Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP‘s transportation offering specializes in high-stakes litigation, and has a strong track record in advising clients at the federal and state level before at the appellate level.  The team includes an array of automotive and rail companies among its portfolio of clients, and is well-regarded for its role in Supreme Court litigation on behalf of the rail industry. The practice includes the Washington DC-based Thomas Dupree Jr, who enjoys a strong reputation in appellate level rail sector matters, including before the Supreme Court, and co-heads the team with Raymond Ludwiszewski , whose portfolio of work includes major environmental litigation and related torts, an area that Michael Murphy is also highly active in. Jacob Spencer is sought by clients for his experience in advising clients at the trial and appellate level, while Stacie B. Fletcher is a key point of contact for regulatory enforcement defense , especially those pertaining to EPA. David Schnitzer is reputed for his expertise in administrative, regulatory and agency rulemaking matters, and is the team’s port of call for jurisdictional issues and other complex disputes.

A key contact for the rail and trucking sectors, the McGuireWoods LLP transportation department is frequently turned to for its broad expertise in contract, commercial, torts, and real estate related matters. The team is experienced in representing both Class I and Class II railroad companies, along with financial actors in the rail market, and includes regulatory queries and disputes regarding acquisitions, independent contractor status, and intersection between real estate and rail among its portfolio of matters in the truck and rail sectors. Jacksonville-based Eric Bilik heads the team, and has strong experience in commercial litigation, commercial franchising, and representing national transportation companies before state, federal and arbitration courts. Christopher Thanner has a strong track record in railroad acquisitions, and represents railroads before regulatory agencies and local governments in various land-related disputes. Kimberly T. Mydock is also a highly active member of the team, and assists Mydock and has experience in representing clients before the federal and state courts. Richmond- based Candace Ali Blydenburgh and Pittsburgh-based Natalie Zagari are also relied upon for their expertise in mass tort litigation.

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP‘s automotive and mobility department is a frequent port of call for contentious and non-contentious matters pertaining to energy regulations, transactions, consumer protection, and financing for financial and technology companies, automakers and suppliers. The team frequently advises on EV-related matters, such as IP protection, litigation, transactions and energy regulations. The team is co-headed by its senior partners,  which include the Chicago-based Elizabeth Herrington and Philip Russell , both having broad experience in tech and vehicle litigation and financing. Daniel Savrin, based in Boston, is a key actor in high-stakes litigation , especially in the antitrust, energy, and civil matters. Latane Montague focuses on representing car, truck and rail car manufacturers. Also newly arrived, Latane Montague and April Nelson Ross are both noted for their abilities in product class actions. Lisa Weddle and Brent Hawkins head the Los Angeles and San Francisco offices respectively.

Hogan Lovells US LLP‘s transportation department is well-regarded for its regulatory and litigation capacities, and includes BMW, Mercedes Benz AG, Nissan, Ford, Hyundai and a host of other automakers and suppliers among its portfolio of clients. The team is co-headed by its Washington DC-based senior partners, which includes Joanne Rotondi, who is considerably experienced in environmental regulation related matters. William Yavinsky lends to the team his experience in commercial and intellectual property matters. Denver's Emily Kimball is the rail practice leader, and is well-established in a broad spectrum of rail regulatory compliance issues, including transactional diligence, environmental issues and hazards, and enforcement defence. Ryan Ford is a key member of the team for strategic litigation in the motor vehicle industry, including terminations, establishments, facilities, transfers, and other areas. Hannah Grae is also highly active in the team for automotive manufacturers, especially in the environmental regulation and technological space.

Holland & Knight‘s rail & road litigation and regulation department is a strong choice for product liability, environmental and private class actions, particularly among auto suppliers and freight rail market participants. Jacksonville-based William Byrne and Jameson Rice co-head the team; Byrne’s expertise in rail, road, and maritime logistics, equipment and supply chain issues operating alongside Rice’s experience in the transportation arena’s litigation and regulatory matters. Based out of Dallas, Charles Shewmake is an expert in rail-related disputes and regulations, having previously advised clients before the state and federal level, up to the Supreme Court. Linda Auerbach Allderdice, operating out of Los Angeles, is highly active in transport regulatory issues pertaining to employment, environmental, pre-emption, independent contractor and other areas of regulation, and is noticeably experienced in advising on independent contactor owned-operator drivers in class actions and lawsuits. Kristine Little is also a key member of the team.

The rail and road offering at King & Spalding LLP is noted for its comprehensive involvement in regulatory and disputes proceedings, advising on product liability, safety regulations, bankrputcy disputes, settlements, and single-plaintiff catastrophic injury cases for automakers. The team is particularly reputed for its expertise in diesel-related issues. Atlanta-based Geoffrey Drake is experienced in representing automakers in mass tort litigation, product liability, and class action cases at the federal and state level. He co-heads the team with Granta Nakayama, who is active in regulatory and enforcment matters with an environmental component, especially diesel-related issues. Susan Clare often represents automakers in mass tort, class action and product liability litigation, while John Hooper  is retained for his experience in viral, mass tort and high exposure litigation. Atlanta-based Madison Kitchens and Adam Reinke are both sought after by clients for their class action, mass tort and general product liability capacities, while Livia Kiser  highly active in vehicle component disputes. Ilana Saltzbart ‘s practice focuses on environmental regulation and enforcement defence. Susan Vargas is experienced in catastrophic injury and safety litigation.

Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP‘s automotive law group works with automakers and equipment manufacturers, advising Ford, Hyundai, Tesla, and Kubota in a diverse assortment of transactions, disputes, regulatory queries and compliance matters. The team is headed by its senior partners, which includes the Columbia-based Steven McKelvey and Ronnie McMahan  , the former being a key point contact for automakers and distributors, including dealership establishment, termination, allocations, and manufacturer issues, and McMahan remaining a specialist in manufacturer and distributor litigation. Richard Otera is highly active in regulatory and commercial matters pertaining to franchises, distribution law, and disputes for international automakers such as Honda and Subaru, and heads the Los Angeles office. Andy Bertron , based in Tallahassee, is a key component of the team for litigation arising from terminations, audits, relocations, and franchises among automakers and distributors. Denver-based Mark Clouatre is experienced in representing clients at the appellate level and before administrative agencies. Suzanne Swaner is a key name in Texas.

Steptoe LLP‘s rail transportation department is well-regarded by rail industry participators for its broad expertise in commercial disputes, at the federal and state level, and before arbitration courts. The team is also well-equipped to advise on regulatory hurdles in the merger and acquisition process, with a key focus on share and asset sales in the rail industry. Linda Stein, based in Washington DC, heads the practice, and is especially knowledgeable in regulatory queries pertaining to rate reasonability, railroad constructions. Anthony LaRocca is present in the team’s contentious matters involving antidumping and competition matters, while Peter Denton is a port of call for freight and passenger rail regulation, and has advised rail equipment suppliers, operators, public transportation agencies, public owners of rails, and financial companies participating in the rail market. Tim Strafford fields considerable experience in safety and economic regulations before the federal and arbitral courts, while Molly Bruder Fox leverages broad expertise in rail matters intersecting with other sectors, such as oil and gas, finance, and telecommunications. Onika Williams is well-equipped to handle compliance, enforcements and disputes before the STB.

Thompson Hine LLP‘s rail and road practice advises chemical and crude oil companies and shippers, the American Chemistry Council, the Fertilizer Institute, the National Industrial Transportation League, and a selection of rail companies and electric utility companies in a broad spectrum of regulatory and contentious matters. The team represents clients in the retail, autos, paper and chemicals industries, and is demonstrably experienced in motor carrier related disputes, such as claims for damage and delay, federal preemption, contract drafting and licensing. Based in Washington DC, Karyn Booth, heads the team, and is a well-versed in railroad safety and hazardous material matters, areas that Sandra L. Brown is also highly active in. Jeff Moreno includes mining, major utility, automotive and multinational companies among his portfolio of clients.  David Benz, is a port of call for federal shipping litigation, while Jason Tutrone and Dan Ujczo both have a strong track record in logistics, motor-carrier, and hazardous material litigation.

ArentFox Schiff offers in-depth expertise in automotive industry regulations, litigation, franchises, real estate, vehicle safety, emissions and environmental matters. The team advises hedge funds, auto dealers, private equity firms, manufacturers, suppliers, and various other parties in conventional regulatory and transactional matters, and contemporary issues pertaining to EVs, driverless vehicles, and new areas of regulation. Los Angeles-based Aaron Jacoby heads the team, and is an established contact for automakers and suppliers for his expertise in automotive and technology industries. Russell McRory and Michael McMahan are both key members of the team, both having experience in litigation arising before the Federal and New York state appellate level. Paul Marshall Harris  , Sara Judge , Gregory Paonessa and Kelly Ballentine all joined the team in in 2024.

The transportation department at Dentons has a strong track record in  representing rail carriers, investors and public transit agencies in a broad spectrum of contentious matters involving transactions, railroad construction and compliance with local regulations, compensation issues, licensing matters, safety standards and various other regulatory issues. Washington DC-based David Hirsh, heads the team, and is a key point of contact for Amtrak-related matters .Theodore Hunt is a key member of the team for rail merger, freight rail carrier, rail line construction and discontinuance disputes. Based in Chicago, Shannon Shin has represented clients at the federal appellate level and above, along with Simon Steel. James Guinivan is well-equipped to handle federal litigation pertaining to railway labour, rail transactions, common carrier obligations, and rail contractual rights. Amber Morris oversees matters salient to real estate law.

Sidley Austin LLP‘s transportation department has a well-established presence in the rail industry, offering expertise in regulatory and disputes at the appellate level, along with capabilities in the automotive sector, naming Ford, Tesla, Volkswagen among its portfolio of clients. The team has a strong track record in high-stakes rail disputes, including before the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court at both the state and federal level. The team is also experienced in a variety of rail transaction mandates, and is a port of call for companies requiring regulatory approval or representation before regulatory bodies in various transactional disputes. Washington DC-based Raymond Atkins co-heads the team with Justin Savage, and are both highly sought after for their experience in regulatory litigations, environmental law, and enforcement cases.

Venable LLP  is often sought after by suppliers and manufacturers for its capacities in the rail safety, connectivity, electrification, an in particular, autonomous vehicles and zero emission related matters.  The team has been at the forefront of regulatory contentions regarding autonomous trucks in California. Ariel Wolf heads the team out of Washington DC, and is a key member of the team for matters arising out of transportation innovactions and electric vehicles. Tara Sugiyama Potashnik is well-regarded for her expertise in data protection, cybersecurity and privacy, while David Bonelli has a strong track record in electric vehicle-related matters. Ian Williams is a choice for clients requiring expertise in cybersecurity, privacy and vehicle electrifications and highway laws.