Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s US practice has bagged one of its largest-ever mandates, advising a consortium on its bid to operate one of the busiest motorways in the US – a project valued at around $15bn (£7.3bn).

Freshfields is advising a consortium headed by Australian investment house Babcock & Brown, which is considered to be a front-runner in the Pennsylvania Turnpike project – thought to be the largest-ever project of its kind in the US.