticketing, e-medical devices and networking
Aiding in the development of major infrastructure investment and new projects
Helping clients with regulatory compliance in line with the Jones Act and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Advising on public finance and bond issuance (tax-exempt and taxable)
Offering advice on compulsory purchase, including development consent orders and compensation
Assisting in the attainment and management of asset purchases
Advising clients on both public and private partnerships.
Our lawyers work with clients that provide aviation, land-based transport, and maritime transportation services. A few examples of the legal services we deliver that incorporate these areas are listed below:
Assisting with the logistics of shipping goods in accordance with ever-changing shipping laws
Help managing marine finance transactions
Advising on product liability and warranty dispute resolution
Representing clients regarding claims arising from transportation casualties, pollution incidents, collisions and cargo loss
Help with drafting charter parties, intermodal transportation contracts and supply chain agreements
Facilitating Letter of Credit transactions in the international sale of goods
Help with rolling stock procurement, leasing and maintenance of goods.
Whether you’re a transportation provider, operator or member of a transportation government body and you’re interested in working with us, our team of leading transportation lawyers can help you. Get in touch with us or browse through our transport attorneys and professional staff today.
Testimonials
"A highly responsive team which provides excellent advice. They have delivered consistently for us."
Chambers and Partners, 2017
"I have always received fantastic service and have built up a strong relationship with them [Womble Bond Dickinson]. There is a strong team and they are very responsive to any requests, turning work around quickly when needed. I value them for the commercial advice, not just purely the legal points."
Chambers and Partners, 2017
Need legal advice and guidance in transport?
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Examples of our work and how we’ve helped companies of all sizes with a wide range of challenges.
We have completed equipment finance and leasing deals in the aggregate of over 5 billion dollars with individual transactions ranging from $750,000 to $350 million. Many of these transactions helped to finance transportation assets such as aircraft (corporate and commercial) and rail equipment, as well as locomotives and vessels (barges and tankers)
We regularly advise on both heavy and light rail franchising and concession arrangements.
Recent examples of our involvement include advising Govia on its bids for the Northern and the West Midlands franchises, and advising Transdev on its bid to operate the Manchester Metrolink. We also advised Govia on its successful bid for the Thameslink, Southern and Great Northern franchise – the UK's biggest rail franchise – which involved advising on the bid strategy, the franchise agreement and all rolling stock arrangements
We handle casualty and litigation matters arising in ports throughout the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. We have an on-call Emergency Response Team available 24/7 to respond to and investigate casualties and incidents of all types, including collisions, shipboard and dockside personal injuries, cargo damage, pollution and HAZMAT discharges, alleged safety violations, expanded Port State Control inspections, and other shipboard emergencies
We have vast experience advising on all aspects of rolling stock, including procurement. Recent examples include the simultaneous procurement and financing of two new fleets (to be built by Bombardier and Stadler) for Abellio's successful East Anglia franchise bid. The Abellio East Anglia order represents collectively the largest privately-led rolling stock procurement ever seen in the UK. The trains themselves are worth over £1.5bn and, with the associated maintenance arrangements, the total contract value is in excess of £1.8bn
We provide litigation services to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority related to Phase 2 of the Dulles Metrorail Project. It is one of the largest public transportation construction projects taking place in the United States right now
We supported Bristol Airport on planning applications and infrastructure agreements, strategic advice on expansion plans including advice on surface access issues, the night noise quota system, ecological issues, air quality, compulsory acquisition, property and CAA regulation
We acted for Arriva in its successful abuse of dominance claim against Luton Airport, challenging the award by Luton Airport of an exclusive coach concession to a rival operator (Arriva The Shires Ltd v London Luton Airport Operations Ltd [2014] EWHC 64 (Ch)).
We serve as General Counsel to an international airport and have provided representation for almost 10 years. Our engagements include a wide range of issues affecting the general aviation business. These issues require us to deal with regulations, directives and documents issued and promulgated by the Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation
We represent regional airports as bond counsel providing legal services in connection with financings. These representations have resulted in over $1 Billion in refinancing
We provide legal counsel to one of the largest rental car companies in the US.
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