With experience advising a range of public and private sector clients across the industry, the rail team at Addleshaw Goddard is well-equipped to handle a range of matters, including transactions and advisory work on procurement matters. Paul Hirst heads the team and offers experience handling matters of implementation, rolling stock procurement, and new rail schemes. Simon Gwynne offers the team a wealth of experience in asset finance and leasing matters, alongside rolling stock procurement. Rachel Scott offers the team a focus on rail matters, including rail reform, rail extension projects, and transformation projects. Carla Hancock, based in Leeds, has a focus on transport and infrastructure projects. Joseph Causer joined from Womble Bond Dickinson (UK) LLP in June 2026.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Accolades
Client satisfaction: Billing & efficiency
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- Excellent support from Ellis Hesketh, Daniel McKinney, Martin Freeman, and Ewan Hutton.
- Rachel Scott - Partner. She really integrated herself within the project team and ensured that even highly complex documents were turned around to exceptionally tight deadlines that we put on the firm as a client at times. Great advice was given by both Nat Avidu (Public Procurement) and Jenna Green (IP) in terms of applying impressive technical legal knowledge to our unique and complex requirements.
- Communication, availability of the main partner (Rachel Scott) and others in the team, and turning around documents to very tight deadlines (despite us as a client changing our minds more than once on approach) was exceptional. The ability to understand our requirements at a technical level and thus tackle challenges in the contract being drafted has been highly impressive.
- Paul Hirst has deep domain knowledge and is very well connected within the industry.
- Rachel Scott - detailed knowledge, amazing attention to detail, highly collegiate. Al Mangan - very pragmatic, strategic thinking, sensible advice, highly collegiate. Michael Rainey - clear thinker, good at managing expectations, highly collegiate.
- Addleshaw has a large team of experienced rail lawyers able to assess issues commercially and come up with practical solutions. They are also good fun to work with.
Key clients
- Agility Trains
- VTG Rail UK Limited
- Keolis UK
- SMBC Bank
- Department for Transport
- High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
- Greater London Authority
- Transport for London
- London Underground
- West Yorkshire Combined Authority
- West Midlands Combined Authority
- Hitachi Rail Limited
- MerseyTravel
- HS1 Limited
- Freightliner Heavy Haul Limited
- Prologis Group Companies
- DB Cargo
- Transport for Greater Manchester
- ScotRail Trains
- Qatar Rail
Work highlights
Acting for Qatar Railways on three GCC wide rail schemes including Qatar to KSA high speed rail.
Acting for Agility Trains on the Intercity Express Programme, including implementation of the Velocity Timetable.
Acting for TfGM on its Rail Integration and Reform project to integrate rail into its "Bee Network", including advice on rail reform.
Lawyers
Hall of Fame
The lawyers at the very top of the profession, widely known and respected by peers and clients for their longstanding involvement in market-leading work.
Simon Gwynne
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Jason Chamberlain
Rachel Scott
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Joseph Causer
Carla Hancock
Practice head
Paul Hirst
Other key lawyers
Simon Gwynne; Rachel Scott; Carla Hancock; Joseph Causer