The Defence and Nuclear team at global law firm Hogan Lovells has advised Rolls Royce Submarines on a landmark £9 billion contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to power the next generations of the nuclear submarines for the UK Royal Navy. The “Unity” deal is one of the largest ever signed by either Rolls Royce or the UK MoD.
Commenting on the deal, Adrian Walker, partner at Hogan Lovells, said “We are very proud to have supported this unique deal between RRS and the UK MOD working closely with the UK MOD’s team at Burges Salmon. The deal aligns with our firm’s priorities of supporting global governance, defending democracy, promoting carbon-neutral technologies, and driving employment growth across the UK. There is no more critical investment for the UK in this space.”
Hogan Lovells is proud to have been a strategic partner to Rolls Royce Submarines over the past decade, supporting their mission to power the UK’s nuclear underwater defences. The Unity project is mission critical in ensuring the UK’s Continuous at Sea Nuclear Deterrent, as well as enabling the delivery of attack submarines to both the UK Navy and, through AUKUS, to Australia. The innovative contractual approach creates an entirely new construct to enable increased collaboration between Rolls Royce and the UK MoD, enabling the creation of new highly skilled jobs in the Midlands and other regions of the UK as well as accelerating upskilling in the UK nuclear sector.
The Hogan Lovells core team comprised partners Adrian Walker and Malcolm Parry, senior associates Lauren Bruce and Imogen Walsh, and associate Ellie Thwaites (all Nuclear and Defence team), with support from a range of specialists, including partner Katie McConnell and senior associate James Gray (both IPR).
