The Legal 500

Within Asset finance and leasing, Holland & Knight LLP is a second tier firm,

Holland & Knight LLP is a prominent practice across the transport sector and its 40-lawyer asset finance group is a key part of that equation, advising on complex transactions including domestic and cross-border acquisitions, financing and leasing of aircraft, in addition to bankruptcies and workouts on the shipping side. John Pritchard in New York is particularly experienced in acting for airlines, and his recent work includes advising JetBlue Airways on mortgage-secured loan financing of new Embraer ERJ 190-100 IGW aircraft. The practice’s team in Fort Lauderdale has been focusing on bankruptcy and litigation issues, with Richard Crowley in New York providing valuable support on the tax aspects. Fred Bass, who joined the New York office from Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in September 2010, focuses on the financing and leasing of aircraft and other assets. Bass and Bill Piels in San Francisco acted for major client GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) on a number of matters including the ongoing bankruptcy and restructuring of Mesa Airlines.

Within Product liability and mass tort defense: aerospace/aviation, Holland & Knight LLP is a third tier firm,

Holland & Knight LLP has a well-known and respected aviation practice, of which litigation is the largest component. Displaying ‘strong expertise’, the group is ‘among the leaders in aviation defense’ and is regularly instructed to defend mass air disaster cases and smaller aviation accidents, with clients including US and foreign airlines and manufacturers of aircraft and aircraft components. The team operates principally out of New York but has additional capacity in Florida and California. BAE Systems is a key client, which it serves as lead counsel. The group is also lead counsel for Société Air France, which it is representing in litigation relating to the Air France Flight 447 crash, and for Turkish Airlines in connection with the Flight 1951 crash in Amsterdam. Other clients include UPS and AIRES. Clients thoroughly recommend aviation team chair Randal Craft and Alan Reitzfeld. Both are based in New York and ‘are very knowledgeable individuals who always exercise good judgment’.

Within Construction (including construction litigation), Holland & Knight LLP is a first tier firm,

Holland & Knight LLP is highly regarded by clients for its ‘excellent service, very knowledgeable attorneys and prompt advice’; ‘all aspects of its service has been A+’. In offices nationwide, the team includes 29 full-time construction lawyers and more than 60 individuals with construction experience. The firm has a sound reputation for both transactional and contentious instructions, with a strong presence in Florida, Washington DC, New York, California, Illinois and Massachusetts. It acquired a number of well-known contractors as new clients in 2010, but also represents public and private owners, major construction companies and developers. ‘Excellent litigator’ Stephen Shapiro is currently representing an owner – the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York – in a complex dispute, scheduled for jury trial, involving approximately 20 parties; the client is pursuing a $40m claim for delay and impact damages against a general contractor and its surety over the construction of a cutting-edge ‘vertical campus’ in a major urban center. The surety also brought a $27m claim against the owner which was dismissed based on a motion for summary judgment filed by the firm. Recent transactional highlights include advising an international commercial contractor on licensing requirements for a $1bn public project. Andrew Stephenson chairs the construction group from the Washington DC office, which is well known for its experience in government contracts and compliance. Frederick Rohn and Ben Subin are also recommended.

Within Land use/zoning , Holland & Knight LLP is a first tier firm,

‘Extremely involved in the intricacies of each component of the land-use and zoning process’, Holland & Knight LLP has a national presence and is extremely well resourced across the Mid-Atlantic region. Well known for advising on mixed-use projects, the team recently assisted Tejon Ranch and Tejon Mountain Village on the agreement to preserve approximately 240,000 acres of the Tejon Ranch in California in exchange for use of 30,000 acres for the development of a new town and resort in the area; Tejon Mountain Village is to be built on the largest privately owned land tract in California and is the state’s largest new resort project. The firm is currently working on environmental review issues and land use approvals. Practice heads Jennifer Hernandez and Whayne Quin manage land use mandates on the West Coast and in the Mid-Atlantic states respectively. Real estate head Janis Schiff and Miami-based partner Joseph Goldstein are also recommended.

Within Real estate, Holland & Knight LLP is a third tier firm,

Holland & Knight LLP offers a ‘top-quality service’ and has an extensive geographic reach across the US through its 18 offices, which span both coasts. Janis Boyarsky Schiff heads the 140-partner department, which is one of the largest teams in the US, providing real estate clients with a full service and particularly notable expertise in the hotel and timeshare sectors; the team also advises on land use and zoning. This ‘very strong’ practice is ‘one that works well for small businesses’, as well as for larger ones. A team led by Susan Booth represented Digital Realty Trust on its $375m acquisition of three data centers in Massachusetts and Connecticut, among many other transactions for this client. Schiff and Tara Scanlon led a team that represented Roadside Development on a $260m mixed-use redevelopment involving the historic O Street Market in Washington DC. Martin Miner acted for JetBlue Airways on its 220,000 sq ft sublease from Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. The highly regarded Bruce Loring is praised for his ‘hands-on, personal and superior service’, and his ‘proactive’ approach. Ken Kecskes is ‘wonderful to work with’ and ‘very responsive’.