Our dedicated transport and logistics team provides comprehensive legal support across the increasingly complex and regulated landscape of the UK transport and logistics industry.
With a team of more than 15 experts, we advise on the full spectrum of transport and logistics issues, assisting all industry entities, from small enterprises to multinational corporations including hauliers, third-party logistics providers (3PLs), freight forwarders and warehouse owners.
Our work includes advising on:
- Commercial contracts such as distribution, agency and outsourcing contracts
- IP licensing issues
- Road regulation and compliance, including operator licensing, DVSA investigations, road traffic accidents and public inquiries before the Traffic Commissioner
- Health and safety
- Product liability claims
- Commercial real estate
- M&A and joint ventures
- Dispute resolution
In addition, we offer training to help businesses understand their legal responsibilities in the transport and logistics sector.
We maintain strong international connections, working seamlessly with maritime and transport lawyers across major jurisdictions. Our multilingual capabilities include French, Spanish, German, Dutch, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Russian.
Our Experience
Real Estate – Commodity Centre
We regularly advise the Commodity Centre, a leader in supply chain, logistics and warehousing solutions. Our work involves negotiating bespoke leases for strategic storage solutions for commodities such as flour, coffee, sugar, dried fruit, and nuts for onward transportation to supermarkets across the UK. We also manage Commodity Centre’s property portfolio, and advise on new leases, lease renewals, licences for alterations, rent reviews and lease disputes.
Corporate and Commercial – Zedify
Zedify launched the UK’s first cargo bike delivery service in Cambridge. The company now serves many UK cities and is a major player in the last-mile logistics space. Zedify is at the forefront of the sustainable delivery of products in the urban environment and is backed by Barclays and Green Angel Ventures, amongst others. We advised on each of its fundraising rounds in support of its ambitious growth strategy.
Regulatory – Anonymous client
We successfully represented a large multi-licence holder following a wheel loss incident and an unsatisfactory DVSA investigation. We worked with the client’s fleet team, and board during the aftermath of the incident, and conducted an investigation of root causes to assess areas of concern or improvement. This allowed us to collate evidence for the Traffic Commissioner’s consideration at the preliminary hearing and ensured that the matter was concluded at the preliminary hearing stage with no subsequent regulatory action.
Key Contacts
Accreditations
Legal 500 [UK 2025]
Top tier
The Birketts team was constantly on the ball – combining sector-knowledge and effective (and time-efficient) advice. You really felt you were in safe hands.
Legal 500 [UK 2025]