Tammy Samuel
Partner, Stephen son Har wood
Partner, Stephen son Harwood
“Ilike being able to point at things that I’ve been involved in, such as trains that I helped to buy or sell. I’m involved in a big project on Crossrail and I can’t wait for the service to start so I can say I did my little bit to help.” Tammy Samuel has been a lawyer for more than 20 years and worked on her first rail project within just a few months of starting.
At the time, there was no such thing as a rail specialism in law; legal issues were dealt with by corporate or commercial lawyers, which was precisely what Tammy had planned for her career. But one railway project led to another and she gradually became more specialised, helping to set up the railway division at her previous law firm.Joining Stephenson Harwood five years ago, she set up its commercial railway practice and now works exclusively for railway clients.
“I got bitten by the bug! I see myself as a commercial adviser as well as a lawyer. If I say to people I’m a railway lawyer, they don’t really understand what that means, so I explain that I specialise in advising railway companies on anything that they do.” Her clients include train operators and builders, maintenance companies, contractors and authorities. It’s a surprisingly broad specialism. Tammy deals with everything from £3 billion rolling stock contracts down to passenger claims for delayed trains.
“In some senses law in the railway is similar to other areas. For example, if I was a project lawyer building a road, it’s not massively different to building a railway. Where the railway differs is that I get to understand how the rail industry deals with particular issues in a highly regulated environment, so I understand the stakeholders and where the politics lie. That enables me to advise not just on the purely legal issues but also more broadly, and to put the legal advice in context. That’s what I really enjoy - it is a unique environment.
“I’m a bit of a problem solver, and there always seem to be lots of problems and change in the rail industry, and that appeals to me. It’s not static, you’re not doing the same thing again and again. There’s always something slightly different that needs to be dealt with and you have to think your way around that.”
The same thing Tammy finds enjoyable is the thing that she confesses can be “slightly irritating”. The industry has its fair share of people with quite entrenched views, and getting them to think in different ways can be challenging. But Tammy admits that this is exactly why the industry needs people like her, to offer fresh perspectives, and it gives her the chance to make a real difference.
You wouldn’t guess from Tammy’s calm, focused exterior that she has a hectic life behind the scenes.
“I have four children, two of which are almost grown up. My eldest daughter is at university studying to be a doctor and my second is about to start a law degree - I’ve not managed to put her off!”
Perhaps more surprising is that she somehow fits in coaching an under-18s girls rugby team, having played rugby for Saracens and England herself when she was younger.
“As if I’m not busy enough! But I really enjoy it. It’s the kind of thing I can do and not think about anything else.”
Managing such a busy life is a matter of balance for Tammy, prioritising work and home when each demands it most. But the ‘organised chaos’ adds to the variety she loves about the industry.
“The breadth of careers in rail is enormous. It’s not just about getting your hands dirty under trains or building track. Heavy engineering is such a small part of what you can do.
“The industry is becoming very technical. Gone are the days when you maintained a train by getting your hands greasy in a boiler suit, it’s all computerised - such as analytics and testing things.
“We should be attracting the next generation of computer scientists, of people who can develop apps and smart ticketing technology.” n
“The breadth of careers in rail is enormous. It’s not just about getting your hands dirty”