Field Fisher Waterhouse has taken the lead role on a £1.6bn deal that has seen a private company take over the running of the UK's search and rescue helicopter operations.

The contract, which runs from 2015 to 2026, has been won by the Bristow Group, the US-headquartered parent company of Aberdeen's Bristow Helicopters.

The announcement, which comes after the Department for Transport (DfT) began a procurement process in 2011, brings 70 years of search and rescue operations by the RAF and Royal Navy to an end.

Field Fisher represented the DfT, a longstanding client of the firm, alongside financial adviser KPMG. Competition and EU regulatory partner John Cassels led the firm's team, which advised on all legal aspects including developing project documents, dialogue with bidders and finalising the contract.

Under the new contract, 22 helicopters will operate from 10 locations in the UK, with more than 350 new jobs created.

Cassels said: "The UK Government is leading the way with this search and rescue project – no doubt other governments across the European Union and beyond have been watching the process very closely. We took particular care to ensure the procedure was as effective, robust and transparent as possible."

Bristow was represented by its in-house legal team, which was headed up by UK-based legal counsel and company secretary James Howell-Richardson.

The role for Field Fisher comes after the firm last year advised the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), an executive agency of the DfT, on a £450m contract that saw the Post Office renew its authority to continue supplying tax discs to UK motorists for a further seven years.