Herbert Smith Freehills and Burges Salmon are among a host of firms winning roles on the £7bn decommissioning of 12 UK nuclear power sites.

two-year competition process run by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has seen the 14 year contract to manage the decommissioning of sites including Hinkley, Sizewell and Dungeness awarded to a joint venture between British engineering group Babcock and US engineering company Fluor.

Herbert Smith advised the JV on its winning bid with energy and infrastructure partner Julia Pyke advising, while regular NDA adviser Burges Salmon reprised its role for the body in a major boost for the firm. Head of projects Mark Paterson and partner John Houlden led the Burges Salmon team.

The Babcock Fluor Partnership saw off competition from three other bidding consortia including Reactor Site Solutions (Bechtel, EnergySolutions), CAS Restoration Partnership (CH2M Hill, Areva, Serco) and UK Nuclear Restoration (AMEC, Atkins, Rolls Royce).

Wragges acted for UK Nuclear Restoration, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer advised Reactor Site Solutions and Pinsent Masons acted for CAS Restoration Partnership.

In 2010 the NDA cut the number of external firms on its panel from nine to five. The group signed up Freshfields and Pinsents to its roster for the first time, while DLA Piper, Burges Salmon and Field Fisher Waterhouse kept their place.

In 2009 Burges Salmon advised the NDA on its £387m online auction for land on which to build the next generation of UK nuclear power plants.

At least on of the bidders not to win the contract is reportedly considering a legal challenge.