Our depth and breadth of experience extends to every conceivable aspect of transport. In addition to advising on regulatory aspects of roads, rail, shipping and aviation (which includes dealing with regulatory investigations and disputes in these areas), we advise major operators in each of these sectors on their day to day requirements.

Asset finance forms a core part of our transport offering particularly in the aviation and shipping sectors also.

Increasingly we are also advising on developments in the transport sector impacted by climate change, technology and automation.

With our knowledge of the regulatory and commercial environment of the various areas of transport, we offer informed and effective advice thereby giving our clients the competitive and commercial edge. Our team advises clients in all sectors of the transport industry including roads; rail (heavy and light); airports and aviation; ports and harbours ; and maritime and shipping.

Across these sectors, we provide the full range of legal services to our clients in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland including:

• advising on the regulatory framework governing airports (including ground handling), bus licensing (urban and rural) regimes, freight licences, tachograph licensing, carriage of goods (including dangerous goods), bills of lading, regulatory offences, overweight charges, insurance, tolling, bye-laws and scheme orders (including drafting and implementing bye-laws under statutory codes), railway orders and light rail orders
• advising local and national authorities, operators, funders, sub-contractors and professional teams in the delivery of transport infrastructure and services
• providing procurement advice, especially in relation to obligations under the Public Sector Contracts, Utilities and Remedies Regulations and Directives at all stages of the procurement process
• advising on environment and planning, including guiding projects through statutory procedure processes such as CPOs, EIS and judicial reviews as well as strategic infrastructure legislation

Relevant Experience

Roads

• Advising Celtic Roads Group on the refinancing of the N25 Waterford Roads PPP (including in relation to the approved Scheme of Arrangement sanctioned by the High Court)
• We advise the majority of the roads PPP concessionaires in Ireland including M50 Concessions, BAM PPP, Eurolink M3 and M4 concessions, DIF, N6 Concessions and motorway service areas
• Advising Applegreen plc on all Irish law aspects of its successful financial close of its first PPP or P3 in the United States for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of 27 Service Areas on the New York State Thruway
• Advising Applus+ on the national car testing (equivalent to the UK MOT) service concession in Ireland
• Advising National Express on its operations in Ireland

Rail

• Acting for Brunswick Rail Finance DAC as issuer of USD600m Notes due 2018 guaranteed by the Brunswick Rail Group
• Advising Alstom UK as preferred bidder to Irish Rail for its €600 million replacement rolling stock procurement
• Advised Irish Rail on the development of a new National Train Control Centre including the development of a new bespoke facility and installation of new IT systems

Aviation

• Advising Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company, Limited (SMFL), on the establishment of its landmark $230 million helicopter leasing joint venture with LCI, a leading helicopter and aircraft lessor
• Advising Deutsche Lufthansa AG from an Irish law perspective on its EUR3bn state-guaranteed loan from state bank KfW and a syndicate of other private banks
• Advising daa plc generally on its operations at Dublin and Cork Airports
• Advised GA Telesis on the establishment of its aircraft leasing platform in Ireland and the acquisition from BOC Aviation of two Airbus A319 aircraft which are subject to multi-year leases with Rossiya Airlines and registered with the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority
• Advising Ryanair generally on its operations
• Advised Flexam Invest on equity tranche investment made by its Luxemburg-registered fund, Flexam Tangible Asset Income Fund S.C.A. SICAV RAIF, in a co-investment vehicle containing five helicopters (3 x Leonardo AW139 and 2 x Sikorsky S92) owned by LCI Helicopters
• Acting for Vance Street Capital LLC in respect of its acquisition of Eirtech Aviation Services Limited
• Advising Arena Aviation Capital, on the establishment of a $1.5 billion aircraft leasing joint venture with Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, a leading opportunistic credit manager
• Advising a group of unsecured creditors to Nordic Aviation Capital group on an Irish scheme of arrangement which included a 12 month standstill and deferral of secured and unsecured debt
• Advising Aer Lingus generally on its operations

Maritime and Shipping

• Advising on issues of wet and dry maritime law, including acting in a number of arrests of vessels and disputes over cargos, charterparties and related issues as well as funding ship construction
• Advising TS Marine on the Irish aspects of the refinancing by ABN AMRO of the build of two vessels by members of the TS Marine Group
• Advising Foynes Harbour on property and planning issues
• Advising Irish Water in respect of the Cork Lower Harbour drainage scheme
• Advising National Oil Reserves Agency in relation to fuel storage at Dublin Port

General 

• Advising The Stafford Group, a fourth-generation family-owned private company, on its agreement to sell Campus Oil to DCC, a leading international sales, marketing and support services group
• Advising Greenergy on its acquisition of Amber Petroleum
• Advising Cubic as preferred bidder to the National Transport Authority in respect of Ireland’s integrated transport ticketing service known as “Leap Card” that can be used on bus and light and commuter rail.
• Advising a major car manufacturer on the regulatory requirements to facilitate self driving cars in Ireland
• Advising car manufacturers in relation to data protection issues affecting transport in Ireland
• Advising Amazon on regulatory requirements in connection with the transport of goods in Ireland