Rupert Lugg

Senior Associate

Practice areas

• Construction and engineering
• Energy and infrastructure
• ESG
• Governments and Infrastructure
• Infrastructure
• Other
• Outsourcing and offshoring
• Transport

Practice notes

Rupert is a Senior Associate in our Projects & Construction team.

As an experienced projects lawyer, Rupert Lugg helps authorities and private sector clients on a range of contractual issues to support the successful delivery of complex projects.

Rupert has over a decade of experience advising public and private sector clients on the development and negotiation of commercial agreements on complex and major infrastructure projects across a range of sectors including transport, energy, education, health and defence.

He has a comprehensive understanding on all aspects of procurement processes in public/private partnership arrangements including advising on contract structure/strategy, drafting and negotiating key commercial contracts and managing the requirements of various stakeholders (lenders, authorities, regulators and end users).

In addition to major infrastructure/projects work, Rupert has a wealth of experience advising on numerous non-contentious commercial contracts which involves producing, reviewing and negotiating contracts for the supply of a range of goods and services (including, for example, IT, catering, consultancy, energy, etc.) and conducting legal due diligence on commercial contracts in relation to mergers and acquisitions.

Rupert also has market leading experience advising clients on the development and implementation of Net Zero and Transport Decarbonisation Projects.

In particular, Rupert has extensive knowledge in relation to innovative Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure projects (including car and bus), providing legal advice in relation to delivery structures, charging infrastructure regulations and leading cross-discipline legal teams (including, real estate, construction, planning and commercial) to deliver Net Zero projects for public and private sector clients.

Most recently, he was the lead adviser to the Office of Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV) in the UK, advising on the design and delivery of the £950m Rapid Charge Fund to support the roll out of Electric Vehicle Charge Points on the UK’s strategic road network.

Rupert's recent experience includes:

• being lead adviser to Transport for Wales on the £5bn franchise of the Wales and Cross Border Rail Services and South Wales Metro. This was a “first of its kind project” featuring an innovative vertically-integrated solution (whereby the train operator is also responsible for the condition of the network) and procurement of rail services using the competitive dialogue procedure. As the project developed the work further involved supporting Transport for Wales on its COVID emergency measure arrangements and ultimately the transfer of rail services from the private sector to public sector operations.
• being lead adviser to OZEV in relation to the design and delivery of the £950m Rapid Charge Fund to support the roll out of Electric Vehicle Charge Points on the UK’s strategic road network.
• advising Ascent (a Babcock and Lockheed Martin joint venture) on its delivery of the £3bn United Kingdom Military Flight Training Services programme, a project to provide an integrated pilot training solution for the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
• advising Statkraft on the due diligence exercise of Vattenfall’s existing Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Business and the related business transfer arrangements.
• advising Redde Northgate Plc (a mobility solutions platform providing vehicle lease services) on the acquisition of ChargedEV (a UK specialist electric vehicle charge point operator).
• leading on the outsourcing of United Kingdom Hydrographic Office’s book publication services. Work involved drafting a bespoke supply agreement including an innovative payment mechanism/KP regime and working with UKHO through its procurement process.
• advising on a number of commercial projects for FirstGroup including franchise bids, service level agreements, station infrastructure works, rolling stock contracts, asset maintenance and station transfer arrangements. Work involved developing contracts, leading contractual negotiations and working alongside First’s bid team.
• working with First Group Bus Division in relation to a range of Electric Bus Charging Infrastructure Projects including a range of innovative and novel asset lease and financing arrangements.
• advising Alder Hey Children's Hospital NHS Trust on its £288m project for the construction of a new Children's Hospital in Liverpool.
• advising private sector joint venture entities on their bids for the £2bn Sheffield Highways maintenance PFI project and Hounslow/Isle of Wight Highways maintenance PFI projects.

Awards and Rankings

Lead lawyer on the Transport for Wales team, which was awarded Energy and Infrastructure Team of the Year 2020.

Rupert was dentified in Legal 500 as a "key adviser who had a great ability to understand complex problems and to seek pragmatic solutions"