Our people

Laura Coates

Laura is widely respected for her strong, pragmatic professional advice, consistently guiding clients through complex legal and commercial challenges with confidence and clarity” (Chambers, 2025)

Partner, Infrastructure Projects & Energy
London, UK

Expertise

Laura Coates is a Partner in Addleshaw Goddard’s Infrastructure, Projects and Energy team specialising in social infrastructure and transport PFI/PPPs and infrastructure asset management.

She has around 15 years’ experience advising on PFI/PPP projects across sectors including health, education, social housing, transport and leisure in the UK, Ireland and the Middle East. Laura’s focus is on advising the private sector participants including sponsors/borrowers, funders, contractors and service providers, and is a trusted adviser for clients including Kajima, Innisfree and Infrared. Alongside acting for bidding consortia on new projects, Laura advises clients on all aspects of infrastructure asset management including dispute avoidance, commercial settlement, service provider replacement, defect remediation, contract interpretation and other project counsel matters. She also advises on handback/expiry of PFI projects.

Experience

Laura’s experience includes:

Advising a bidding consortium on a healthcare PPP project in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Advising the service provider up to financial close on Irish higher education PPP projects.
Advising the facilities maintenance provider on its obligations relating to handback of a UK transport PPP project.
Advising the equity investors on construction defects arising at various UK PPP hospitals.
Advising the equipment service provider on a healthcare PPP in the United Arab Emirates
Advising the equity investors on the replacement of service providers at UK education PPP projects.
Advising the lenders in relation to variations to a PPP schools project in the UK.

Education

College of Law (2009-2011)
Durham University (2006-2007)
University of Newcastle (2003-2006)

Recognition

Chambers Band 2 Ranked 2025
Finalist at the Inspirational Women in Law Awards 2021

Testimonials

“Laura consistently delivers excellent levels of service. She is knowledgeable across all aspects of PPP/PFI, delivering concise, considered and pragmatic advice in a personable warm manner.”