Holland & Knight LLP > Fort Lauderdale, United States > Firm Profile

Holland & Knight LLP > The Legal 500 Rankings

Real estate > Land use/zoning Tier 1

Holland & Knight LLP‘s nationwide group handles comprehensive land use, planning and zoning matters across major markets in the US, with particular emphasis on its extensive presence in Florida, handling the full-suite of land use and zoning issues on behalf of top-end real estate clients in the region. New York’s Joe Guay and Miami’s Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz head up the wider real estate team and are are important names to note, while the Miami-based land use and zoning team is headed up by experienced attorney Joseph Goldstein, who focuses his practice on planning, zoning, permitting and development agreements. Also working out of the Miami office, Juan Mayol acts on behalf of builders and developers through the entire life-cycle of development processes. Of the New York team, Kenneth Lowenstein is sought after for his affordable housing work and frequently provides counsel to the Real Estate Board of New York. In Washington DC, Norman Glasgow is adept on building code and historic preservation law matters whilst Christine Shiker is frequently engaged on large, mixed-use and multi-phased projects. On the west coast, San Francisco-based environmental law expert Jennifer Hernandez leads the land use practice, notable for her work under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Chelsea MacLean is also a key contact here, known for her pro-housing advocacy work alongside maintaining an impressive land use and entitlement practice.  

Transport > Aviation and air travel: finance Tier 1

Praised as ‘definitely a firm to consider for the most important matters‘, Holland & Knight LLP‘s principal areas of expertise range from aviation-related alternative financing and investment structures, to sophisticated capital markets transactions involving aviation assets. The team also advises on the leasing, financing, purchase and sale of aircraft, engines and parts worldwide, as well as joint ventures, insolvencies, mergers and asset sales. Practice leader Phillip L. Durham, who works across the firm’s Chicago and New York offices, is an expert in aviation finance transactions involving Latin America; Richard Furey is an asset and infrastructure finance specialist; and John F. Pritchard acts for airlines, lenders, government guarantors and lessors in aircraft financings and leasings. In San Francisco, Nathan Leavitt represents aircraft operating lessors and financial institutions that support the commercial aircraft and airline industry; Audrey Sung advises on asset-based financings involving commercial jet and turboprop aircraft; and Brian Daigle‘s track record includes assisting aircraft lessors, airlines and financiers with complex deals. Other key advisers are William Coleman in Portland, and associates Danielle Santucci, who is in San Francisco, and Laura Lewis. All attorneys mentioned are in New York, unless otherwise stated. Former partner William Piels and consulting counsel Fred Bass both recently retired.

Energy > Energy litigation: oil and gas Tier 2

Covering all facets of the industry, the energy trial attorneys at Holland & Knight LLP represent a series of prominent clients in the oil and gas sector, including major national oil corporations, service providers, power project developers and private equity companies. The team handles a broad range of litigation cases, regularly acting on disputes surrounding exploration, class actions, lease agreements, title litigation and royalties. Members of the team also have experience as experts, mediators and arbitrators in international energy disputes. Dallas-based Gregory Binns focuses on complex litigation for major oil and gas companies, midstream companies and interest owners, and jointly leads the practice alongside Juan Alcalá and Tim Moran, who operate from the firm's Austin and New York respectively. Craig Haynes represents independents and gas plant owners in royalty litigation, class actions, pricing disputes and operational issues, while Greg Curry, whose practice covers royalty litigation, securities issues and surface use mandates, is another key contact in the group.

Energy > Renewable/alternative power Tier 2

Hot on the heels of its August 2021 merger with Thompson & Knight, Holland & Knight LLP has continued to expand its renewable and alternative energy offering, with notable hires including former Eversheds Sutherland energy practice co-heads Ram Sunkara in Houston and New York’s Madeleine Tan, who joined in November 2022 along with Kyle E. Wamstad in Atlanta, Houston’s Joshua Belcher, and Washington based Amish Shah. Being praised for his ‘excellent commercial acumen above and beyond expected legal advice’, Justin Boose co-leads the renewable energy team from the firm’s offices in Los Angeles and Portland, with a particular focus on transactions and project finance in solar, wind, and energy storage. Experienced energy, environmental, and natural resources lawyer Mark C. Kalpin in Boston and Washington leads the team with Boose, while George Humphrey in Houston co-chairs the firm’s energy transition group. The firm’s transactional expertise extends to strategic joint ventures, PPAs, EPC agreements, and the acquisition and disposal of renewables projects and asset portfolios, and the team also advises clients on regulatory matters, including in relation to the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act 2022 on the renewables sector. Other names to note include Graham T Coates in New York and Saqib Hossain in Boston.  

Government > Government relations Tier 2

M&A/corporate and commercial > M&A: middle-market (sub-$500m) Tier 2

Holland & Knight LLP handles a steady flow of middle-market deals for a domestic and international clientele that includes a number of mid-size corporations, private equity firms and emerging companies active in an array of sectors, namely life sciences, consumer products, construction and energy. Robert Grammig, who has handled several publicly announced M&A in the US and involving Asia, Europe and Latin America, is based in Tampa. He coordinates the team with two other partners based in Florida: David Barkus, the key point of contact for private equity matters, and George Mencio, a name to note for international work, both of whom sit in the Miami office. Stephen Dietrich in Denver is regularly retained by retail and automotive clients in M&A, corporate governance and restructurings.

Real estate > Construction (including construction litigation) Tier 2

Real estate Tier 2

June 2022 saw the addition of Los Angeles based firm law, Pircher, Nichols & Meeks practice to the Holland & Knight LLP group in Los Angeles, and the opening of its Century City location, to expand its West Coast presence and complement its existing three offices in California. Recognized for its land use and zoning expertise, as well as its strong retail and hospitality practice, the firm is led by New York based Joe Guay and Vivian De Las Cuevas-Diaz from Miami, who has developed a reputation as the go-to attorney for Latin American investors who want to make connections in the US real estate market. She also routinely acts for landlords and tenants in retail, commercial, hotel and warehouse leasing agreements. Boston's Margot Mendelson Hammond is also well-versed in net lease finance and commercial lending. Also recommended are Daniel Faust in Miami for complex joint venture transactions and mixed-use hospitality projects; and Stuart Saft in New York, who co-chairs the condominium development and conversion team, and is one of Manhattan’s experts on conversion-to-condominium and cooperative ownership, development, sale-leaseback and timeshare. In the same office, Noah Shapiro specializes on on all transactional and leasing work in respect of office, retail and ground leasing of Class A properties. In Washington DC key figures include Chris Camarra and Tara Scanlon.  

Transport > Aviation and air travel: litigation and regulation Tier 2

Transport > Rail and road: litigation and regulation Tier 2

Transport > Shipping: finance Tier 2

Well known for its representation of banks, investors and shipping companies in international shipping deals, Holland & Knight LLP‘s practice is increasingly mandated by governmental finance support entities and underwriters for significant capital markets and private equity transactions. The firm’s specialists also advise foreign and US lending institutions and borrowers on Jones Act-compliant domestic financings, and provide representation in US, Marshall Islands and Liberia-related tax issues. Other key areas span lender-side shipping group restructurings, workouts and Chapter 11 insolvencies, as well as handling corporate acquisitions for strategic investors. Heading up the firm’s ship finance practice, Jovi Tenev has notable experience in advising banks and other financiers and companies on an array of shipping, offshore and finance work, and the workload of asset and infrastructure finance expert Richard Furey covers maritime sector mandates. In Washington DC, Gerald Morrissey III is a specialist in the financing of maritime-related companies. All practitioners mentioned work from the firm’s New York office, unless otherwise stated.

Energy > Energy transactions: oil and gas Tier 3

Holland & Knight LLP’s energy and natural resources team represents its roster of clients across the entire oil and gas value chain, handling a mixture of sophisticated transactions and day-to-day operational issues. Key areas of expertise include energy transition, in addition to joint ventures, acquisitions, lease interpretations and market value and royalty deductions. Splitting his time between the firm’s Denver and Houston offices, Seth Belzley acts for clients on M&A, joint ventures, project developments and commercial transactions, and jointly leads the practice alongside Dallas-based Robert Dougherty, who is an expert in dispositions and joint ventures relating to oil and gas properties.

Tax > US taxes: contentious Tier 3

Holland & Knight LLP represents clients in tax disputes at IRS administrative, federal, and state levels, with additional experience in appeals. The firm’s already substantial offering grew further in 2021 with a merger with Texas firm Thompson & Knight, which expanded the bench of tax attorneys by more than 30%. Among the new additions was Dallas-based co-head Mary McNulty, who has expertise in the oil and gas industry, and regularly represents major clients from this sector in federal tax disputes. McNulty co-leads alongside William Sharp, who works from the Atlanta, Tampa, and San Francisco offices, and advises companies, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals. In Dallas are Abbey Garber, a key name for partnership audits and IRS appeals, and Lee Meyercord, who has experience in property tax disputes and partnership tax issues. Andrea Darling de Cortés, in Tampa, handles international tax disputes.

Transport > Shipping: litigation and regulation Tier 3

Healthcare > Service providers Tier 4

Following the recent merger with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, Holland & Knight LLP’s healthcare and life sciences team advises a diverse client base of renal dialysis companies, investor-owned health systems, and non-profit hospital chains on government and internal investigations, reimbursement matters, and Medicare Advantage related issues. Maria Currier, who leads the team from Miami, advises long-term care providers, physician-hospital organizations, and home health companies on HIPAA matters, physician incentive arrangements, and FCA compliance. Brian Platton works out of the New York office, advising a number of managed care organizations and venture capital funds on strategic alliances and partnerships. Based in Tallahassee, Shannon Hartsfield focuses on data privacy and cybersecurity within healthcare, often advising assisted living facilities and continuing care retirement communities on informed consent and patient engagement matters.

Labor and employment > ERISA litigation Tier 4

Media, technology and telecoms > Cyber law (including data privacy and data protection) Tier 4

Led by New York-based Mark Melodia,  Holland & Knight LLP’s data strategy, security and privacy practice group continues to strengthen with the August 2022 arrival from Reed Smith LLP  Bart Huffman and Wendell Bartnick, both in the Houston office. Melodia advises clients on responding to investigations initiated by the DOJ, OCR, FTC and AGs, and is also a seasoned defense attorney, dealing with class actions and multidistrict litigations arising from ransomware, wiretapping and data use allegations. Paul Bond identifies and manages data risks involving AI, emerging technologies and is another key contact for data-related class action defenses. New York-stationed Mark Francis focuses on data and IP agreements, including transfers, licenses and SaaS matters. Global data governance matters are led by Atlanta-stationed Elizabeth Hinson, while Rachel Marmor, in Boston, advises clients on evolving federal, state and self-regulatory privacy requirements, with a particular specialism on COPPA, CCPA, VCDPA and BIPA regulations.

Tax > International tax Tier 4

Holland & Knight LLP handles all aspects of federal, state and foreign tax planning in addition to structuring, compliance, audits and litigation. Miami's Kevin Packman co-leads the team and handles trusts and estates matters for high-net worth private clients. Other co-heads William Sharp, based between Atlanta and San Francisco, and Florida-based William Sherman focus on tax controversy and restructuring matters respectively.

Tax > US taxes: non-contentious Tier 4

Noted for its representation of multinational corporations in large transactions, Holland & Knight LLP also frequently advises high-net-worth individuals, family offices, entrepreneurs, foundations and other private clients in domestic and cross-border tax matters, working closely with the firm’s private wealth services group. Florida-based William Sherman‘s wide-ranging expertise spans a number of areas, including healthcare, real estate, transportation, and telecommunications. Sherman co-heads the practice with Dallas-based Todd Keator and Philadelphia-based John Martini. Also in Dallas is Mark Melton, who concentrates on investment fund formations, while Houston-based Roger Aksamit focuses on energy-related transactional tax matters. Washington DC-based Joshua Odintz is also recommended for his involvement in tax policy mandates.

Labor and employment > Employee benefits, executive compensation and retirement plans: transactional Tier 5

Real estate > Real estate finance Tier 5

Holland & Knight LLP is praised as ‘extremely responsive, efficient, knowledgeable, available, with a very deep bench in real estate finance’. The team stands out for its strong offering in healthcare finance, affordable housing structures, tax-exempt structures, public finance and credits and in real estate capital market transactions. From New York, William O’Connor co-leads the real estate capital markets group, alongside Mark Weibel in Dallas, both specializing on the servicing of CMBS and related aspects of loan workouts. Miami-based Gavin Williams serves as the head of public and charitable services real estate offering. Joe Guay in New York and Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz in Miami co-chair the national real estate department.

International Trade > CFIUS

Healthcare > Health insurers

Media, technology and telecoms > Outsourcing