Partner & Head of Transport
Anton Balkitis leads the Transport Law team and is a nationally recognised Transport and Motoring Law specialist at Nottingham-based law firm Rothera Bray Solicitors.
Anton is one of the country’s leading experts in his field and has been recognised as a leading individual by the Legal 500 and Chambers legal directories for many years. In 2018 he was recognised by the Legal 500 Hall of Fame as a lawyer who has received constant praise from his clients for continued excellence. Legal 500 states that “The Hall of Fame highlights partners who are at the pinnacle of the profession”. Legal 500 describes that Anton has “a wealth of experience on all aspects of transport law..”.
Anton deals with road transport and regulatory law for all types of business. Anton is able to provide expert legal advice and advocacy defending commercial operators, professional drivers and private motorists on a wide range of prosecutions including vehicle offences and licence entitlements. He represents at both Goods and Passenger Service Vehicle Operator Licensing public inquiries before Traffic Commissioners. He is a regular in Magistrates’ Courts across England & Wales. As well as being a member of the main transport trade associations, Anton sits on the Logistics UK Regional Freight Council. He is also is a member of the International Road Transport Union’s Legal Assistance Network and frequently acts for EU and Non EU operators in Carrier’s Liability (Clandestine Entrants) cases and with vehicle seizures. Anton is based at our Lace Market office in Nottingham.
Chambers Legal Directory (26 years ranked)
2019 Legal 500 Awards shortlist for individuals nationwide (Transport)
2018 Legal 500 Hall of Fame
“Seeking information about my upcoming court case I wanted access to a professional that could advise on my specific scenario, not a generic lawyer. I heard about Anton Balkitis from a Logistics trade body. Anton guided me through likely outcomes and gave me the tools to be able to feel completely reassured and in control of my situation. Hopefully matters will not proceed further but if they do then I certainly know who to call. Thank you so much.”V Gibson
“These excellent people will get you the best outcome and I would like to thank Anton Balkitis for his well crafted argument and explaining everything with clarity to the court for me. I found myself in a difficult situation but he cleared all my doubts and restored my faith in justice. I would not hesitate to use again for any motoring offences.”Mike
“I hired this company to represent me on a charge , I found this company professional, transparent and very knowledgeable, shout out to Anton who did an amazing job couldn’t ask for more, the staff kept me informed of updates and what was needed all the way through process , Chelsey and Georgina also involved who were compassionate and understanding throughout and also very professional would highly recommend without hesitation.”Mark T
“I have used Rothera Bray solicitors service in my case with totting up and an exceptional hardship case which I happily won last week. Can’t thank the team enough especially Anton and Chelsey for taking me through step by step and building a strong case. I highly recommend them for driving license cases.”Ahmed
“I’d like to say that Anton represented us at a Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry and did a fantastic job in helping us prepare. He also secured the best possible outcome with only a formal warning for the company and our driver. I can certainly recommend his services.”Dan Fordham, Danfords Construction Equipment Ltd
“Anton’s persistence helped secure our operator’s licence. His representation at public inquiry and help throughout was exceptional. The service was worth every penny!”Susan Briggs, Rapid Travel Ltd
“It was a pleasure working with Anton. Thank you for all your help. I can’t speak highly enough of his firm. They specialise in Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiries and are simply the best!”E Colson, Transport Manager, Colson Transport Ltd.
“We’ve used Anton and Rothera Sharp for many years and are always delighted with the clear, calm and sound advice. With Anton you’re always in good hands”Lucie Oglesby, Pykett Bros. Haulage
“I recently used Anton to defend me on my speeding case. It was going to be a difficult one having argued exceptional hardship twice in the last 18 months. Anton put together a novel argument outlining the impact of a driving ban on television production companies and charitable organisations with which I work. The court accepted the argument and I escaped a driving ban. When it comes to driving offences, as a professional motorcycle racer and lorry driver I would not hesitate to recommend Anton and his team.”Guy Martin
“On product knowledge, they are on top of their game i.e Anton has extensive knowledge of road transport law & a constant willingness to help.”Chris Ruane – Public Authority Development Officer at The Chartered Institute of Logistics & Transport
“I highly recommend efficient, proactive and highly competent Mr Balkitis and his excellent team of skilled legal experts that support our Company in the UK”Frederic Giustetti, Vice President of Operations, Transfreight Automotive Logistics Europe
“Your service throughout has been efficient, courteous and professional. I would not hesitate to recommend to any of my family, friends and acquaintances.”Robert Ball
Chambers Legal Directory (26 years ranked)
2019 Legal 500 Awards shortlist for individuals nationwide (Transport)
2018 Legal 500 Hall of Fame
Georgina Power, Transport Solicitor at Rothera Bray and winner of the Nottinghamshire Law Society’s Junior Lawyer of the Year Award 2025, recently shared her remarkable journey into the legal profession. From launching a new career in her mid-thirties while juggling family life and a business, to qualifying as a solicitor and earning one of the region’s most prestigious legal accolades, Georgina’s experience highlights her hard work, adaptability and professional growth.
August is National Road Victim Month, highlighting the impact of road traffic incidents and raising awareness of their legal and emotional consequences. Every year, thousands of people suffer life-changing injuries on UK roads that could have been prevented with just a moment’s more care and attention.
When it comes to operator licence compliance, timing is everything. If issues have been identified, the best time to act is immediately. Waiting until a Traffic Commissioner’s Public Inquiry or hoping things will resolve on their own is a risky strategy that rarely ends well.
A crucial but often overlooked legal issue facing many transport operators is the potential loss of an Operator Licence due to outdated rules in the Partnership Act 1890 and the risks posed by poorly structured or informal partnership arrangements.
Our latest transport law article explains how operators can still face overloading offences under a Special Types General Order (STGO).
You usually only need an operator’s licence if you operate goods vehicles or public service vehicles over 3.5t.
However, in 2022 the UK introduced new regulations so that certain vans between 2.5t and 3.5t require an operators’ licence or they could be operating unlawfully.
Attention to all Fleet Managers, Operators and Drivers travelling from Europe to the UK!
Open consultation – Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Scheme
Up until 11:45pm on 12 September 2022, the UK Government are consulting on new regulations related to vehicle security and a new Level of Penalty: Code of Practice.
As of 28 June 2022, a new offence of causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving will apply. If your driving is “below” the expected and results in the “serious injury” of another, then this can be construed as causing serious injury by careless or inconsiderate driving.
It is not easy being an External Transport Manager. You have the same responsibilities as a full-time in-house Transport Manager however you might only be contracted for a handful of hours a week in the case of a single vehicle operator. Even for a diligent External Transport Manager it can be difficult to exercise continuous and effective control when you may only see the vehicles you are responsible for a few hours a week.
This guide is intended to be a short, no-nonsense crib sheet for External Transport Managers. It is by no means comprehensive, but it does flag up some of the more common issues that can ultimately lead to problems with the Traffic Commissioner.
Being called to a Driver Conduct Hearing by the Traffic Commissioner can be a very stressful experience under any circumstances. Whether the hearing takes place in person at the Traffic Commissioner’s office or virtually, the pressure of responding to allegations and being cross examined by the Traffic Commissioner can lead to sleepless nights.
Rothera Bray’ Senior Associate Chris Powell recently spoke to Pete Rushmer, Founder and Managing Director of Flagship Partners and host of the podcast ‘A Half Dozen Things’ about his work as a transport lawyer at Rothera Bray.
Transport Solicitor Chris Powell looks at 5 common mistakes transport companies can make when responding to a DVSA desk based assessment.