Mr. Sheys, a partner in the Washington, D.C. office, focuses his practice on transportation regulatory and safety law and transportation infrastructure projects, mergers and acquisitions. He represents freight and commuter railroads; public transit systems; railroad and transit equipment manufacturers, suppliers and contractors; producers and transporters of hazardous materials; and state, municipal, and special purpose transportation agencies.
Mr. Sheys represents buyers in railroad line sales and has handled more than 50 such sales and related regulatory filings. He represents commuter railroads and transit systems on publicly-funded transportation infrastructure projects, including planning, development, environmental review and compliance issues on new start rail projects. He advises project sponsors and industry contractors on rail projects under design-build contracts and other forms of public-private partnerships.
Mr. Sheys has substantial experience advising clients on railroad safety and hazardous material transport matters. He has represented freight railroads, commuter railroads, and rail transit systems in proceedings before the Federal Railroad Administration involving the scope and applicability of the federal railroad safety laws, regulatory waivers, agency rulemakings, compliance issues, and penalty settlements. He has represented producers and transporters of hazardous materials in proceedings before the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration involving the scope and applicability of the federal hazardous materials transportation laws and regulations, agency rulemakings, compliance issues and enforcement actions.
Mr. Sheys has handled all types of Surface Transportation Board matters including numerous rail line abandonments, rail line construction cases, merger, acquisition and control transaction approvals, competitive access disputes and car hire compensation disputes. Mr. Sheys has structured numerous transactions in which passenger rail operators acquire active rail lines without becoming subject to onerous federal railroad laws. He has represented freight and commuter railroads (and their affiliates) in audits, coverage cases and appeals of agency decisions on the scope and applicability of the railroad retirement and railroad unemployment insurance laws