Terence M. Hynes

TERENCE (TERRY) HYNES focuses his practice in matters involving the transportation industry. Over the past 45 years, Terry has advised railroads, ocean carriers, private equity firms and financial institutions in connection with mergers and acquisitions, inter-carrier agreements, transportation and logistics arrangements and rail corridor development projects involving both freight and passenger service. He also represents transportation industry clients in connection with commercial, regulatory and appellate litigation.

Terry has been recognized by Chambers USA as a leading practitioner for Nationwide Transportation: Rail (for Railroads) every year since 2008. He has also been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® since 2017 in the area of Transportation Law.

“Terry is a giant in the rail industry, with so much knowledge and experience.” 
Chambers USA 2024

Terry has been at the forefront of the development of high-speed passenger rail service in America, serving as counsel to high-speed rail projects throughout the United States. He has been an advocate for regulatory reforms designed to promote private investment in the high-speed rail sector.

Terry has decades of experience in connection with bankruptcy proceedings involving transportation firms. He has represented clients in connection with the successful bankruptcy reorganization of several railroads and ocean shipping companies.

Terry has written articles on transportation-related topics and authored a chapter in the book “Debating Reform” (Congressional Quarterly Press 2010). He appears frequently as a speaker at transportation industry conferences in the United States and Canada.

Terry’s representative engagements include:

• Norfolk Southern Railway Company in connection with its acquisition of The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Company, a transaction valued at $1.6 billion (2023)
• Macquarie Asset Management and Gulf & Atlantic Railways in connection with the acquisition of Pioneer Valley Railroad Company (2023)
• Macquarie Asset Management and Gulf & Atlantic Railways in connection with the acquisition of four shortline railroads from Midwest and Bluegrass Rail (2023)
• Macquarie Asset Management in connection with its acquisition of RailUSA and its shortline railroad subsidiaries from American Rail Partners, LLC (2022)
• Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC in connection with its acquisition of Transtar, LLC and its six railroad subsidiaries from U.S. Steel Corporation (2021)
• iCON Infrastructure Partners Ltd. in connection with the acquisition of an equity position in Iowa Interstate Railroad (2020)
• Brightline Holdings LLC in connection with its acquisition of DesertXpress Enterprises and the development of a high-speed passenger rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas, NV (2018–present)
• Texas Central Partners in connection with the development of a high-speed passenger rail line between Dallas and Houston, TX (2016–present)
• Baltimore-Washington Railroad Company in connection with the development of a high-speed passenger rail line between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD (2020-- present)
• Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors LLC in connection with the sale of Central Maine & Quebec Railway (2019)
• A consortium of investors in connection with the proposed acquisition of Genesee & Wyoming, Inc. (2019)
• Brightline Holdings LLC in connection with the development of a high-speed passenger rail line between Miami and Orlando, FL (2010–present)
• Fortress Investment Group in connection with the merger of its subsidiary, Florida East Coast Railway, with GMexico de Transportes SA de CV, a transaction valued at $2.1 billion (2017)
• Fortress Investment Group in connection with sale of RailAmerica and its 40 shortline railroad subsidiaries to Genesee & Wyoming, Inc., a transaction valued at $1.4 billion (2012)

• Association of Transportation Law, Logistics and Policy
• Sections of Antitrust and Public Utility Communications and Transportation Law of the American Bar Association
• Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law