Transport in North West
Backhouse Jones
Backhouse Jones specialises in road transport and regulatory matters. It represents transport operators at all judicial levels including the European Court of Justice. A particular area of expertise for the firm is public inquiries, covering issues such as maintenance, drivers' hours, bus reliability, environmental objectors, death by dangerous driving, and health and safety. Clients include most major bus companies in the UK, as well as national and international logistics companies. Mark Davies heads the team and deals with regulatory road traffic offences and serious transport related crime. James Backhouse is recommended for his expertise on all aspects of road transport regulatory law.
Practice head(s):
Mark Davies
Other key lawyers:
James Backhouse; Jonathon Backhouse; Andrew Woolfall; John Heaton; Scott Bell; Laura Hadzik
Work highlights
- Advised Catch 22 on its appeal against a revocation where the legal issue was the relevance of non-transport related conduct to the question of repute, a mandatory requirement for transport operator licensing.
DLA Piper
DLA Piper UK LLP specialises in advising on major transport infrastructure projects, including motorways, railways and airports, among others. The firm's practice has expertise in transport disputes, while also dealing with aircraft, shipping and super-yacht finance; equipment finance and leasing and smart ticketing. UK managing partner Liam Cowell heads the team and focuses on infrastructure and project finance transactions.
Practice head(s):
Liam Cowell
Other key lawyers:
Paul Giles; David Moss; Alan Cunningham; Lee Brierley; Sophie Stewart; Ben Morton
Testimonials
‘The DLA Piper team has an excellent cross section of experience and expertise’.
‘The advice is provided in good time, often around some very tight deadlines’.
‘Ben Morton and Liam Cowell bring a wealth of PPP road sector market expertise from both client and bidder side’.
‘Liam Cowell and Ben Morton are always willing to challenge where appropriate, drawing on their expertise if they consider that commercial or legal positions being proposed do not deliver their client’s best interests’.
Key clients
Welsh Government
Transport for Greater Manchester
Mersey Gateway Crossing Board and Halton Borough Council
Network Rail
Liverpool City Council
Highways England
Work highlights
- Supporting Transport for the North on its multi modal account based smart ticketing programme, initially focused on the North of England but with the potential of a full national roll-out excluding London.
- Continuing to advise Mersey Gateway Crossing Board on planning matters relating to the Mersey Gateway Bridge.
- Advising Liverpool City Council on planning matters relating to the dualling of the A565 in Liverpool.
- Advising Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council on planning matters relating to the M58 motorway.
- Representing the Welsh Ministers in relation to the circa £500m procurement of the design, build, finance, operation and maintenance of Sections 5 and 6 of the A465.
Hill Dickinson LLP
Hill Dickinson LLP specialises in cargo and logistics work for national and international clients. Areas of expertise include litigation, arbitration, supply chain issues and agreements, cargo insurance, marine policy coverage, salvage, freight debt recovery, customs and excise issues and risk management. Clients sectors include marine insurance, cargo, logistics and warehousing. Adrian Marsh heads the team and focuses on litigation and arbitration. Legal director Richard Allingham deals with subrogated recovery claims and liability matters, while legal director Caroline Bridge , an employed barrister, specialises in drafting and advising on service level agreements and standard trading conditions in the logistics industry.
Practice head(s):
Adrian Marsh
Other key lawyers:
Richard Allingham; Caroline Bridge; Edward Locke
Key clients
RSA
Aviva
Agility Logistics
Hellmann Worldwide Logistics
Tokio Marine Kiln
Zurich Insurance
DSV
Work highlights
- Represented Access World and its insurer, RSA, in a $32m litigation in the Commercial Court arising out of the sale/purchase of fraudulent warehouse receipts.
Weightmans LLP
Weightmans LLP handles both contentious and non-contentious transport and logistics matters, drawing on the firm's established insurance and shipping expertise, while also advising on matters relating to risk management, brand protection, contracts, competition, cyber protection, employment and personal injury. Clients include major insurers, fleet operators, freight forwarders, shipping lines, ports and warehouse operators. Phil James heads the team and specialises in claims and litigation. Mike Burns focuses on shipping, marine insurance and commercial litigation.
Practice head(s):
Phil James
Other key lawyers:
Mike Burns; Matthew Williamson; Ben Daniel; Gary Hodgson; David Lewis; Dewi Ap-Thomas; Simon Colvin; Crispin Kenyon; Emerson Wallwork; Chris Ball; Rebecca Stanton; Martin English; Nick Newman; Kurt Rowe; Lee Rogers
Key clients
Peel Ports Group
Bibby Marine Limited
Allianz Global Corporate & Speciality
AIG
Essar Oil UK
Hamburg Sud
Champion Tankers
Zurich Insurance
Isle Of Man Steam Packet Company
FirstGroup Plc (UK Bus and Rail)
National Express Group Plc (UK Bus and Coach)
Hoyer Group
Cafcass
Kirklees Metropolitan Council
Turners (Soham)
Work highlights
- Acting for a division of UK shipping group Bibby Marine in the contract drafting and negotiation of the build of a new €42m windfarm support/crew transfer vessel in Romania.
- Advised the Great Yarmouth Harbour Authority on the detention and sale of the Malaviya 20 vessel, which had been effectively abandoned at Great Yarmouth.
- Instructed by Allianz Global Corporate and Speciality following the sinking of the Aisling Patrick off the west coast of Ireland in May 2018, a role which included dealing with the post-incident investigation.
- Instructed by BAM Nuttall to draft and negotiate a carriage/logistics contract for the movement of building materials and equipment from the UK to Adelaide Island in Antarctica.
- Advising Champion Tankers, a Norwegian tanker operator, on the implications and strategy in relation to the 2014 insolvency of major international bunker trader OW Bunker, a collapse which led to a worldwide industry crisis involving arbitration/ litigation and ship arrests around the world.
Addleshaw Goddard
Addleshaw Goddard's recent transport work has focused on the rail sector; the firm advises on franchising, rolling stock, infrastructure matters and services. The practice also provides advice in relation to trams and buses. Other areas of expertise include transport disputes and matters relating to freight and logistics. Legal director Ursula Gould heads up the Manchester team and specialises in advising on high value contracts for transport projects.
Practice head(s):
Paul Hirst; Ursula Gould
Other key lawyers:
Clare Dwyer; Robin Warburton; Michael Rainey; Phil Dupres
Key clients
Department for Transport
Edinburgh Airport
Freightliner
Hitachi Rail Europe
London Luton Airport
Manchester Airport Group
Merseytravel
Ove Arup & Partners
Road Haulage Association
Stansted Airport
Transport for Greater Manchester /Greater Manchester Combined Authority
Transport for the West Midlands/West Midlands Combined Authority
VTG Rail UK
West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA)
XRail
Work highlights
- Advising the Department for Transport on a multi-year mandate on the new rail franchise which will combine the current InterCity West Coast services with the development and introduction of High Speed 2 services
- Advised Transport for the West Midlands and the West Midlands Combined Authority on the conversion of a derelict rail freight line for tram use.
- Advising The Road Haulage Association on a compensation claim for hauliers affected by a truck cartel.
BLM
BLM handles personal injury and recovery claims with a focus on the bus, coach, rail, tram and air sectors. Areas of expertise include pre-litigation claims, personal injury litigation, driving prosecutions, public enquiries, health and safety prosecutions and inquests. The 'hugely experienced, pragmatic and results oriented’ Ruth Graham leads the Manchester motor team.
Practice head(s):
Ruth Graham; Simon Jones; Rachael Lumb; Joanne Francis; Joanna Peters; Andrew Millen; Helen Devery; Naomi Grant; Sarah Cartlidge; Simon Mattison
Key clients
AJG
Brakes
East Yorkshire Motor Services
Manchester Airport
Marsh
Mersey Rail
Metroline
Metrolink
National Express
Network Rail
Northern Rail
RATP
Shearings and their insurer, Protector
Transdev
Warburtons
Willis
Wolsley
Work highlights
- Defending Metroline against various personal injury claims.
Clyde & Co LLP
Clyde & Co LLP represents clients in the marine, aviation and insurance sectors. Areas of expertise include cargo claims, international logistics, warehousing, defence of transport liability claims, yacht claims and recoveries, ports and marina incidents and marine insurance. The team also benefits from the firm's 'great international network of correspondent lawyers', as well as its in-house recoveries service in Manchester. ‘Trusted legal adviser’ Emma Rice heads up the firm's marine department in Manchester and was promoted to equity partner in 2018.
Practice head(s):
Emma Rice; Andrew Nicholas; Robert Muttock; Craig Rooney; Mark Hemsted; Chris Murray
Other key lawyers:
Liz Watton; Mike Farrell
Testimonials
‘Clyde & Co has built a strong and sizeable team in the Manchester office, which is great for clients as there is support at all levels’.
‘They have a great international network of correspondent lawyers if overseas advice is required’.
‘Emma Rice ensures that all cases are dealt with by the right solicitors with the appropriate level of experience and expertise’.
‘Emma Rice is pragmatic when it comes to managing costs, and her work is always of a very high standard’.
‘Mike Farrell is very pragmatic and commercial; very knowledgeable; very approachable’.
DWF
DWF advises clients on regulatory transport matters and motor prosecutions. Areas of expertise include fatal rail incident and hearings before the traffic commissioner. The firm's team also advises on logistics, road haulage and cabotage. Clients sectors include government, automotive, rail, maritime and logistics.
Practice head(s):
Vikki Woodfine; Joanne Witheford; Lee Foulser; Nigel Teasdale; Jonathan Moss
Key clients
Booker plc
Wincanton plc
Insure-the-Box (Insurer)
Midland Metro Limited
Aviva
RSA (Insurer)
QBE (Insurer)
Morgan McLernon (part of Culina Logistics Group)
Virado Transport Limited
Work highlights
- Guided the incorporation and success of two European operations – logistics company Vlantana and transport company Virado – into the UK market.
Aaron & Partners LLP
Aaron & Partners LLP's particular areas of expertise include taxi private hire licensing, Traffic Commissioner compliance and vehicle recovery. Client sectors include transport and warehousing. Tim Culpin heads the team and is an experienced advocate in both the Magistrates’ Court and at public inquiries.
Practice head(s):
Tim Culpin
Other key lawyers:
Simon Edwards; Nick Clarke
Dyne Solicitors Limited
Dyne Solicitors Limited, which is based in Tattenhall in Chester, has a specialist brand offering, Solicitors4Transport, which focuses on the transport sector. The firm provides regulatory, defence and general advisory work, as well as trade association-related work, representing clients facing public inquiries or driver conduct hearings before the Traffic Commissioner. Jared Dunbar heads the team.
Practice head(s):
Jared Dunbar
Other key lawyers:
John Dyne; Jonathon Bell
Fielden Marshall Glover Strutt
Fielden Marshall Glover Strutt, which has four offices across the north of England, advises on disputes in the transport and logistics sectors. Clients include plcs, SMEs, company directors and shareholders and trade associations. The firm's transport lawyers also advise on regulatory issues, transport-based hearings and public inquiries.
Practice head(s):
Nicholas Marshall; David Glover