Overview
When it comes to choosing lawyers to handle large, complex projects anywhere in the world, Gowling WLG offers a winning combination:
- Experience - we advise on the most challenging and complex infrastructure and PPP projects being undertaken in the UK and internationally.
- Trusted advisers - our lawyers are established advisers to government bodies, contractors, sponsors and funders, and have a strong track record of delivering strategically important and high value projects.
- Commercial - we understand the full range of procurement models and advise on bid tactics and strategic procurement issues. Our team regularly advises on the sale and purchase of equity in PFI/PPP projects, different contracting structures including PFI/PPP, alliancing and partnering, wider markets initiative, outsourcing, prime contracting and long-term collaboration agreements.
PFI/PPP
Ranked a first tier firm by Legal 500, we benchmark international best practice from our experience in the UK (which is a world leader in PFI and PPP) added to our work in the Middle East and Africa on PPP projects.
Team members have acted for the UK Government for nearly 20 years and have successfully closed a number of PPPs for the Department of Health Commercial Directorate, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Defence.
Our lawyers are among the leading names for PFI/PPP work, with partner Stephen Kenny described as "... a deal doer and solution finder, and he knows a lot about the subject".
For international projects, partner Jonathan Brufal is considered a "great lawyer", who is "impressive, confident, articulate and knowledgeable".
Our expertise covers the following sectors:
Transport and ports
For organisations involved in transport infrastructure projects, our team has a strong track record including ports, highways, rail and light rail projects. We advised on some of of the largest highways PPP schemes including the £2.7 billion Birmingham Highways PFI and the £2 billion Sheffield Highways PPP.
Current international mandates include advising the Government of Rwanda on the development of several trade logistics PPP projects. Our lawyers are also working with the Kenya Ports Authority on restructuring the legal and regulatory framework for the ports sector in Kenya.
We won the Kenya mandate thanks to an impressive track record of advising on domestic and international maritime transactions, including the London Gateway Port and the Dakar, New Doha and Sokhna ports development projects.
Waste
The Gowling WLG team is at the forefront of waste infrastructure development in the UK, making it the ideal choice for cutting-edge advice in this developing area. Skills and experience have been honed waste management and treatment projects, including energy from waste.
Stephen Kenny advised the South London Waste Partnership on the development of an energy-from-waste PPP at Beddington.
Our team also advised Waste Recycling Group (part of FCC) on its successful bid to design, build and operate a landmark £145 million Energy from Waste facility for Lincolnshire County Council. Elsewhere in the UK, we act for bidders and funders on bids for waste PFI projects.
Internationally, team members advised CNM on the Bahrain Solid waste PPP project, the first project financed waste project in the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Defence
Clients choose our team for its market-leading knowledge of the defence sector, developed over time on a number of high-profile projects.
Our team helped the MoD complete a major Air Traffic Services project to provide long-term air traffic management capability for the safe operation of all the MoD's main bases, airfields and air weapon ranges in the UK and overseas.
Further afield, our experts advised Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armement (OCCAR) on the re-negotiation of a ground-breaking contract for the development and supply of up to 170 A400M military transport aircraft from Airbus Military S.L.
Social infrastructure
Acting on PFI/PPP projects in the health, social care, leisure and, social housing and serviced accommodation sectors gives our team an in-depth understanding of the legal and commercial issues and opportunities. We advised Lovell on the £300 million North Tyneside Social Housing PFI and have extensive experience of acting on courts and secure accommodation PPP projects.
Our health expertise is bolstered by an ever-growing client list, which includes the biggest names among private sector healthcare providers, social care providers, life sciences, pharmaceuticals and the NHS. We advised the Worcestershire Acute Hospital NHS Trust on a project for the construction and operation of a new radiotherapy unit. The firm's healthcare team distinctive expertise and specialisms which set it apart from other healthcare practices.
Infrastructure clients include Abengoa, Amec, Amey, BNP Paribas, Equitix, Gloucestershire County Council, Government of Rwanda, Government of Kenya, Health Authority of Abu Dhabi, International Finance Corporate, London Borough of Croydon, Ministry of Defence, Morgan Sindall, National Health Service, Shropshire Council, South London Waste Partnership and TradeMark East Africa.
