Melissa Walford Senior Associate

Melissa is a senior associate in the firm's projects department. She has experience advising a wide range of public and private sector clients on complex and multi-stakeholder commercial transactions and projects.

Melissa works across a wide range of sectors with a particular focus on defence, rail and procurement. She also has experience of advising on commercial, projects and state aid issues. 

Melissa is a member of the Procurement Lawyers Association and assists with the firm’s corporate responsibility activities.  

• Advising the Ministry of Defence on the design and build contracts for the first and second phases of construction of the new Dreadnought Class submarines. Melissa also supported the team advising the Ministry of Defence on the procurement of the fifth, sixth and seventh Astute Class submarines from BAE Systems.
• Advising West Midlands Trains Limited (an Abellio, JRE and Mitsui joint venture) on the procurement of, and ongoing operational arrangements for, a number of rolling stock fleets in support of its bid on the West Midlands rail franchise.
• Advising First Hull Trains in relation to the procurement of new rolling stock, and negotiation of the tri-partite manufacture and supply agreement and separate maintenance agreement for the new trains.
• Providing procurement and State aid advice to Minesto UK Limited in relation to ERDF funding for a marine technology project.
• Undertaking secondments to clients’ in-house legal teams, including:
  - a 4 month secondment to Affinity Water Limited, working closely with different departments within the client’s business and assisting with a wide range of commercial matters; and
  - a 1 month virtual secondment to Virgin Care Services Limited to provide commercial and contractual advice relating to their appointment to run community health and social care services in Bath and North East Somerset.