Addleshaw Goddard hires leading rail specialist to support UK and international growth

International law firm Addleshaw Goddard has announced the recruitment of highly regarded rail specialist Jason Chamberlain, who joins the firm’s Transport team as a Partner in London.

Jason brings nearly 30 years of experience in the UK and international rail sector, advising on many of the industry’s most complex commercial, regulatory and infrastructure mandates. His practice spans passenger franchising and concessioning, freight and open access, rolling stock procurement and financing, rail infrastructure construction and operation, station and depot development, digital infrastructure, and rail‑sector corporate transactions.

Jason joins AG from BCLP, where he has spent the last eight years as Partner, having previously spent 14 years at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer working extensively on high‑profile PPP and rail infrastructure projects. He began his career in the public sector at the Office of Passenger Rail Franchising (OPRAF), later the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA), before moving into private practice.

Jason has worked extensively with private‑sector clients in the sector, building longstanding relationships with major infrastructure operators, investors and rail‑sector businesses, spanning regulatory, commercial and investment project work. His experience will support the firm’s ambitions to grow its presence across the UK rail market and in key international regions.

Jason’s international work includes significant experience advising on PPP and privately financed rail projects - an area of strategic focus for AG as the firm continues to expand its transport offering into new and growing overseas markets, including the Middle East and Central & Eastern Europe.

His arrival also further strengthens AG’s Tier 1 Rail practice at a pivotal time for the UK rail industry. The establishment of Great British Railways (GBR), together with expected changes to rolling stock and depot procurement and the growing need for innovative private‑sector investment models, is creating increased demand for strategic legal support. Jason’s extensive experience advising government bodies, financiers, manufacturers and operators positions AG strongly to secure and deliver complex mandates across the reform programme.

Paul Hirst, Partner and Head of Transport at Addleshaw Goddard, said: “We are delighted to welcome Jason to the team. His pedigree across the UK and international rail markets, combined with his extensive background in PPP, rolling stock and complex infrastructure mandates, makes him a standout addition to our Transport offering. Jason joins us at a crucial moment for the sector, with major reform underway and increasing opportunities for innovative private‑sector investment. His arrival significantly enhances our ability to support clients on market‑shaping projects in the UK, the Middle East and across Europe.”

Jason Chamberlain added: “AG has a well‑earned reputation as a leading adviser in the rail sector, and I am delighted to be joining at a time when the industry is undergoing such fundamental change. The transition to Great British Railways, the development of new commercial and procurement models, and the growing need for investable private‑sector solutions create a genuinely exciting moment for the market. I look forward to working with my new colleagues to strengthen AG’s public and private‑sector capabilities, build on its significant UK platform, and support continued growth internationally -particularly in Europe and the Middle East. AG has ambitious plans for the future and I’m excited to play a part in them.”