John helped most of the US and Canadian railroads deal with the deregulation of the rail freight industry in the United States. Working with Nobel Prize and other eminent economists (Ken Arrow, Will Baumol, and Bobby Willig), he developed and implemented the concept of stand-alone costs. This concept protected many billions of dollars of rail revenue on coal and other high-volume rail traffic from regulatory confiscation. He also used the economic concept of the network industry to optimize the remaining elements of the rail regulatory system after deregulation. John has also represented clients in air, motor, and maritime transportation mergers and in other significant regulatory matters.
In August 2022, California acted to ban by 2035 the sales of new gasoline powered cars and light trucks. Since many states follow the lead of California in climate-related regulations, this ban will propel itself throughout the United States. Over time, most new car sales will shift to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs). This will likely lead to a revolution in battery design and a proliferation of insights into approaches that offer faster charging solutions. John is involved in projects that involve these trends.
