O’Melveny is a trusted advisor to the transportation industry, with more than 50 years of experience helping clients around the world complete strategic, award-winning transactions and achieve their goals in US courts and international

Our group combines broad and deep knowledge of every industry segment—land, air, and sea transport and logistics—with a track record of success representing clients in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and the United States.

  • Public Private Partnerships
    • O’Melveny is a recognized leader in transportation sector public-private partnerships. Chambers USA has referred to O’Melveny as “a major player in the PPP arena,” with “an impressive workload” and “a high-profile client roster.” Sources describe firm lawyers as “very easy to work with, fitting well into our business team.”
  • Maritime Disputes
    • Our litigators have handled some of the world’s largest maritime disputes, including the high-profile representation of ExxonMobil in matters relating to the Valdez oil spill as well as shipbuilding disputes and arbitrations arising out of ship sale and purchase agreements and charter contracts.
  • Ports
    • Over the past five decades, O’Melveny has participated in the development, financing, and sale of many significant port projects. We have advised on infrastructure development and expansion, rail line acquisitions and consolidations, operating agreements, tax matters, issues of public law, tidelands, regulatory approvals, environmental matters, land use, and project development and finance.
  • Rail
    • O’Melveny counsels rail line operators, users, and affected communities on all aspects of transactions related to rail line consolidation, expansion, and development, including complex shared-use, construction, and development agreements, as well as issuance of tax-exempt bonds, and public issues.
  • Roads
    • O’Melveny has substantial experience adapting project-financing structures to the distinctive requirements of toll road, bridge, and related projects for developers, investors, and lenders. We have thorough knowledge of the underlying economic aspects driving these projects, including the contractual arrangements and permitting issues that can pose challenges.
  • Sea Vessels
    • We leverage decades of experience coupled with forward-thinking creativity to structure complex capital-raising and financing transactions involving shipping interests, and see them through to successful completion.

Alameda Corridor Project

In one of the largest public works projects ever undertaken in the United States, O’Melveny represented the nation’s two largest ports in their joint sponsorship of the Alameda Corridor Project, a US$2.4 billion, 20-mile, consolidated, high-speed freight rail corridor linking the ports with the intercontinental rail system. Read

ASTAR Air Cargo, Inc.

ASTAR provides all-cargo scheduled and charter services on a contract basis for the DHL Worldwide Express network and charter services on a contract basis for other customers including the US military and the US Postal Service. Read

Autopista Central

A firm partner represented Autopista Central, a Chilean project company, in connection with its US and Chilean capital markets offering (with the benefit of insurance company guaranty) to finance the construction of its toll road in Santiago, Chile. Read

Brookfield Asset Management

O’Melveny represented Brookfield Asset Management in its acquisition by Brookfield Infrastructure Fund II of a 49 percent interest in the operations of TraPac, an operator of marine container terminals in Los Angeles and Oakland, California, and Jacksonville, Florida, with customer service facilities located in Austin, Texas. Read

California High Speed Rail Authority

O’Melveny represented the CHSRA in the negotiation of the system-wide master agreements between CHSRA and the Union Pacific Railroad that will enable development and operation of the California High Speed Rail Project. Read

Cargo Vessel Company

We defended a leading marine transport company in connection with a criminal action following ballast release from a cargo ship owned through a joint venture. We negotiated a settlement for the client on terms significantly more favorable than penalties ultimately exacted from the non-settling venture partner. Read

ExxonMobil Corporation

O'Melveny persuaded the US Supreme Court that the US$2.5 billion in punitive damages awarded to victims of the Exxon Valdez oil spill by the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit was excessive as a matter of maritime common law. Read

GIC

O’Melveny represented GIC, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund, in its investment in the US$1.26 billion equity financing of NYSE-listed XPO Logistics, one of the largest providers of freight brokerage, freight forwarding, and expedited freight transportation. Read

Orient Overseas Limited

We represented Orient Overseas (International) Limited (OOIL) in the US$2.35 billion sale of its Terminals Division to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (OTPP). Read

Port of Oakland

O’Melveny represented the Port of Oakland (the Port), the third busiest port on the US West Coast, in connection with developing, negotiating, and implementing its landmark 50-year concession with Ports America Outer Harbor Terminal, LLC. Read
    • Autopista Central
    • ExxonMobil Corporation 
    • FedEx Ground Package System 
    • GIC Special Investments Pte Ltd. 
    • Orient Maritime Ltd.
    • Pacific King Shipping Group Limited 
    • Port of Oakland