If you would like to find out more about any of our practice areas or barristers please get in touch here. Our experienced practice management team will be pleased to provide you with more details and answer any questions you may have.
Our transport barristers regularly appear at public inquiries into the activities of transport businesses. The work spans both haulage and bus and coach sectors. Our transport law barristers are well known to, and trusted by, the regulators, bringing considerable benefit to those they represent in a field of regulation that is underpinned by trust.
In addition to first instance inquiry work members of the team regularly act in appeals from decisions of the Regulators (to the Upper Tribunal and thereafter to the Court of Appeal), as well as in the Administrative / High Court in relation to issues of law arising in the criminal sphere. Members collectively undertake more of this Appellate work than any other chambers, and have a notable track record of success, having been involved in many cases which have significantly altered the law to the benefit of transport operators.
Members also frequently act for transport companies in relation to the full range of other legal hearings and issues generated within the sector – the defence of serious criminal charges, including: health and safety charges; manslaughter and causing death by dangerous driving; frauds and large scale tachograph and drivers’ hours prosecutions; and Customs & Excise and Immigration issues (including tax appeals).
Two members of the team were involved in the successful defence of the largest prosecution ever brought by the Department of Transport against the industry arising from the allegedly fraudulent operations of a well known vehicle hire company.
The team also has particular expertise in dealing with the environmental impact of the logistics industry, with extensive experience of public inquiries called to look into environmental issues affecting HGV / coach fleet operators. We act both for defence and prosecution in criminal cases against transport operators involving environmental allegations.
Alongside transport-related regulatory and criminal work, members of the team frequently act in transport industry commercial disputes, especially in relation to the CMR Convention, issues relating to public procurement contracts in the bus and coach industry, corporate and employee structuring, and the sale and supply of goods and services.
Clients for whom we act frequently include some of the best known businesses in the industry, including many blue chip companies and household names: SITA, UPS, Lynx Express, National Express, Norbert Dentressangle, Eddie Stobbart, Ryan Air, Medina Dairy, the Co-op, Delice de France, Terravision, Christian Salvesen, and Texaco.
Many members of the team enjoy an international reputation, and are frequently instructed by, and act for, the clients of lawyers in other jurisdictions.
Key to the success of the team members bring a real understanding of the practical aspects of running a transport business in the modern legal and regulatory environment, an acute awareness of how business-critical the work is and the importance of avoiding reputational damage from any breach of complex and often ambiguous regulations.
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News 27 Nov, 2019
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