John Williams
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP1
Rail
Herbert Smith Freehills LLP’s rail practice spans every aspect of the rail sector. It frequently advises on a range of contentious and non-contentious matters relating to the development of new railway infrastructure, as well as rolling stock procurement and leasing. Gavin Williams heads the practice. It is skilled at advising on passenger and freight operations, regulatory matters, infrastructure management and operational issues. Tim Briggs regularly advises on the rail regulatory regime, as well as on competition, procurement, and subsidy control matters. John Williams advises clients on issues such as the development of railways, access and operational issues, and the procurement of rolling stock. David Nitek has advised on various disputes, which have arisen out of some of the largest and most significant projects of recent years.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘John Williams has a near encyclopaedic knowledge of our contracts, current and historical, and is an invaluable asset to us.’
‘A team with years of experience in rail and depth and breadth of knowledge which is hard to find elsewhere.’
‘There is very little John Williams has not dealt with in the sector acting for private and public clients across a range of projects. He is hugely knowledgeable, extremely approachable and highly responsive.’
- 'David Nitek is an exceptional lawyer. His team make excellent use of technology and it has depth and breadth. There is no B team here.'
- 'David Nitek seems to have an ability to look into the future and pre-empt what might happen in a dispute.'
Key clients
- Stagecoach Group
- High Speed Two (HS2) Limited
- HS1 Limited
- The Go-Ahead Group
- Transport for London and London Underground
- Dalmore Infrastructure
- DIF
- Ove Arup & Partners International
- London Luton Airport Operations Limited
- London and North East Railway
- Department for Transport/Crown Commercial Service
- MTR and Sellar
Work highlights
- Advising High Speed Two in its successful defence of the procurement challenge brought by Siemens in relation to the decision by High Speed Two to acquire a fleet of high speed rolling stock from Hitachi-Alstom joint venture.
- Advising GIC on its acquisition of a 27% stake in Railpool, one of the leading European rolling stock leasing companies, and a further investment in the company.
- Advising MTR and Sellar Group on the proposed £1.5bn redevelopment of Liverpool Street Station and the Grade II* listed Great Eastern Hotel.
Lawyers
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Practice head
The lawyer(s) leading their teams.
Gavin Williams