Transport (rail, road, air and sea)

Russell McVeagh

The team at Russell McVeagh acts for operators, owners, investors, infrastructure funders and the New Zealand Government on a broad variety of matters across the aviation, airport, shipping, port, rail and road industries. In Wellington, Mei-Fern Johnson serves as a specialist in joint ventures, commercial contracting and project work, serving as practice co-head alongside Auckland-based Daniel Minhinnick, who often represents developers involved in schemes with major transport elements; he works alongside Allison Arthur-Young, an authority in district and regional planning, resource management and public law issues, as well as water, wastewater and municipal waste expert Simon Pilkinton.

Legal 500 Editorial commentary

Testimonials

Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.

‘Russell McVeagh provides us with the perfect balance between deep industry knowledge, legal intelligence and agile responsiveness. They also demonstrate a good focus on value delivery by resourcing appropriately to the task at hand.’
‘Mei Fern Johnson is a standout. She knows our client needs intimately, and engages fully to understand the specifics of a brief before handing off to carefully selected subject matter experts. She is attentive and always available; deeply knowledgeable but also able to draws out key issues from free ranging conversations.’

Key clients

KiwiRail
Stevenson Group
Auckland International Airport
Waste Management New Zealand
Bank of New Zealand
Ports of Auckland
Nelson Airport
Rotorua Airport
Invercargill Airport
Port CEO Group
Queenstown Airport

Work highlights

Advised Auckland Airport on planning approvals for a longer second runway at Auckland Airport. As the primary gateway to New Zealand, the Airport is a strategic infrastructure asset of regional and national significance.
Advising Ports of Auckland on its proposal to deepen part of the Waitematā Harbour and Rangitoto Channel over 35 years with the staged removal and relocation of up to 2.5 million m3 of material. This is to allow for larger vessels to access the Waitematā Harbour.
Advising KiwiRail on arrangements for interfacing of the City Rail Link to the national and Auckland metro rail network. The project is the most expensive public transport project in New Zealand.