Herbert Smith has elbowed out Linklaters and scooped the mandate to advise Transport for London (TfL) on the £896m East London Line extension.
The firm won the instruction after participating in a beauty parade against a number of other firms. TfL launched the tender exercise earlier this year after it took over the running of the project from the Strategic Rail Authority in November 2004.
It is understood that Linklaters will continue to be involved with the project until next month, when Herbert Smith will take over the magic circle firm’s role.
TfL declined to comment on which other firms participated in the tender exercise, although The Lawyer understands that Denton Wilde Sapte was likely to have been involved.
This is the second major tender exercise to be completed by TfL since it appointed Eversheds to handle high-volume work last August. As first revealed by The Lawyer (8 November 2004), Ashurst has since won the mandate to advise TfL on the construction of the controversial Thames Gateway Bridge.
The East London Line extension, which is due to be completed by June 2010, is the largest transport infrastructure project in the London Mayor’s five-year plan. Under the initiative, the line will be extended north to Dalston and south to Crystal Palace and West Croydon.
Linklaters declined to comment.
