RAYMOND ATKINS is widely recognized as a leader in the transportation field. With 25 years of experience, Ray advises some of the world’s largest transportation companies on high-stakes transportation issues, including issues involving transactions, regulatory litigations, appeals, competition law, and federal preemption. Ray is the co-leader of Sidley’s Transportation practice, which is recognized by U.S. News and Chambers USA for over a decade as one of the nation’s top-tier practices. Chambers described Ray as an “insightful and a forceful advocate” and that his team members are “true experts in the field of transportation law.”
Ray is a seasoned advocate for transportation clients in litigations, private arbitrations, and administrative adjudications. He has briefed dozens of appeals and has a long record of success in the cases he has argued. Ray also leverages his years of government service to represent clients in federal rulemakings and investigations of national significance.
Ray combines a Ph.D. in economics with his legal background to offer innovative solutions to challenges posed in modern regulated industries. In addition to co-leading the nationally ranked Transportation practice at Sidley, Ray has the distinction of being a Band 1 ranked lawyer by Chambers USA (2015–2022) for Transportation: Rail (for Railroads), and is recognized as a U.S. News Best Lawyer.® Clients say his team is “extremely responsive and very reliable — I commend them for their proactiveness.” Ray has been named a 2020 Client Service All-Star by BTI Consulting Group for his incomparable level of client service excellence. Ray was also listed as Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in America in 2019 in the area of Transportation Law.
Prior to joining Sidley in 2013, Ray was General Counsel of the Surface Transportation Board (STB), an independent federal agency that regulates the interstate freight and passenger railroad industry, as well as certain pipelines, motor carriers, and water carriers. In that role, Ray represented the agency in over 50 appeals before the U.S. Federal Court of Appeals.