Laura Hadzik

Practice Areas

.Laura Co-Heads JMW Solicitors’ Commercial Road Transport team. She has extensive experience advising a broad spectrum of operators of commercial vehicles across the haulage, coach and bus sectors nationwide. Her clients range from family-owned SMEs, to some of the UK’s major bus and coach companies as well as well-known ‘household name’ haulage companies across sectors including retail, parcel delivery, waste, pharmaceutical and medical, animal feed, construction, scaffolding, fuel and agriculture.

Laura’s particular expertise lies in the licensing and regulation of commercial road transport operators. She has developed an enviable reputation and is recognised nationally as an expert in this niche specialism and for her industry-specific knowledge. She is widely respected by colleagues, stakeholders and clients and is a strong advocate of women in transport.

Laura’s areas of expertise include:

• Public Inquiries, Preliminary Hearings and Driver Conduct Hearings before the Traffic Commissioners

• Appeals against Traffic Commissioner decisions to the Upper Tribunal

• Advice and representation in connection with DVSA, Police, Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, HMRC, UK Border Force, Trading Standards investigations relating to the use of commercial vehicles

• Advising passenger vehicle operators in connection with bus reliability and punctuality and BODS matters

• Applications for new goods and passenger vehicle Operator’s Licences and variations to existing Operator’s Licences

• Strategic Operator’s Licence advice in connection with business restructures, acquisitions, disposals, mergers or insolvency proceedings

• Pro-active advice and training in respect of vehicle maintenance, drivers’ hours and other driver management compliance systems required by the Operator’s Licence undertakings

Career

Laura has specialised in the licensing and regulation of commercial vehicle operators for her entire legal career.

Professional Memberships

The Law Society.

Laura also works closely with many of the trade associations supporting the road transport sector and their members. She is a member of RHA, CPT, Worshipful Company of Carmen, Women in Transport and Women in Bus and Coach.

Publications

Laura regularly presents at industry events, trade association briefings, trade shows and Traffic Commissioner evenings, delivers training seminars and webinars to the industry and provides articles and commentary to the trade, regional and national press.