Holland & Knight LLP

Sophia Agathis is an asset finance attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office. Ms. Agathis' practice spans a wide array of debt financing transactions, including the representation of U.S. banks, foreign banks, credit funds and other institutional lenders in secured and unsecured financing arrangements, particularly in the asset-based lending market. Ms. Agathis' work negotiating and drafting credit agreements across all industries is informed by experience she gained while seconded to the North American headquarters of Norway's largest financial institution, where she structured and coordinated secured loans. In addition, Ms. Agathis has significant experience in structuring joint ventures in connection with a variety of U.S. and cross-border business transactions. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Agathis was an attorney at a leading New York law firm.

Alexandra Aguirre

Alexandra Aguirre is a corporate attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office. Ms. Aguirre focuses her practice on international mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures and cross-border financing transactions, as well as private equity and venture capital investments throughout Latin America and the United States. Ms. Aguirre also advises families and their family offices in matters relating to running a privately held business by providing tailored corporate advice, including corporate and family governance structure, policies and procedures, succession planning, building and preserving business value, liquidity alternatives, and exit strategies.

Roger Aksamit is a tax and energy attorney in Holland & Knight's Houston office, where he focuses his practice on energy, natural resources, real estate and private equity taxation. He has significant experience counseling public, private equity and closely held clients in mergers and acquisitions, financing and joint venture transactions, as well as all other aspects of transactional tax matters and planning. Mr. Aksamit is Board Certified in Tax Law and Estate Planning and Probate by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Linda Auerbach Allderdice

Linda Auerbach Allderdiceis a litigation attorney in the firm's Century City and San Francisco offices and heads the firm's Labor, Employment and Benefits Practice Group in California. Ms. Allderdice works with clients in a wide range of industries, including transportation and logistics, hospitality, entertainment, consumer products, commercial and residential real estate, event planning and production, banking, personnel services and staffing, data and asset protection, education, manufacturing and distribution, security services, technology, insurance, marketing, legal services, healthcare and retail. She is experienced in handling complex litigation in all aspects of labor and employment law, including wage and hour class action and Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) litigation, discrimination, harassment and whistleblower claims, and trade secret litigation. Ms. Allderdice also advises clients on compliance with local, state and federal labor and employment laws, handles labor and employment due diligence as part of merger and acquisition (M&A) deal teams, works with clients on litigation prevention strategies and conducts workplace investigations. Ms. Allderdice represents companies and educational institutions in union representation, election and unfair labor practice proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), collective bargaining and negotiating project labor accords, and neutrality agreements.

Benjamin "Ben" Allen is a partner in Holland & Knight's New York Litigation Practice Group, based in the firm's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Allen focuses his practice on a wide range of transportation accident investigation and litigation matters, including aviation, maritime, railroad, pipeline, highway, hazardous materials and commercial space. Mr. Allen brings a distinct perspective built from more than 20 years of aviation experience, including more than a decade with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), and involvement with federal investigations conducted by U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) agencies, such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), Office of Inspector General (OIG), and Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), foreign civil accident investigation authorities, the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and other military departments. Mr. Allen has extensive experience handling on-scene crisis coordination with federal, state and local authorities, as well as private companies. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Allen served as the senior Assistant General Counsel for the NTSB, engaging with numerous companies and their counsel to ensure compliance with applicable regulations and addressing issues related to public communications and release of information, civil litigation and discovery obligations, export control restrictions, protection of confidential business and commercial information, and participation in NTSB investigative hearings. During his tenure at the NTSB, Mr. Allen served as agency counsel in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Coast Guard and DOT in numerous administrative actions, criminal prosecutions and civil cases. Mr. Allen also served as acting Special Assistant to the NTSB Chairman as well as acting Senior Advisor to the NTSB Managing Director, where he reviewed and edited draft accident investigation reports before final votes by the Board. Prior to his government service, Mr. Allen worked as an attorney at a Virginia-based law firm, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, and an aviation law firm in Washington, D.C., and Maryland. While in law school, he was a legal intern for the DOJ's Civil Division in the Aviation, Space and Admiralty Litigation Section. Mr. Allen has been a pilot for more than 20 years and has flown high-performance jet and piston aircraft. He is also a certified drone pilot and has logged time in a hot air balloon. He previously held a top secret security clearance.

Marc Antonecchia

Marc L. Antonecchia is a New York litigation attorney with a particular emphasis on aviation and commercial matters. Mr. Antonecchia litigates and advises on a wide array of disputes involving lease and purchase agreements, secured transactions, creditors' rights, indemnification, partnerships, insurance brokers, guarantees and trusts. Mr. Antonecchia's practice in aviation-related matters includes representing domestic and foreign lessors, secured parties, airlines and lenders in contract disputes and repossessions involving airframes, engines and parts. He frequently counsels on the planning and exercise of enforcement rights pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code and the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment. He co-authored a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief addressing liability protection to lessors and secured parties. Mr. Antonecchia's litigation experience includes preliminary injunctive relief, pretrial discovery, dispositive motion practice, civil jury trial, multidistrict litigation, and appellate briefing and argument. Mr. Antonecchia counsels on warranty and liability issues for a variety of products, including toys, food, medical devices, power supplies and heavy equipment. He prepares and revises instruction manuals and warning labels for use in the U.S. market. Mr. Antonecchia is an editor of Holland & Knight's Centerline aviation alerts and the Aviation Law Blog. He has authored and contributed to numerous articles and chapters concerning contract disputes, lessor liability, airworthiness, warranties, jurisdiction, forum non conveniens, multidistrict litigation and the Cape Town Convention. He assisted in the preparation of the remedies section of the Practitioners' Guide to the Cape Town Convention and The Aircraft Protocol and has been a frequent speaker and moderator at aviation conferences. Mr. Antonecchia attended Fordham University School of Law, and was a member of the Fordham International Law Journal and a teaching assistant in the legal research and writing course. Prior to and during law school, Mr. Antonecchia was a history teacher and administrator at Fordham Preparatory School. He currently serves on the school's Board of Trustees.

Vivian Arias is a commercial litigator and real estate attorney who represents institutional lenders, including national banks, special servicers, and investment banks, in creditors' rights litigation, insolvency, loan restructurings and workouts in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. She focuses her practice on resolving real estate and lending disputes both in court, through securing appointment of receivers, litigating disputed foreclosures, and obtaining injunctive relief, and out of court, through Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) sales and negotiated and documented resolutions. Ms. Arias also represents corporate and individual parties in contract and commercial disputes in arbitration and litigation in state and federal courts. She has substantial experience in all phases of commercial litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels, in disputes involving corporate breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract and business torts.

Adam J. August is a partner in Holland & Knight's Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group and is the Practice Group Leader for the Mid-Atlantic Region. Mr. August counsels public and private company clients in a variety of industries, including information technology, government contracting (GovCon), distribution, software and professional services. He has been actively involved in more than 250 merger, acquisition and disposition transactions, representing both buyers and sellers of business enterprises, and more than 100 financing/investment transactions and securities offerings, representing both investors and issuers. He also has extensive experience in issues related to corporate governance, corporate reorganizations, employment and equity-based compensation matters, and other commercial transactions. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. August was an associate at a major U.S. law firm. Previously, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Steven A. Felsenthal in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, where he was responsible for corresponding with counsel, briefing pleadings for hearings and trials, researching issues of federal and state law, and drafting and editing legal opinions for publication.

Roddy Bailey is a deal lawyer and serves as an executive partner of Holland & Knight's Chattanooga office. Mr. Bailey's mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and investment transactions experience is prized by clients who value his ability to see the entire playing field from pre-deal investment or corporate planning through transformative transactions and post-closing matters. Mr. Bailey is a trusted advisor in the private equity space, where he leads and advises on private equity, M&A transactions as well as growth equity financings. He works with private equity buyers on platform and add-on transactions in the middle market, including related credit financings and co-investment arrangements. Mr. Bailey also works with founders who are seeking to sell their business, including issues related to rollover equity investments with a sponsor-buyer. In the venture capital space, issuers and investors at every stage – angel, growth and late stage – value Mr. Bailey's insight and experience. He represents investors and portfolio companies in venture capital investment transactions, including seed, early-stage and late-stage equity investments. Mr. Bailey works with companies at all stages in its funding life cycle, including Simple Agreements for Future Equity (SAFEs), priced equity, growth equity and eventual exit/M&A transactions. Mr. Bailey also advises clients on the formation of investment funds – including private equity, venture capital and hedge funds – as well as institutional and individual investors in those funds. He has also worked with founders who form and operate long-term holding companies as a different way of allocating investment capital for long-term value appreciation. Related to this practice, Mr. Bailey counsels clients on a wide variety of operational and strategic issues, including joint ventures, technology licenses, commercial contracts and general corporate matters.

Olesya Bakar is a corporate attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and is the head of the firm's Real Estate Fund Formation practice. Ms. Bakar has more than 25 years of experience advising and representing national and global, emerging and mature, private and public companies in an array of complex commercial transactions within a variety of industries, with an emphasis on the real estate industry, covering all corners of the globe. The core of Ms. Bakar's practice is in representing and advising fund sponsors on the structuring, formation, negotiation, capital raising and operation of private investment funds, with a particular focus on the real estate industry. She provides advice to help her clients succeed, whether it be in a high-profile, multibillion-dollar transaction or to first-time fund managers. Ms. Bakar has represented many leading fund sponsors in establishing closed-end and open-ended funds, programmatic joint ventures, strategic alliances, separately managed accounts and other investment vehicles. She also represents institutional investors and family offices with respect to their investments. Ms. Bakar's experience advising fund sponsors, as well as institutional and high-net-worth investors, provides her with a holistic perspective of the market and its latest trends, awareness of the unique sensitivities of the parties and the ability to find positive solutions for clients. For decades, her clients have relied on her extensive background and knowledge to guide them through the life cycle of their businesses, from formation, through capital raising and growth, to a variety of exit mechanisms, including general partner (GP) stake deals, sales or going public. A significant part of Ms. Bakar's practice is representation of clients in joint venture transactions in a wide range of industries, including real estate, defense, automotive, aviation and aerospace, manufacturing, clean energy, technology, life sciences, financial technology (FinTech) and finance. Clients rely on Ms. Bakar to be a trusted adviser in some of their most challenging transactions and to help them think outside the box when creating joint venture arrangements. On the regulatory side, Ms. Bakar advises clients on aspects of compliance involving the Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Richard "Rick" Bange is a corporate, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and private equity attorney who serves on Holland & Knight's Directors Committee and as executive partner for the Charlotte office. With more than 25 years of experience representing private equity sponsors and public and private companies, Mr. Bange has led transactions with an aggregate value in excess of $30 billion during the course of his career. He has consistently been ranked as a leading corporate, private equity and M&A attorney by publications such as Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, The Best Lawyers in America guide, IFLR1000 and The Legal 500 USA. He has also been named as a Client Service All-Star by The BTI Consulting Group Inc. and a Thomson Reuters Stand-out Lawyer for 2025. Clients consistently praise Mr. Bange's approach to complex transactions. As noted by one respondent to Chambers USA: "Rick is an excellent lawyer with highly practical advice." Financial sponsors and managers with whom Mr. Bange has worked on private equity transactions throughout his professional life include Apollo Global Management, Ember Infrastructure, Falfurrias Management Partners, Frontier Growth, GSO, Insight Venture Partners, Palladium Equity Partners, Pamlico Capital, Ridgemont Equity Partners, Sandton Capital Partners, Seaport Capital, Thomas H. Lee Partners and Warren Equity Partners. Mr. Bange has worked with a variety of strategic acquirers and corporations during his career on M&A transactions, including American Tire Distributors, Apex Tool Group, Barings, Consolidated Systems, Elements Brands (d/b/a Natural Dog Company), Hikma Pharmaceuticals, Metromont Corporation, Patagonia and Premier Healthcare. Mr. Bange's practice is focused on evaluating, structuring and negotiating M&A and investment transactions, including leveraged buyouts (LBOs), growth equity investments, mergers, stock and asset acquisitions and sales, mezzanine investments and recapitalizations. In the private equity space, he advises private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies throughout the full life cycle of their investment activities, including platform acquisitions, subsequent direct representation of portfolio companies in add-on acquisitions and other general corporate matters, as well as sales and other exit transactions. Mr. Bange also works with private equity sponsors and their portfolio companies on financings up and down the capital structure, including senior secured debt financings and issuances of mezzanine and hybrid securities and junior capital. He has also worked extensively with private equity sponsors as an external general counsel on day-to-day fund matters. Mr. Bange began his legal career more than 25 years ago in New York City, where he worked at a large, multinational law firm as well as a prestigious private equity-focused boutique law firm. Drawing from his extensive experience, he combines sophisticated technical knowledge with a relationship-focused approach that delivers tangible results for clients. In addition, he has forged connections during private equity's transformation into an institutional asset class and developed relationship-building skills and knowledge that allow him to attract and retain clients across numerous industries and transaction types.

David A. Barkus is co-leader of Holland & Knight's Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group and the leader of the firm's Private Equity Team. Mr. Barkus focuses his practice on mergers and acquisitions and private equity. He has experience in the aviation and aerospace, computer software and information technology, construction, consumer products, education, energy, food and beverage, franchising, gaming, healthcare, logistics, media and restaurant industries. Mr. Barkus also represents both insureds and underwriters in connection with transactional risk products, including the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies.

Mark Bell is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Bell assists construction stakeholders, insurance policyholders and insurance companies in a wide range of construction and insurance matters. Mr. Bell's construction experience includes representing owners, developers and contractors in transactions, project advisory services and disputes. He has successfully taken many cases to trial and arbitration concerning construction defects, delays, payment disputes and construction liens. Mr. Bell writes frequently on construction risk transfer devices and routinely assists clients in drafting and negotiating provisions concerning insurance requirements, waivers of subrogation and indemnity obligations. Mr. Bell also handles insurance coverage matters involving commercial property insurance, builders risk insurance, commercial general liability insurance, directors and officers insurance, cyber liability insurance, errors and omissions insurance, professional athlete disability insurance and representations and warranties insurance (RWI). In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Bell frequently speaks on insurance and construction issues. He has presented at annual insurance conferences across the country, including in New York, Florida, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Hawaii. His article on concurrent causation, published in the Connecticut Insurance Law Journal, has been cited in opinions by the New Mexico Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas and briefs submitted to various courts.

Seth Belzley is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group based in the firm's Denver and Houston offices. Mr. Belzley represents private equity sponsors, public and private companies, and management teams on acquisitions and divestitures as well as issues arising in the day-to-day operation of their companies. He emphasizes the development of close, long-term, value-added relationships with his clients, who often turn to him first for advice relating to a wide range of issues and ask him to coordinate a team of specialists within the firm to handle their most complex matters. Mr. Belzley has experience in a variety of industries including energy and natural resources, healthcare, aviation and aerospace, software, manufacturing and logistics. Mr. Belzley has significant experience in the energy industry that includes representing clients in the oil & gas, midstream, refining and downstream, renewable fuels, and renewable energy industries, including on carbon sequestration, wind and solar projects. He has served as lead counsel on the development of several significant energy infrastructure projects in the most important energy hubs in the country. In connection with his practice, Mr. Belzley often advises clients at the intersection of business, law and governmental affairs, whether in connection with matters before federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and others, before similar state agencies or in matters requiring the approval of local authorities. Mr. Belzley has been recognized by Chambers USA – America's Leading Lawyers for Business guide in Corporate/M&A as well as Energy & Natural Resources. He has been included in The Best Lawyers in America guide in the categories of Corporate Law as well as Leveraged Buyouts and Private Equity. In addition, in 2024, Mr. Belzley led a transaction named "Energy Deal of the Year" (over $100 million) by The M&A Advisor. Mr. Belzley has had a longstanding commitment, both personally and as part of his legal practice, to helping business interests, government leaders and nonprofits navigate regulatory, policy and political issues on the local, state and national levels. He has served on the boards of several nonprofits, including The Denver Foundation, Teach for America Colorado, the Denver Scholarship Foundation, Mental Health Colorado and others.

Robert Bernstein

Robert S. Bernstein is an attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office and a member of the firm's Construction Industry Practice Group. Mr. Bernstein focuses his practice on heavy construction, infrastructure and significant real estate development projects in both domestic and international markets. Recent projects include: preparation of the front-end design and construction agreements for two port development projects including a cruise terminal and the waterfront portion of a marine container terminal multiple commuter rail line projects in New York, including the expansion of existing train lines and connection of additional stations to existing commuter lines defending a $20 million delay claim related to the construction of a train platform a design, build, finance and maintain (DBFM) toll road project in Aruba the $230 million acquisition of the Baccarat Hotel in New York City at a time when the hotel was under construction arbitration arising from the construction of a 70-megawatt photovoltaic power plant in Santiago, Chile acting as underwriter's construction adviser in connection with a $115 million bond offering to finance the construction of a new hotel serving as construction counsel to two New York City museums in connection with major expansions the construction of numerous hotels and luxury mixed-use developments in the New York City metropolitan area As a highly experienced attorney, Mr. Bernstein regularly represents clients in construction transactions, complex construction and real estate development litigation, and provides project advice in connection with ongoing development projects. While attending law school, Mr. Bernstein worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society. He is a regular speaker on construction issues.

Greg Binns is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office and serves as the co-leader of the Texas Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Binns represents clients in commercial, real estate and energy litigation, with a particular focus on oil and gas disputes. He has represented clients in matters pending or involving transactions in major oil-producing states and throughout the country as well as internationally. Mr. Binns represents companies and individuals in disputes involving commercial transactions, fraud, real estate transactions and other complex matters. His clients have included owners, developers, investors, lenders, partnerships, portfolio companies and private equity companies. He leverages his knowledge of commercial disputes not only with respect to the subject matter of the proceeding, but also to provide perspective on the commercial implications of litigation on the client's business. Mr. Binns has extensive experience in oil and gas and other energy disputes. He serves as the co-chair of the firm's Energy Controversies Pursuit Team within the Energy & Natural Resources Industry Sector Group. His energy clients include major oil and gas companies, independents, midstream companies, lessees, investment funds and various oil and gas interest owners. His practice involves disputes covering all aspects of the energy industry, including allocation wells, title issues, joint operating agreements, farmouts, DrillCo transactions, exploration and production activities, and sales transactions.

Jonathan Blum is a nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Mr. Blum's experience includes assisting nonprofit leaders in managing their legal matters on a broad array of issues affecting charities, foundations, trade and professional associations, advocacy groups, educational organizations and other nonprofit organizations. Mr. Blum recognizes the importance of concentrating on the key issues affecting clients and moving quickly to identify practical legal options in order for clients to stay mission-focused and make informed decisions. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Blum worked in the nonprofit practice group for a national Am Law 100 firm in Dallas, where he served as counsel and later as shareholder. He also spent nearly seven years serving as in-house counsel for tax-exempt organizations such as a national breast cancer foundation and a private family foundation. In addition, Mr. Blum served as a transactional attorney for an international law firm headquartered in New York City. He previously served as an adjunct professor at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law. Mr. Blum is a frequent speaker on best practices in governance, fundraising, tax compliance and current developments for nonprofit organizations. In addition to his law and undergraduate degrees, Mr. Blum has completed course work at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Argentina and Universidad de Carabobo in Venezuela.

Cindy A. Brazell is a partner in Holland & Knight's Atlanta office and co-chairs the firm's Financial Services Practice Group. She is a financial services attorney who focuses on a wide range of complex commercial and banking transactions, real estate finance and related matters. Ms. Brazell has extensive experience representing banks and other financial institutions in leveraged finance, asset-based lending, and other secured and unsecured lending transactions, with specific industry experience in healthcare and media/communications. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Brazell was a financial services attorney for a large international law firm in Atlanta.

Cynthia Brittain

Cynthia "Cindy" Brittain is a private wealth services attorney in Holland & Knight's Los Angeles and Newport Beach offices. Ms. Brittain works closely with private clients in the U.S. and around the world, designing efficient strategies that maximize tax benefits for individuals and their companies while meeting personal wealth transfer and business succession needs. International Tax and Estate Planning. Ms. Brittain has decades of experience advising high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals and families on domestic and international income and estate tax planning strategies and philanthropic endeavors. Her practice offers significant cross-border experience for families whose members are multinational and whose companies have a global footprint. Ms. Brittain helps clients navigate complex issues relevant to international and domestic wealth and asset transfers. She also assists with pre-immigration planning and international corporate tax matters, leveraging her extensive experience with the cross-border regulatory laws that affect planning and compliance. She is frequently sought out by international private clients and their advisory teams in urgent, high-stakes situations to help mitigate legal and reputational risk. Hong Kong and United Kingdom. Ms. Brittain lived and worked in Hong Kong, where she served Chinese and Asian clients with their U.S. estate and tax planning. Having also lived in London, her experience in-country provides a solid foundation for U.S.-U.K. estate and income tax integration. International Charitable Giving. As part of Ms. Brittain's practice, she advises individual clients and large nonprofit organizations on cross-border philanthropy related to compliance and due diligence. She also designs effective tax deduction strategies using dual-qualified charities for U.S. citizens living abroad. Ms. Brittain is an instructor for the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies Certified Specialist in Planned Giving program. Sharia Law Estate Planning Compliance. Ms. Brittain has worked with many clients who wish to create desired estate planning when Sharia law generally applies to their estate assets. Private Trust Companies and Family Offices. Pooling family assets offers several advantages, including succession planning, access to investments that would otherwise be unavailable to certain family entities and individuals, centralization of assets management decisions and the resulting reduction of overall investment fees and potential creditor protection. Ms. Brittain creates such entity structures to accomplish those goals and works with each client's investment advisors to ensure that appropriate investment policies are developed focused on the objectives applicable to the client's taxable and nontaxable estate. Ms. Brittain uses private trust companies and family office structures to retain the historic legacies and family values inherent in generational wealth. Pre-Liquidity Event Planning. Prior to a sale of a business or a major liquidity event, there are several wealth transfer opportunities that should be considered. Such strategies focus on passing potential wealth to future generations in a tax-efficient manner. Ms. Brittain is often called upon to assist owners of businesses who are embarking upon such transactions to guide them in this critical pre-transaction planning process. Domestic Estate Planning. Ms. Brittain counsels clients and their advisors on the implementation of sophisticated estate planning techniques designed to increase, maintain and transfer wealth in a manner that is consistent with each client's intended legacy. As part of this process, Ms. Brittain creates estate plans and drafts a wide range of estate and tax planning instruments, including wills, revocable trusts, insurance trusts, dynastic trusts, charitable trusts, irrevocable defective grantor trust with related gifts and sales strategies and beneficiary deemed owned trust (BDOT) using Internal Revenue Code Section 678. Anti-Money Laundering and Enforcements. Ms. Brittain also provides hands-on guidance for financial institutions and corporate trustees who work with international clients, advising on global enforcement initiatives relevant to companies, accounting firms and law firms that handle international clients. She has assisted in development and implementing anti-money laundering compliance manuals and programs for financial institutions and other clients in connection with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (USA PATRIOT) Act. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Brittain is a frequent speaker on international estate and tax planning issues for beginners and advanced strategists. She also serves as an adjunct professor teaching International Estate Planning at California State University – Northridge and California Lutheran University Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Brittain was an attorney at a boutique private wealth services law firm in Los Angeles, serving as head of its international estate planning practice.

William P. Byrne practices primarily in the area of transportation, with extensive experience in rail, road, intermodal (multimodal) and ocean transportation, including federal/state compliance issues; motor carrier, broker, truckload, less than truckload and intermodal (multimodal) agreements; equipment management, i.e., chassis, container, railcar and trailer leasing, acquisition, interchange (AAR and UIIA) and M&R agreements; and charter parties. Mr. Byrne has similarly extensive experience in shared freight and passenger rail corridors and has represented buyers and sellers in mergers, acquisitions and restructuring transactions, including the sale and/or lease of rail lines for and on behalf of all classes of rail carriers. He has broad experience handling a wide variety of contract and corporate and commercial matters. Mr. Byrne also regularly assists clients involved with litigation and arbitration and uses his background to help them assess and solve business disputes. Mr. Byrne is a member of the firm's elected Directors Committee and serves on the leadership team of the firm's Transportation and Infrastructure Industry Sector Group. Mr. Byrne began his career in the transportation business in New York City in 1980 and has acted both as outside counsel as a maritime lawyer and on the business side as CEO of a New York based commercial representative of a Brazilian ship-owning and chemical group engaged in trade to and from the U.S., Europe and the Far East. Mr. Byrne has served as an arbitrator in a number of maritime arbitrations in New York and is a certified Circuit Court mediator in Florida. His active participation in industry organizations and his recognition by Chambers and others is identified under the Credentials tab. Upon passing the Florida bar exam in 1999, Mr. Byrne was invited by the Florida Supreme Court to speak on behalf of the candidates at the ceremony for the induction of candidates for admission to The Florida Bar at the Florida Supreme Court.

Lindsey R. Camp is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's West Palm Beach and Atlanta offices. Ms. Camp defends companies, fiduciaries and executives throughout the United States in Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), labor and employment, and business disputes. Ms. Camp has defended a number of class actions and ERISA breach of fiduciary duty actions. She also has experience with matters involving employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), 401(k) plans, Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) notices, medical benefit plans, securities fraud, and trade secrets and covenants-not-to-compete. She has significant experience successfully litigating these cases to settlement, summary judgment and verdict. In addition, Ms. Camp is a frequent lecturer and writer on a wide range of ESOP, employee benefits, employment- and business-related issues, including ERISA compliance, and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) audits and investigations.

J. Michael Cavanaugh

J. Michael Cavanaugh is a member of the Energy Team in Washington, D.C. His practice includes representation of clients in project development transactions, principally in the areas of technology and infrastructure, including energy and utilities, transportation and communications. He represents both buyers and sellers in corporate and asset acquisitions and restructuring transactions. He also assists clients with international commercial transactions, including sales and distribution, joint ventures, trade regulation and establishing overseas branch operations. Mr. Cavanaugh's recent projects include: assisting a public power authority with long-term purchases of electric energy and capacity and development of a 600 MW undersea electric transmission facility assisting liquefied natural gas importers with deepwater port facility licensing application representing the developer of a new U.S. petroleum refinery representing a public power authority on development of an offshore wind turbine facility representing clients in purchase and sale of gas pipelines and collection systems, system operating agreements and joint ventures advising utility clients on integrated gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) facilities representing clients with wind generation projects and sales of environmental attributes and swaps and other market hedging transactions representing a public entity in contracting for savings-incentivized energy efficiency improvements to major facilities representing buyers and sellers of railroads and advising on railroad investment and recapitalization advising a utility client on the purchase and resale of two nuclear power plants (2000 MW) representing state public power authorities in the privatization of two nuclear power stations (1825 MW) and development of new peaker turbine facilities advising a U.S. electric utility in connection with power purchase agreements and fuel supply contracts for a turbine project in Latin America assisting a municipal electric utility in Asia in connection with privatization transactions, advising lenders on a geothermal energy project in East Africa Before entering private practice, Mr. Cavanaugh served as Attorney-Advisor, Office of the General Counsel, United States Department of Commerce/Maritime Administration from 1974 to 1977 and was the agency's Great Lakes Region Counsel from 1976 to 1977. He was responsible for vessel finance, ship construction and subsidy contracts, and litigation involving government contracts. Mr. Cavanaugh is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at American University Washington College of Law. Mr. Cavanaugh has also: assisted cruise lines with new vessel financing, port facilities development and U.S. regulatory matters represented the government of an African nation with respect to ocean transportation and infrastructure projects advised U.S. shipyards, financial institutions and ship owners in connection with vessel financing transactions advised a U.S. wireless telecommunications company on international sales issues represented a Low Earth Orbit ("LEO") satellite operator in connection with venture capital financing, licensing and negotiation of gateway agreements represented energy and transportation clients in regulatory matters before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Surface Transportation Board, Federal Maritime Commission and U.S. Coast Guard

Glynna Christian

Glynna Christian is a data strategy and business attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office and the head of the firm's Global Technology Transactions Practice. Ms. Christian helps clients navigate complex legal issues and mitigate business risks associated with emerging and transformative technology and data. Ms. Christian has more than 20 years of experience advising clients in corporate and commercial deals such as mergers and acquisitions (M&A), financings, public offerings, joint ventures and other strategic transactions across virtually all operational and strategic areas of their businesses, including: launching new technology and digital products, including blockchain, autonomous and connected vehicles, wearable devices, data products, payment solutions, mobile app services, and internet security and registry services transforming traditional business models and internal service delivery models to digital models relying on cloud, blockchain, mobility and data, including artificial intelligence (AI) serving as outside general counsel for several high-growth technology companies, including consumer-focused financial technology (FinTech) companies and providers of blockchain-based platforms for trading specialized securitized assets Ms. Christian also has government policy experience, having served as Senior Counsel and Chief Investigator to the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, where she led investigations focused on consumer fraud and testified before the subcommittee, as well as Counsel – Special Investigations for the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. Christian is an active and sought-out thought leader who regularly speaks with clients and professional organizations on technology and data matters. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Christian was an attorney at an international law firm in its New York office, where she co-led the Global Technology Transactions practice. During law school, she served as editor-in-chief of the University of Memphis Law Review.

Katharine Menéndez de La Cuesta

Katharine Menéndez de la Cuesta is a litigator who handles international disputes and is based in Holland & Knight's Miami office. Clients rely on her experience to represent them in international arbitration proceedings in English and Spanish, and in litigation matters before U.S. federal and state courts in New York and Florida. Ms. Menéndez de la Cuesta has handled international arbitrations applying the laws of New York, Florida, Illinois, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Namibia, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico and Guatemala, among other jurisdictions, and administered by the main arbitral institutions, such as the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) and Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC). She has acted as administrative secretary of arbitral tribunals, been appointed as arbitrator and was a representative for North America of the ICC's Young Arbitrators Forum (YAF) for its 2019-2021 mandate. Ms. Menéndez de la Cuesta has been involved in disputes arising out of mergers and acquisitions (M&A), energy (including oil and gas and the mining industry) and transportation matters (airport and rail industries). In addition, Ms. Menéndez de la Cuesta's background includes practicing international arbitration and litigation at a leading Spanish law firm for several years. She remains licensed in Spain, where she argued cases before Spanish courts concerning commercial matters. She is familiarized with the key differences between the common law and the civil law systems. Ms. Menéndez de la Cuesta's experience includes serving as the chief research assistant to Professor George A. Bermann (chief reporter) for two years on the Restatement of the Law, The U.S. Law of International Commercial and Investor-State Arbitration, at Columbia Law School in New York. She also coordinated several projects for Professor Bermann, including the publication of Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards: The Interpretation and Application of the New York Convention by National Courts. Ms. Menéndez de la Cuesta co-teaches "International Conflict of Laws" to master students of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas (ICADE) in Madrid. She has lectured on advocacy and legal skills at ICADE, Universidad Europea in Madrid, University of Miami School of Law and Florida International University (FIU), as well as presented seminars about advocacy skills in Latin America. She also has organized several events related to international arbitration with Columbia University Law School, the Spanish Arbitration Club (CEA) and the Young International Council for Commercial Arbitration (YICCA).

Maria T. Currier is a partner and co-chair of Holland & Knight's National Healthcare Practice. She also is a co-leader of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Team. She has more than 34 years of experience serving clients in the healthcare industry and is Board Certified in Health Law as recognized by The Florida Bar Board of Legal Specialization and Education. Her healthcare practice focuses on health reform matters, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, commercial transactions, healthcare regulatory matters, fraud and abuse, managed care and international business ventures for healthcare clients. Ms. Currier has counseled clients on: clinical integration; federal healthcare reform; new delivery models, including ACOs; Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement and regulatory issues; patient safety and quality initiatives; HIPAA; federal and state fraud and abuse matters; Stark-related matters; corporate compliance plans; false claims act compliance; and physician incentive arrangements. She has served as counsel to hospitals, nursing homes, long-term care providers, home health companies, large medical groups, ambulatory surgery centers, integrated health systems, provider sponsored organizations, health maintenance organizations, preferred provider organizations, physician-hospital organizations, physician management companies, pharmaceutical companies, employer self-insured plans, prepaid health plans, Medicare Advantage Plans, national diagnostic companies, post acute care providers, skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and academic medical centers.

Brian T. Daigle is a San Francisco asset finance attorney who focuses his practice on all aspects of transactional global finance, with an emphasis on secured lending transactions. He is experienced in a broad range of corporate matters and cross-border transactions, including financing transactions relating to aviation assets and involving private equity funds and hedge funds. Mr. Daigle has in-depth knowledge of transportation finance matters and has counseled aircraft lessors, airlines and financiers on numerous complex transactions. His experience includes working with major United States and offshore investment funds, U.S. money-center banks and European and Asian banks doing business in the United States.

Maria De Bedout

Maria De Bedout is an attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office and a member of the firm's Financial Services Team. Ms. De Bedout focuses her practice on cross-border financing and capital markets transactions, with an emphasis in Latin America and the Caribbean. Ms. De Bedout advises lenders, corporate borrowers, project sponsors, developers and private equity sponsors in a wide range of cross-border and domestic financings, including syndicated lending, acquisition financing, project and structured financings. In addition, she has substantial experience advising sponsors and developers in the preparation of documentation related to ongoing development projects. Also, Ms. De Bedout advises on a variety of debt, equity and project bonds transactions by issuers in the financial services, energy, transportation and infrastructure sectors. She regularly advises underwriters and issuers in connection with securities offerings sold pursuant to Rule 144A and/or Regulation S. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. De Bedout worked at a New York law firm, where she participated in domestic infrastructure financings and syndicated cross-border loans. She also previously practiced in Colombia for a leading law firm, where she participated in several of the country's milestone infrastructure financings. Many of the transactions she worked on received "Deals of the Year" designation in their respective categories.

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz

Vivian de las Cuevas-Diaz is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office and serves as the firmwide deputy section leader of the Real Estate Section, assisting in managing the firm's nationwide real estate practice. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's practice is supplemented by her bilingual and multicultural team that facilitates her U.S.-based and international clients' needs in their U.S.-bound projects. Real Estate Transactions: Development, Acquisitions, Dispositions Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is called to assist in developing solutions for various complex real estate transactions for her U.S.-based and international clients. Her clients include those with business focused in the areas of multifamily housing, industrial projects, hospitality, retail, residential development and office buildings. Within her residential practice, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has also represented clients in high-end homes. Her experience with this wide range of real estate clients includes acquisitions and dispositions, development and construction, acquisition and construction financing, corporate structuring and joint venture negotiations. Within her development practice, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is experienced in representing developers in a range of projects, including raw land development, construction of or already built multifamily, industrial and single-family development, condominium, office and hotels. Joint Ventures Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz is experienced in handling real estate joint ventures focused on acquisition as well as development for her U.S.-based and international clients. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz works closely with a bench of land use and zoning lawyers in Holland & Knight's various offices across the U.S. Holland & Knight's Joint Venture Group has vast experience in all relevant areas necessary for structuring, drafting negotiation and implementing joint venture real estate projects. She works hand in hand with the firm's corporate and tax teams to structure the joint ventures for various real estate developments and the proper corporate and tax structure for such development projects. Leasing: Landlord and Tenant Matters Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents landlords and tenants in retail, commercial, hotel and warehouse leasing agreements. This experience includes negotiations of defaults, deferrals and amendments to leases as a result of COVID-19. Finance In her finance experience, Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz represents borrowers and lenders. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz has extensive experience in complex financial transactions for national and international institutional lenders in commercial lending for various types of projects and developments as well as asset-based loans secured by real estate, inventory, equipment receivables and securities. In her representation of the borrower, she handles real estate asset-based lending for acquisition, construction and development projects These projects include industrial, multifamily and single family development, condominium and hotels. Workouts Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz focuses on guiding institutional lenders toward resolutions for troubled loans and complex workouts. Ms. de las Cuevas-Diaz's special assets experience includes representation of lenders and developers across the U.S. with respect to forbearance, negotiation of loan modifications, restructuring and workouts on behalf of lenders and borrowers for various types of loans, deeds-in-lieu of foreclosure, note purchase, and sales and foreclosures affecting numerous commercial properties located throughout the state and nation.

John A. Decker is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Atlanta office. He serves as chair of the Finance and Financial Services Industry Sector Group, as well as co-chair of the Real Estate Finance Team. With more than 20 years of experience, Mr. Decker focuses his practice on the areas of real estate finance and development, with a specific emphasis on commercial real estate. Mr. Decker represents institutional lenders and funds in construction and permanent financing of virtually all asset classes, including industrial, multifamily, healthcare and medical office, office, retail and hotel in bilateral, club, unitranche and syndicated market transactions all over the country. In addition, Mr. Decker handles corporate and asset-based lending, healthcare finance, real estate investment trusts (REITs), acquisitions and dispositions of owned and leased assets, general corporate and business matters, and contract issues.

Andy Derman is an energy attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, where he concentrates his practice on oil and gas investment projects and cross-border transactions. Mr. Derman is the leader of the firm's International Energy practice. He is Board Certified in Oil, Gas and Mineral Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Mr. Derman provides strategic commercial and business advice, as well as legal and commercial support, related to acquisitions, divestments, trades and mergers; large infrastructure projects, including liquefied natural gas (LNG), gas to liquids (GTL), geothermal, midstream, water purification and refineries; nationalization/expropriation; anti-corruption/Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and sanctions; unitizations; onshore and offshore boundary disputes; exploration, development and production operations; production sharing contracts; negotiations; and dispute resolution, including litigation, arbitration and expert testimony. Mr. Derman has assisted clients in more than 80 countries on six continents and offers clients a comprehensive understanding of oil and gas activities through experience with a broad spectrum of countries and companies. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, he served as in-house counsel and later an executive for a large international oil and gas company for nearly 20 years. In addition to traditional legal representation, Mr. Derman also counsels clients on business development and commercial matters, including the identification and capture of oil and gas opportunities. Mr. Derman is a frequent teacher and lecturer at conferences, seminars and universities on oil and gas-related topics. For more than 30 years, he has taught the full scope of oil and gas contracts, including host government contracts (production sharing, concession, license and service agreements) and industry contracts (joint operating agreements, accounting procedures, confidentiality agreements, study and bidding agreements, lifting agreements, farm-in and participation agreements, unitization agreements, infrastructure contracts, LNG contracts, etc.).

Stephen Dietrich

Stephen J. Dietrich is a business attorney located in the Denver office and practice group leader for the firm's Corporate Central/West group. Mr. Dietrich advises clients on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), debt and equity financing, and restructuring transactions. He represents a variety of clients in all aspects of day-to-day operations, including commercial real estate development, finance, corporate governance and various third-party relationships. He also handles the structuring and implementation of acquisition and disposition programs that enable corporations, family offices and private individuals to purchase operating businesses through asset and stock purchase transactions. In 1998, Mr. Dietrich handled his first buy-sell transaction in automotive retail. Since that time, he has emerged as a go-to legal adviser for clients buying, selling or otherwise transacting within the automotive retail, heavy truck, construction equipment, power sports and agricultural equipment dealership sectors. Outside of transactions, he counsels dealership retail clients on manufacturer/OEM matters, real estate, financing and dealer licensing. His clients include dealer operators, family offices, financial investors and dealer groups ranging from two rooftops to several hundred. Presently, Mr. Dietrich leads a nationwide practice of multidisciplinary attorneys focused on automotive dealership M&A who have closed approximately 60 transactions since 2021 with an aggregate value in excess of $3 billion. Throughout his career, Mr. Dietrich has been involved in more than 300 transactions. In 2023, he led a team in the highest value automotive retail transaction in nearly two years, advising one of the largest privately held dealerships in the United States, Jim Koons Automotive Companies, in its $1.2 billion sale to Asbury Automotive Group. The transaction included 29 franchises, six collision centers and 20 dealerships in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, along with one of the highest-volume Toyota dealerships in the U.S. Mr. Dietrich's significant knowledge has led him to be called upon to testify as an expert witness on legal malpractice issues. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Dietrich worked for a global law firm in its Denver office, handling corporate and transactional matters for clients on a national basis.

Stephen J. Double is a financial and corporate transactions attorney in Holland & Knight's New York City office and a member of the firm's Financial Services Team. Mr. Double regularly represents a wide range of lenders and underwriters, as well as corporate and financial institution issuers and borrowers, on cross-border and domestic capital markets, syndicated lending, acquisition finance, structured finance, project bond and trade finance transactions. Mr. Double advises on cross-border and domestic corporate issues and on a variety of debt (senior, subordinated and high-yield), equity and equity-linked securities offerings, as well as project bonds and structured finance and securitization transactions, by issuers in the financial services, oil and gas, software, energy, media, transportation and infrastructure, agribusiness and other sectors, as well as sovereign and quasi-sovereign issuers. He frequently advises on securities offerings made pursuant to Rule 144A and Regulation S, as well as private placement transactions made to sophisticated investors pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. Mr. Double also has extensive experience representing foreign private issuers with respect to their periodic U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting requirements. In addition, Mr. Double advises bank and fund lenders, as well as corporate and financial institution borrowers, on cross-border and domestic syndicated lending, acquisition finance, structured finance and trade finance transactions. Many of the transactions on which he advises include collateral packages both within and outside of the U.S. Mr. Double has extensive experience in the area of Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG) financings, including International Capital Market Association (ICMA)-compliant green bonds as well as sustainability-linked debt products. One of his recent ESG finance transactions was awarded "Financing Innovation of the Year" by Latin Finance Magazine in 2020 as the first sustainability-linked loan transaction by a Latin American company. Mr. Double also advises clients on private merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, primarily in Latin America.

Robert Dougherty

Robert Dougherty is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, where he focuses his practice on acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures relating to energy assets. Mr. Dougherty is the leader of the firm's Oil and Gas Practice. Mr. Dougherty's energy experience includes advising clients on acquisitions and divestitures of upstream and midstream oil and gas assets and companies (domestic, foreign and offshore), drilling partnerships, mineral and royalty-buying partnerships, farmout agreements, participation agreements and other joint venture agreements. In addition to the foregoing, Mr. Dougherty has significant experience advising on and preparing agreements related to all facets of the energy industry.

Vinh Duong is an immigration attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Mr. Duong assists a broad spectrum of industries, ranging from early startups to large multinational corporations, with their international talent acquisition and regulatory compliance needs. Companies seeking to attract and retain international personnel rely on him to assist with immigration matters. He has a broad range of experience with matters, including E-1 and E-2 visas for foreign traders and investors EB-1 petitions for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability EB-2 national interest waiver petitions (for researchers and physicians) H-1B visas for specialty occupation professionals J-1 waivers for physicians subject to the foreign residence requirement O-1 visas for foreign nationals of extraordinary ability L-1 visas for intra-company transfers Clients in the healthcare, banking, offshore, manufacturing and science/technology industries also seek Mr. Duong's counsel regarding compliance with government regulatory programs such as I-9 employment verification and E-Verify. His good-natured sense of humor and sincere interest in serving the clients makes each feel like they are the only client. His commitment to client service is underpinned by his belief that providing personal attention and offering complete reliability are his most critical tasks. Mr. Duong's dedication to helping people seek new opportunities in the U.S. is exemplified in his work with pro bono and community activities, which include supporting free citizenship clinics for individuals and families and assisting special immigrant juveniles obtain permanent residence in the United States. Additionally, he has been named to Lawyers of Color's Inaugural Hot List (Southern Region).

Phillip Durham is a partner in the Chicago and New York offices of Holland & Knight and leader of the Asset Finance Group. His practice focuses on domestic and cross-border asset-based financing, leasing, acquisitions, sales and securitizations, with a particular emphasis on global aviation and equipment finance. Mr. Durham's client roster includes some of the biggest names in aviation and equipment finance for which he has handled billions of dollars of transactions around the globe, including numerous deal of the year award winners. Mr. Durham regularly represents these clients in connection with all manner of equipment operating leases, equipment sales and acquisitions, asset-backed financings, credit facilities and capital markets offerings, such as portfolio securitizations and asset-backed bond issuances. Mr. Durham also has significant experience in negotiating restructurings of equipment finance transactions and assisting with foreclosures, repossessions and the remarketing of aircraft, aircraft engines and aircraft spare parts in jurisdictions all over the world. Mr. Durham has had numerous speaking engagements, from addressing the Colombian financial services industry in Bogotá (with respect of secured transaction reforms), to speaking at the Latin American Airfinance conference in Rio de Janeiro, to presenting multiple times at the Cape Town Academic Conference at Oxford University. Mr. Durham is the current Secretary General of the Mining, Agricultural and Construction Equipment Working Group and has been actively involved in the development of a 4th Protocol to the Cape Town Convention covering mining, agricultural and construction equipment. His depth and breadth of experience in aviation finance transactions in Latin America also led to him being appointed to co-direct the annual Euromoney School of Aviation Finance in Latin America. Closer to home, Mr. Durham is the former chairman of the American Bar Association's Aircraft Financing Subcommittee and a member of the Executive Committee of the Legal Advisory Panel of the Aviation Working Group.

Jonathan Epstein

Jonathan M. Epstein is a partner in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office where he focuses his practice on international trade and aviation law. Mr. Epstein's trade practice includes advising clients in the aerospace, electronics, agrochemical, biochemical and other high-technology industries on export, import and related trade issues. His aviation practice focuses on representing clients before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Department of Transportation (DOT), and assisting clients in corporate jet transactions and structuring of corporate aircraft operations to comply with FAA regulations. In the area of International Trade Law, Mr. Epstein has for many years represented clients on regulatory matters before various government agencies including: assisting clients in the defense/aerospace industry with registration, drafting of licenses, technical assistance agreements, voluntary disclosures, and compliance programs under the International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) and in liaising with the State Department Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) representing telecommunications, agrochemical, electronics, and biochemical companies before the Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) on a wide range of commercial exports issues including licensing, classification, encryption reviews, investigations, civil penalty cases, and compliance issues under the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) advising clients on the scope and application of U.S. economic embargoes administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), including extraterritorial application of U.S. embargoes to non-U.S. companies assisting clients in Customs and import matters including classification, valuation, penalty cases, protests, and country of origin determinations guiding clients through regulatory hurdles common in cross-border acquisitions, such as Exxon-Florio filings before the Committee on Foreign Investment of the United States (CFIUS), transfer authorizations required by other government agencies relating to radio licenses and air carrier authorizations, and negotiating and putting in place mitigation measures acceptable to the Department of Defense to mitigate Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) In support of Holland & Knight's large aviation practice, Mr. Epstein has developed considerable experience in a wide range of regulatory and commercial matters related to the aviation/aerospace industry, including: advising clients in structuring of private/corporate aircraft operations to comply with FAR 91.501, including negotiating and drafting aircraft leases, time sharing, interchange, and charter management agreements assisting clients in purchasing and selling corporate aircraft and fractional share purchases and resale representing clients before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in HAZMAT and Suspect Unapproved Parts investigations and civil penalty proceedings; and airport issues including FAA "no hazard" determinations for towers and for construction proximate to airports assisting commercial aviation clients in proceedings before the Department of Transportation (DOT) including civil penalty proceedings and foreign air carrier exemption, code-sharing, and commuter air carrier authorization proceedings Mr. Epstein's background also includes experience in telecommunications law (primarily on satellite and spectrum allocation issues), liability and policy issues relating to commercial use of the Global Positioning System, and aviation related tort and contracts litigation.

Andy Flint focuses his practice on structuring, negotiating, and documenting business financial and lending transactions. His work focuses primarily on syndicated secured and unsecured senior and subordinated energy and oil and gas credit facilities, and drilling rig and rig fleet financings. Mr. Flint's experience includes acquisition financing, off balance sheet financings, specialized structured finance transactions, and debt financings with equity kickers. He also has significant experience counseling clients in connection with workouts, restructurings, and bankruptcies.

Vincent J. Foley is a New York attorney in Holland & Knight's Maritime Practice Group. Mr. Foley advises clients on a wide variety of transportation, maritime, intermodal and logistics contracts. He represents clients in high-profile marine casualty litigation and arbitration of charter-party disputes, and he has experience with vessel regulations, environmental liabilities, oil spills, limitation of liability, salvage and general average issues. Mr. Foley represents marine terminal operators in connection with drafting, analyzing and litigating terminal service agreements, marine schedules (tariffs), maintenance and repair contracts, related vendor and equipment agreements, as well as regulatory and licensing issues and all marine terminal-related operational or support agreements. He also advises foreign and domestic clients on projects for development of offshore wind installations in the Northeast U.S., including development of crossing agreements and potential interference with navigation issues. In addition, Mr. Foley advises clients on Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) regulatory issues, fact-finding and interpretive rulemaking, as well as related issues involving trade and transportation practices. Mr. Foley represents clients in U.S. Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation hearings involving marine casualties and oil pollution events, including investigations of shipboard practices involving the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) violations and the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Mr. Foley also advises clients in connection with joint investigations by the U.S. Coast Guard and other flag state authorities for international casualties. He has prosecuted claims and defended clients in federal litigation matters, including handling trials at the district court level and appeals in the various circuits of the U.S. Court of Appeals. He regularly advises vessel owners, charterers, cargo interests and their insurers and protection & indemnity clubs, and notably was selected for and served as an arbitrator in a London arbitration. Mr. Foley has experience advising clients in connection with U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) transactions, including advising a client on purchasing a U.S. flag carrier and subsequent operation of the surviving U.S. flag operator. A graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, prior to his legal career, Mr. Foley worked as a licensed officer for two years as Third Mate (All Oceans/Unlimited Tonnage) and Third Assistant Engineer (Unlimited Horsepower/Steam or Diesel). In the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon Gulf Coast oil spill (May 2010), Mr. Foley testified before the U.S. Congress, House of Representatives and Committee on the Judiciary, as an industry expert on the OPA 90 oil spill compensation and liability scheme (See "Legal Liability Issues Surrounding the Gulf Coast Oil Disaster," page 114, Mr. Foley's testimony). He also has negotiated long-term time charters, modification and ship construction and repair agreements, as well as participated in development of an offshore oil spill emergency response system. From 2016-2020, Mr. Foley served as Chair of the International Organizations, Conventions and Standards (IOCS) committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States, and is active in the Comité Maritime International and International Bar Associations.

Matthew Fontane

Matthew Fontane is a partner in Holland & Knight's Dallas office and co-chairs the firm's Financial Services Practice Group. He advises clients such as banks, hedge funds, financial institutions, business capital companies and private funds on a wide range of commercial finance matters. Mr. Fontane regularly handles transactional financing issues, including asset-based and cash flow lending; re-discount lending; mortgage-backed warehouse facility; subordinated debt and mezzanine financings; and real estate financing involving restructuring, workouts as well as other forms of debt and equity financing. Mr. Fontane has extensive experience dealing with structured finance matters, such as structuring and documenting of re-discount lending and factoring. He also has an in-depth knowledge of resort financing, timeshare and fractional market financing for acquisition, development and construction costs, as well as receivable and inventory financing (both domestic and foreign) and warehouse and purchase facility financing related to domestic consumer lending. In addition, Mr. Fontane counsels clients on issues involving subordinate debt lenders and senior lenders as agents, co-lenders and participants in syndicated financings, including working capital and acquisition financing. He also has substantive experience in refinances, workouts and foreclosures, and advises banks and business capital corporations on the acquisition of bulk financial assets.

Gina Fonte is a transactional and litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office. Ms. Fonte concentrates her practice in the areas of construction transactions and litigation, complex construction-focused real estate transactions (i.e., ground-up construction, mixed-use development and redevelopment, multifamily projects, core and shell with large tenant fit-out, office building towers and industrial projects), energy, renewable energy, insurance, commercial litigation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) workplace safety and whistleblower claims. Ms. Fonte regularly advises clients within these industries and areas of law, including regionally and nationally based developers, owners, landlords, private equity firms and institutional lenders. Also, on OSHA, workplace safety and whistleblower matters, she advises and represents clients in all industry sectors, including nursing homes, rehabilitation and skilled nursing facilities, medical industry, hospitality, retailers, educational institutions, product and food manufacturers and distributors, property owners and managers, financial services, critical infrastructure, and other private and public-sector clients with compliance, in investigations and dispute resolution, and through litigation. Ms. Fonte's construction law practice includes experience with transactional representation, including advising, drafting and negotiating industry form construction contracts (American Institute of Architects (AIA), ConsensusDocs, Engineers Joint Contract Documents Committee (EJCDC) and Design-Build Institute of America (DBIA)), manuscript contract forms and many types of constructed-related documents, including master service agreements, design and architect agreements, professional services agreements, consulting and engineering agreements, letters of credit, indemnity agreements, owner-representative consulting agreements, public-private partnership agreements, project closeout resolutions, multiparty escrow agreements, nondisclosure and confidentiality agreements, and material purchase orders. She performs due diligence review and analysis of construction contracts and agreements in connection with lending, funding and financing construction loans and projects on behalf of developers, owners, landlords, private equity companies and lenders. Also, she represents clients in complex, multiparty mediations, arbitrations, litigation and settlements. Ms. Fonte frequently advises clients in assessing, preparing and defending construction-related claims, including delay claims, cost escalation, force majeure and other contract and equitable claims. Ms. Fonte is a member of the Construction Transactions Team at Holland & Knight, and she is co-chair of the firm's OSHA, Workplace Safety and Whistleblower Claims Team, which is nationally ranked by Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide. She is OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour certified and has lectured and written extensively on OSHA workplace safety and whistleblower issues and topics.

Juan Felipe Fontecha

Kyrus L. Freeman

Kyrus Lamont Freeman is a land use attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of Holland & Knight and is certified by the U.S. Green Building Council as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional (LEED AP). Mr. Freeman is involved in numerous aspects of real estate development with a focus on land use, zoning and municipal law. Mr. Freeman has extensive knowledge and experience with entitlements and regularly advises property owners and residential, commercial, hotel and mixed-use developers in the regulatory review and approval processes. In addition, he represents clients before the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), D.C. Zoning Commission and D.C. Council to obtain approvals for special exceptions, variances, planned unit developments, zoning map amendments, alley closings and street dedications. He also has experience preparing zoning opinion letters, as well as drafting and negotiating land disposition agreements, easements, covenants and lot consolidation agreements. In addition, Mr. Freeman has extensive experience with affordable housing programs in Washington, D.C. Mr. Freeman also has experience representing clients in litigation matters, including appeals of Zoning Commission and BZA orders, and appeals of building permits and certificates of occupancy. Mr. Freeman has lectured extensively on zoning, land use and sustainable development issues. He taught for many years as an adjunct professor at The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law. He also frequently speaks at programs designed to foster diversity in the legal profession and to enhance the career development of students and young attorneys. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Freeman was a litigation associate with a large firm in Philadelphia, where his practice included litigation of complex real estate, intellectual property and breach of contract disputes.

Leon Fresco is an immigration attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office where he focuses his practice on providing global immigration representation to businesses, universities and individuals. He has extensive experience representing clients in the following types of governmental investigations relating to compliance with U.S. immigration laws, including: worksite enforcement actions and raids performed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigations of employers conducted by the Immigrant and Employee Rights Section of the U.S. Department of Justice investigations conducted by the Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services administrative visa investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of State representation of educational institutions before the Student and Exchange Visitor Program of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement proceedings before the Executive Office of Immigration Review, Office of the Chief Administrative Hearing Officer Mr. Fresco also represents clients in administrative law matters and appeals, Freedom of Information Act litigation, mandamus ligation and asylum litigation, and he has extensive appellate, commercial litigation and legislative experience. Mr. Fresco was the primary drafter of S.744, the U.S. Senate's comprehensive immigration reform bill of 2013. He uses his broad range of experience to develop creative solutions to achieve his clients' objectives, which often may involve multistage representation before administrative agencies and federal courts and the development of policy solutions. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Fresco was the Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Immigration Litigation at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Civil Division. In this position, Mr. Fresco provided litigation risk assessments to cabinet members in Executive Branch agencies. He also oversaw all civil immigration litigation on behalf of the federal government, including representation of the DOJ, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS). This involved supervision of more than 350 attorneys working on nearly 10,000 cases per year. He also advised and assisted client agencies in drafting immigration regulations. In this capacity, and prior to entering government service, Mr. Fresco argued extensively in six of the federal appellate circuit courts, including several en banc arguments. Prior to joining the DOJ, Mr. Fresco was the staff director for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, handling matters involving immigration, refugees and border security, including managing the subcommittee's oversight functions involving the DOJ, DHS, HHS, DOL and DOS. He was the principal advisor to Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), former chairman of the subcommittee, on all aspects of immigration law and policy. During his time on the subcommittee, Mr. Fresco drafted several pieces of legislation, including the 1) Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act, 2) the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Reauthorization Act, 3) the Emergency Border Security Supplemental Appropriations Act and 4) the Israel E-2 Visa Bill. Mr. Fresco was an associate and a Chesterfield Smith Fellow in Holland & Knight's Miami office prior to his work in Washington, D.C. He also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Daniel T.K. Hurley of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. From May 2019 to March 2021, Mr. Fresco served on the Homeland Security Advisory Council. He is a frequent commentator on the Bloomberg Law Podcast regarding all immigration matters in the news and in the courts. He has taught various courses on immigration law and ethics as an adjunct professor at The George Washington University Law School and American University, Washington College of Law.

Michael Frevola

Michael J. Frevola is a litigator focusing on the areas of admiralty and commercial litigation. He has tried cases, argued motions and briefed and argued appeals before federal and state courts. He has represented clients in federal mediations and maritime and commercial arbitrations, and has conducted shipboard and overseas investigations in support of maritime litigation and to perform owners' due diligence. In the admiralty and maritime field, Mr. Frevola focuses on charter party disputes, bunker quality and claim disputes, Rule B maritime attachments and Rule C arrests, lien priority and maritime bankruptcy disputes, vessel sales and purchase disputes, and collision litigation. He recently has advised clients on the implementation and enforcement of IMO 2020 regulations as well as COVID-19 force majeure disputes. He also has advised clients in the context of embarrassment to navigation, maritime trespass and encroachment disputes, and litigation over access to navigable waters. In the context of Rule B maritime attachments, Mr. Frevola has represented plaintiffs and defendants in numerous proceedings and has been the prevailing lawyer in a number of the most-cited U.S. maritime attachment decisions. He has attached vessels, cargo, bunkers, bank accounts, debts and other property nationwide. Mr. Frevola coordinates maritime proceedings nationally with Holland & Knight offices in Boston, Chicago, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tampa, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, as well as with local counsel relationships in Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore; Norfolk, Virginia; Charleston, South Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; New Orleans and Seattle. He has been published and has spoken multiple times internationally regarding vessel arrests and attachments, bunker quality disputes, sales and purchase disputes and U.S. maritime arbitration. Mr. Frevola has represented the prevailing parties in the two largest to date (as far as amounts in dispute) arbitrations in the history of the Society of Maritime Arbitrators Inc.: the $137 million OVERSEAS DONNA arbitration, in which he represented the vessel seller in a dispute over the vessel’s material condition, and a $300 million dispute in which he obtained the largest-ever pre-arbitration security award for approximately $63 million on behalf of his client. Mr. Frevola is the Special Professor of Admiralty Law at Hofstra University. He is the chairman of the Subcommittee for Maritime Liens and Ship Mortgages for the Federal Practice and Procedure Committee of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. As a U.S. Navy officer, he served in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm while on active duty, and resigned his commission as a Lieutenant Commander in 1999 after 15 years of active and reserve service. He has been listed multiple times as a person of interest in Chambers USA ‒ America's Leading Lawyers for Business under the Transportation (National) category, as a person of interest in Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers, Shipping & Maritime and in New York Super Lawyers. In October 2013, he was named The American Lawyer magazine's "Litigator of the Week" for the entire United States as a result of appellate court victories in a famous treasure salvage case.

Robert Friedman

Robert Friedman is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office and practices in the area of ERISA, employee benefits and executive compensation. Since 1996, he has been the head of the firm's national Employee Benefits, Executive Compensation and ERISA Practice Group. Mr. Friedman is also co-chair of the ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plans) Practice Group. His clients include private, non-profit and governmental employers. He is a frequent speaker on employee benefits, ERISA fiduciary matters and pension and tax planning. Mr. Friedman’s practice frequently involves working on matters with Holland & Knight lawyers in other specialty areas, including securities, investment funds, mergers and acquisitions, labor, employment and bankruptcy. Mr. Friedman has extensive experience with all aspects of benefits work, including the design, qualification and drafting of pension, 401(k), profit sharing and other qualified plans, corporate mergers and acquisitions and plan transfers, mergers and terminations, fiduciary matters, executive compensation, nonqualified deferred compensation arrangements and ERISA related litigation. Mr. Friedman’s practice includes representation of clients in matters with the Internal Revenue Service, Department of Labor and other governmental agencies. Mr. Friedman also has been actively involved with welfare benefit plans, flexible benefit plans and the rules relating to COBRA continuation coverage under such plans. He has experience with the design, implementation, operation and communication of welfare benefit plans, and has been involved with such benefit plans in connection with mergers and acquisitions, reductions in force and other employee terminations and layoffs. In the area of stock option plans, ESOP’s and other forms of employee ownership, Mr. Friedman’s practice includes developing strategies to achieve employee ownership, creating individually designed plans, and complying with the applicable tax and other statutory and regulatory requirements. His clients in these matters include privately and publicly owned companies.

Richard Furey is a New York-based attorney who focuses his practice on international and United States domestic asset and infrastructure finance including significant experience in the aviation and maritime sectors. He regularly represents asset owners, lessors, lenders and investors in a wide range of financing and related transactions.

Bryan S. Gadol is the head of the California Corporate, M&A and Private Equity practice and a partner in Holland & Knight's Newport Beach and Century City offices. Mr. Gadol guides clients at all stages of the corporate life cycle in connection with mergers and acquisitions, private equity, securities transactions, reorganizations and other corporate matters. Mr. Gadol is a trusted advisor to companies, private equity funds, family offices and other investors across a wide variety of sectors, including technology, consumer products, beauty, medical device and manufacturing. Mr. Gadol is a regular speaker and author on a variety of M&A and private equity topics.

Rachel Gartner is a public policy attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office. Ms. Gartner has extensive experience providing strategic advice on food, dietary supplements, cosmetics and other U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-regulated products. In addition, she advises on related advertising and intellectual property (IP) matters to major corporations, midsize companies and startups, as well as other publicly traded and privately held businesses. Ms. Gartner collaborates with companies at every step of the product development process to evaluate ingredients, formulations and assess potential risks based on current and emerging FDA policy. Ms. Gartner's clients develop, manufacture and market a broad range of products, including food, beverages, nutritional supplements, cosmetics and consumer products. She routinely counsels companies with FDA-regulated products as they navigate product classification, market entry and claims substantiation. She regularly advises on best practices for advertising and marketing, including social media-based, influencer engagements and product testimonials. Ms. Gartner's experience, knowledge and perspective on the entire product life cycle enable her to deliver valuable, practical insights that account for clients' unique objectives and tolerance for risk. When product complaints, commercial disputes and regulatory challenges arise, Ms. Gartner is a strong advocate for her clients' interests. She regularly responds to governmental inquiries and competitor challenges on behalf of her clients and works with litigation colleagues to address disputes arising under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act), Lanham Act, and similar legislation and regulations. In addition, Ms. Gartner works with food, health and wellness companies to help ensure compliance with relevant federal and state marketing and advertising regulations, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) standards for substantiating marketing claims, and requirements of the National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Better Business Bureau. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Gartner was a public policy attorney for a global law firm in its New York office.

Pedro Gassant is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office and a member of the Real Estate Section, as well as a regional co-chair of the firm's national Land Use and Government Team. Mr. Gassant practices in the areas of governmental advocacy and land use, focusing on land use and zoning matters in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. He represents lenders, builders, family offices, developers and institutional owners in all aspects of land use law through the entire development process. As an undergraduate at Florida State University, Mr. Gassant was elected president of the Black Student Union and founded the East Gadsden Initiative, which implemented programs to assist students in preparing for the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. He was also initiated into the Chi Theta Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. and was recognized as the Humanitarian of the Year by Florida State University. Mr. Gassant attended law school at the University of Pennsylvania. While there, he served as an editor of the Journal of International Law and helped develop a program teaching Kenyans their rights under the 2010 Kenyan Constitution. In spring 2011, Mr. Gassant traveled to Mombasa, Kenya, and helped teach the same program to women living in the Mtongwe community.

Joseph Goldstein

Joseph Goldstein is a land use and environmental lawyer with 34 years of experience in comprehensive planning, zoning, development permitting and development agreements. He is a former longtime co-chair of the firm's national Land Use and Government Team. Mr. Goldstein, who is the practice group leader of the Miami Real Estate and Land Use practice, has a practice emphasis on representing developers and private property owners in their efforts to protect their property rights, seek entitlements and process complex development or other governmental approvals and permits. Mr. Goldstein has particularly notable experience in navigating through extremely complicated land use matters related to healthcare, mixed-use, utilities, government, education, land and economic development and sports facilities, as well as traditional retail, industrial, office, residential and community redevelopment. Prior to attending law school at the University of Miami, Mr. Goldstein was a planner at the South Florida Regional Planning Council, the agency charged with oversight of the Developments of Regional Impact (DRI) and comprehensive planning processes for the three-county South Florida region, and as a law clerk for the City of Miami City Attorney's office.

Robert J. Grammig is the chair and chief executive officer of Holland & Knight. As chair, Mr. Grammig oversees the strategic growth and direction of the firm and the management of all aspects of the firm's operations. Mr. Grammig is a partner in the firm's Tampa, Washington, D.C., and New York offices and was formerly leader of the firm's Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group. He has practiced for more than 40 years in the areas of public company mergers and acquisitions, securities law, corporate governance, general corporate law and international business transactions. Mr. Grammig's practice has included regularly advising boards of directors, audit committees and special committees regarding corporate governance matters, including defending against shareholder activism and advising during proxy fights. He also has devoted a substantial part of his practice to international business transactions, representing both United States and foreign entities, including representations involving significant transactions in Asia, Europe and Latin America. In addition, Mr. Grammig was chair of the Florida Chamber of Commerce from 2017 to 2019 and served on its board of directors from 2010 to 2023. He is recognized as a leading lawyer in his field by Chambers USA, The Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Who's Who Legal Worldwide and is a member of the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Power 100. He is also consistently recognized as a member of Florida Trend's Florida 500, a list of the most influential business leaders in the state. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Grammig served as a law clerk to the Honorable Thomas A. Clark of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth and Eleventh Circuits from 1981 to 1982.

Joseph A. Guay is an attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office and serves as the firm's Real Estate Section leader and co-chair of the Hospitality, Resort and Timeshare Group. Mr. Guay's practice is focused in the areas of real estate, business and commercial lending, with a strong emphasis in hotel and resort development and hospitality law including hotel acquisitions and dispositions, development and finance, mixed-use development projects, hotel management agreements, branded residential projects, restaurant agreements and general hotel operation matters throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. He represents national hotel company owners and operators, pension fund advisors and investment funds, and real estate development companies, institutional lenders and investment banks.

José Gutiérrez Mestre

Edwin L. Hall is a construction attorney focusing on complex procurements, agreements and transactions, as well as litigation, including jury trials, arbitrations and mediations. He represents clients in transactions and litigation matters throughout the United States.

Jason E. Havens is a highly experienced business and tax attorney who uses creative problem solving and strategic insight to achieve planning objectives for high-net-worth individuals, families and charitable organizations. He specializes in complex estate and charitable gift planning (domestic and international), wills and trusts, probate and trust administration, and probate and trust litigation. Since 2009, The Florida Bar has certified Mr. Havens as a Board Certified Specialist in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law. Since 2010, the Estate Law Specialist Board has certified Mr. Havens as an Estate Planning Law Specialist in Tennessee, as listed on the Roll of Certified Legal Specialists of the Tennessee Commission on Continuing Legal Education. He also is a Fellow of The American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). Charitable Planning and Organizations. Tax law considerations, finance, and fundraising efforts are critical to the survival of nonprofit and tax-exempt organizations. Mr. Havens is committed to providing charitable planning advice for donors and private clients as well as entities of all types. He has extensive experience in partnership and S corporation matters revolving around the implementation of charitable gift planning for private clients. Mr. Havens also has extensive experience advising exempt organizations on planned giving issues, tax issues, donor advised funds, and asset protection issues, including the use of supporting organizations. He advises donors and exempt organizations on international activities and grants, including multiple charities focused on caring for orphaned children in central Africa. Complex Estate Planning for High-Net-Worth Clients. The intricate estate planning challenges encountered by many high-net-worth individuals and families require a high level of insight into the evolving state of tax laws, market conditions, and family business situations. As one of only two board certified attorneys in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law in the Destin and Rosemary Beach area, Mr. Havens has used his specialization and sophisticated estate planning advice to build a strong base of affluent clients from throughout the Southeast, including Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, Louisville, Memphis, and Nashville, with whom he works through the Tallahassee office. Mr. Havens has also advised domestic clients with international holdings as well as international clients who need business entities, trusts, or a combination of structures to achieve their planning objectives. Trust and Estate Administration and Litigation. Mr. Havens advises fiduciaries and exempt organizations in administering trusts and estates being probated, which generally is the implementation phase of the planning described above. He also has utilized Florida's judicial trust reformation provisions to modify numerous irrevocable trusts, including charitable trusts, due to changes in circumstances or tax laws. Mr. Havens has represented fiduciaries and, in limited circumstances, beneficiaries in state and federal courts, including coordination and leadership of internal and external counsel and other professionals to defend against or pursue litigation of complex tax and/or trust issues.

Kelly Hellmuth is a private wealth services attorney based in Holland & Knight's Jacksonville office, where she focuses on charitable and nonprofit issues on a national scale. She represents public charities, private foundations, trustees of charitable trusts, religious institutions, trade associations and other tax-exempt organizations, in addition to donors. Since 2019, The Florida Bar has certified Ms. Hellmuth as a Board Certified Specialist in Tax. Ms. Hellmuth guides her clients through all aspects of the complex world of nonprofit law and tax exemption. She assists with structuring tax-exempt entities, obtaining exemption from federal income tax, complying with tax rules, adopting good governance principles and best practices, and planning and substantiating gifts. She has significant experience with issues including unrelated business taxable income, private inurement and private benefit, excess benefit transactions, self-dealing, excess business holdings, taxable expenditures, minimum distributions, fundraising regulations and endowments. Ms. Hellmuth also provides advice regarding charitable gift planning and the charitable aspects of estate planning, probate administration and trust administration, including through the traditional use of charitable trusts, bargain sales, charitable gift annuities and conservation easements, as well as innovative tax strategies. In addition, as a member of the American Bar Association (ABA) Section of Taxation, Ms. Hellmuth served on a committee that submitted comments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regarding its Notice 2021-56 on the ability of LLCs to qualify as 501(c)(3) organizations. In this role, she shared principal responsibility for preparing the comments. Prior to entering private practice, Ms. Hellmuth served as a legislative assistant for the late U.S. Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr. (R-Fla.).

Jennifer Hernandez

Jennifer Hernandez has practiced land use and environmental law for more than 30 years, and leads Holland & Knight's West Coast Land Use and Environmental Group. She is a former longtime co-chair of the firm's national Land Use and Government Team. Ms. Hernandez divides her time between the firm's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices. Ms. Hernandez is the only California lawyer ranked by her clients and peers in Chambers USA in the top tier of both land use/zoning and environmental lawyers. In addition, she was recognized as the top environmental litigator of the year in the San Francisco Bay Area by Best Lawyers, and received a California Lawyer of the Year award from the State Bar of California for her work on California's largest and most innovative land use and conservation agreement between her private landowner client and five major environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club and Natural Resources Defense Council. She also has received numerous civil rights awards for her work on overcoming environmentalist opposition to housing and other projects needed and supported by minority communities. During his tenure as mayor of San Francisco, Willie Brown named October 9, 2002, as "Jennifer Hernandez Day" in San Francisco in honor of her work as a "warrior on the Brownfields" to restore and redevelop former industrial lands. Ms. Hernandez is the longest-serving minority board member (23 years) of the California League of Conservation voters, was appointed by President Clinton to serve as a trustee for the Presidio National Park in San Francisco, and serves on the board of directors for California Forward and Sustainable Conservation. Ms. Hernandez works for private sector, public agency and nonprofit clients on a broad range of projects in Bay Area, Southern California and Central Valley communities, including infill and master-planned mixed-use housing and commercial projects, university and research facilities, transportation and infrastructure projects, renewable and other energy projects, local agency plan and ordinance updates, and horse racing and other live sports and entertainment venues. She has written three books, and more than 50 articles, on environmental and land use topics, and regularly teaches land use, environmental and climate law in law and business schools, colleges and seminars. She also serves on the firm's Directors Committee and received the firm's highest honor – the Chesterfield Smith Award – for her community service. Ms. Hernandez graduated with honors from Harvard University and Stanford Law School, and clerked for Region 20 of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) before beginning her land use and environmental law career. Ms. Hernandez is the daughter and granddaughter of steelworkers and was raised in Pittsburg, California. She and her husband live in Berkeley and Los Angeles. Publications – Books: In the Name of the Environment: Litigation Abuse Under CEQA A Practical Guide to the Environmental Quality Act A Practical Guide to Environmental Law for California Hospital and Healthcare Facilities New Solutions to Environmental Problems in Business and Real Estate Deals (Chapter author for Brownfields Transactions) Environment in Review – Major New Developments for Brownfields & Wetlands Practitioners in California Publications – Articles (Partial List): New California Legislation Requires Comprehensive Cleanups for New Purchases Seeking Immunity from State Joint and Several Liability Laws Environment in Review – Major New Developments for Brownfields & Wetlands Practitioners in California New Nationwide Permit Program from the Army Corps of Engineers A Practical Guide to Structuring Brownfield Transactions in California: The Art of the Deal A Practical Guide to Implementing the Polanco Act for Redevelopment Area Brownfields A Practical Guide to Environmental Insurance in Brownfield Transactions A Practical Guide to the California Land Environmental Restoration and Reuse Act (SB 32) Joining the Brownfields Bandwagon: New Options in Contaminated Property Redevelopment Facilitating Base Conversions – Reforms of Environmental Law Can Minimize Gridlock A Practical Guide to Local Agency Involvement in the Cleanup of Contaminated Property A Practical Guide to the Intersection of Construction Law and Environmental Law A Practical Guide to Handling Low Level Radioactive Waste A Practical Guide to Air Quality Regulations Affecting Indirect and Area Sources of Air Pollution A Practical Guide to Preparing a Model Corporate Environmental Policy Environmental Law and Regulations, University of California at Berkley (Course Materials) Urban Redevelopment and Environmental Law, Stanford Law School (Course Materials) A Practitioner's Guide to CEQA Compliance for Projects Located for Contaminated Property A Practical Guide to Minimizing Lender and Investor Liability for Contaminated Property A Practical Introduction to the Building Blocks of an Environmental Compliance Program A Practical Guide to the Potential Liability of Environmental Managers Under Federal Environmental Laws A Practical Guide to Environmental Laws Affecting Colleges and Universities A Practical Guide to the Building Blocks of an Environmental Compliance Program for Laboratories Facilitating Long Term Planning with Program EIRs: A Case Study of the University of California 1988-1990 The Long Range Development Planning Process for Universities A Practical Guide to the Effects of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments on Cogeneration Facilities A Client's Guide to the Use of Environmental Lawyers A Practitioner's Guide to Preparing Environmental Impact Reports after Kings Country Farm Bureau v. City of Hanford When Citizens Sue: Some Federalism Issues

Julia Hesse is a healthcare attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston office. Ms. Hesse advises physicians, clinicians and healthcare investors in the formation and expansion of management companies across various specialties, with particular emphasis focused on dental practices, women's health, fertility centers, reproductive health, menopause and dermatology. Ms. Hesse has deep experience and knowledge representing fertility providers in transactional and complex regulatory and investigation matters. She is a leading national authority on the regulation of dentists and dental support organizations (DSOs), and advises on the unique structural and regulatory issues for investors in the dental space. In addition, Ms. Hesse counsels private equity and venture capital funds, as well as strategic investors, on healthcare diligence and transactional issues. She works with investors to assess risk related to healthcare regulatory and compliance matters, structures transactions to comply with regulatory requirements, and provides advice in connection with government investigations and compliance remediation. Ms. Hesse works closely with clients in the healthcare industry regarding regulatory matters such as fraud and abuse, self-referral laws, licensing, compliance, insurance, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, and state law privacy and data security concerns, including data breach issues. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Hesse was the co-chair of the healthcare group for a Boston-based law firm.

Brent Hill is the leader of Holland & Knight's Healthcare Section. He counsels providers in the physician services, behavioral health, outpatient services and home health sectors in acquisitions, dispositions, and joint ventures of healthcare facilities throughout the United States. Over the past ten years, he has focused on the physician practice management sector, and he represents both selling practices and acquiring physician practice management companies, including private equity-backed companies. He also routinely advises healthcare providers who seek to joint venture with hospital systems. To enhance the certainty of successful outcomes and protect client interests, Mr. Hill focuses on the determination and equitable allocation of risk between buyer and seller while navigating the regulatory issues that complicate healthcare transactions. His skills as a negotiator, a problem solver and a closer are recognized in both long-term and new client relationships. "He is the quarterback for me and the whole firm," a client told Chambers. "I go to him for everything." Despite providing counsel in what are often high-pressure, strategic transactions, Mr. Hill realizes that getting to know the CEOs, General Counsel, CFOs and Development Officers with whom he works is a critical element in achieving client objectives. Company leaders appreciate his easy rapport and the way he gains a deep understanding of their priorities and concerns.

David Iacuzio is a real estate finance attorney based in Holland & Knight's Charlotte office. He focuses on the representation of lending institutions, borrowers, servicing groups and joint venture parties. Mr. Iacuzio is highly experienced in real estate loan transactions, property acquisition and refinancing, loan workouts and related matters, and pledge fund formation. Mr. Iacuzio's recent representative matters include: represented lenders in connection with a variety of real estate loan transactions ranging in size of up to $7 billion, including origination of mortgage, mezzanine, debtor-in-possession and construction loans, loan splitting, participations, loan sales and acquisitions represented borrowers in connection with property acquisition and refinancing of current loans represented servicing groups in connection with loan workouts, loan restructurings, assumptions, defeasance payoffs, extensions, partial property releases and related matters represented joint venture parties in connection with pledge fund formation and acquisition of investment

David Jacobs is a Charlotte attorney with Holland & Knight's Financial Services Team. Mr. Jacobs focuses his practice on various financing and derivative transactions, mergers and acquisitions, private equity transactions, cross-border transactions, and real estate investment and development transactions. He has extensive experience as lead counsel for finance, corporate and real estate transactions in both the U.S. and Europe. Mr. Jacobs has represented lenders, investors and borrowers in a variety of finance transactions, including secured and unsecured syndicated credit facilities, asset-based lending facilities, private placements, high-yield offerings, acquisition financings, recapitalizations, first- and second-lien loans, mezzanine financings, commercial real estate financings, as well as loan workouts and restructurings. Notable representative experience includes: Advised administrative agents, lead arrangers and bank syndicates in domestic and international, secured and unsecured credit facilities, including a $650 million financing for a U.S. and international mutual fund, a $160 million secured acquisition financing, a $525 million secured financing for a major distributor in the beverage industry, a $375 million senior secured facility for a company in the healthcare industry, a $250 million unsecured facility to a major real estate investment trust (REIT), as well as a $75 million employee stock ownership plan (ESOP)-leveraged facility Advised one of the nation's largest financial institutions in its capacity as a master servicer to a commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) trust in a $200 million sale of a real estate-backed loan portfolio Represented a publicly traded company in a $200 million 144A note offering Represented a Hungarian branch and British affiliate of a Fortune 500 company with a $35 million project financing for the engineering and construction of a wastewater facility for an oil refinery in Hungary and a related $35 million interest rate and currency swap transaction with a major international bank Represented the Slovak government with respect to the 130 million euro (approximately $137.8 million) privatization of one of Slovakia's three electrical distribution companies Represented a major real estate developer with securing a $220 million first-lien and second-lien financing from a syndicate of lenders Represented a major real estate developer in securing a $97 million mezzanine financing

Adolfo Jiménez

Adolfo E. Jiménez is a Miami litigation attorney whose practice focuses on international disputes. Mr. Jiménez leads Holland & Knight's South Florida Litigation Practice Group, which consists of more than 80 attorneys, and also leads the firm's International Arbitration and Litigation Team. He is Board Certified in International Litigation and Arbitration by The Florida Bar. He handles general commercial litigation matters in federal and state courts. His international experience, language abilities and management skills provide innovative and comprehensive representation to clients involved in complex cases. Mr. Jiménez represents clients in disputes across numerous industries, including infrastructure, transportation, hospitality, mining, construction, media, energy, maritime, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, food distributors and technology. In the energy field, Mr. Jiménez has represented coal producers, oil and gas companies, and electric utilities. In infrastructure projects, he represents clients operating in public-private partnerships (PPP), canals, railroads, shipping, aviation, construction, toll roads, ports and mining. He represents buyers and sellers in yacht transactions and clients in maritime cases. In the media law area, he represents broadcasters, print and online media, producers, streaming companies and studios on programming and publications in English and Spanish, as well as disputes involving technology, copyright, entertainment, privacy and trademark claims. In addition to his civil litigation practice, Mr. Jiménez has extensive experience representing clients in international arbitrations in English and Spanish before the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR), American Arbitration Association (AAA), International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), China International Trade and Arbitration Commission (CIETAC) and cases administered under the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Arbitration Rules. He also has served in numerous cases as a sole arbitrator, panel chair and party-appointed arbitrator in ICC, ICSID, ICDR, PCA and AAA proceedings conducted in English and Spanish. Mr. Jiménez is co-chair of the Council for the International Institute for Conflict Prevention & Resolution. Mr. Jiménez also maintains an active federal and state court practice in which he represents clients in class actions, shareholder disputes, distribution agreements, mergers and acquisitions, unfair competition, fraud, trademark and copyright infringement, business torts and transportation disputes. From 2005 to 2010, Mr. Jiménez oversaw Holland & Knight's associate compensation, recruiting, mentoring, evaluations and partnership admissions process, as well as the training and attorney development programs. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Jiménez was a legal intern in the Office of the General Counsel of National Public Radio in Washington, D.C.

Mark Kalpin, co-leader of the firm's Renewable Energy Team, is an energy, environmental and natural resource attorney in Holland & Knight's Boston and Washington, D.C., offices. He advises clients on the financing, development and operation of energy, infrastructure and natural resource development projects throughout the United States. Mr. Kalpin is well-versed in the development and operation of offshore and onshore wind projects, solar generation projects, electric generation facilities, electric transmission facilities, liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, natural gas pipelines and subsea telecommunication cables. He has represented companies before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), as well as state public utility commissions, state environmental agencies, and electric regional transmission organizations (RTOs) and independent system operators (ISOs). Mr. Kalpin has negotiated purchase agreements, engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreements, fuel supply agreements, and power purchase agreements for a wide variety of traditional and renewable energy generation projects. He also has assisted a number of renewable energy project proponents in obtaining and negotiating the terms of grants, loans and loan guarantees from the DOE. Mr. Kalpin provides counsel on all aspects of energy, environmental and natural resource law. He has successfully represented clients in federal and state environmental enforcement actions, administrative appeals and permitting proceedings arising under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act, National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, Federal Power Act, Natural Gas Act and Jones Act. In the 2014 U.S. News – Best Lawyers "Best Law Firms" rankings, clients recognized Mr. Kalpin for his "thorough work … on very complex environmental matters." Mr. Kalpin served as a senior project manager with FERC's Office of Pipeline and Producer Regulation from 1986 to 1993.

Michael J.A. Karlin is a private wealth services and tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Century City office. Mr. Karlin advises corporate and individual clients on tax, estate planning and business matters involving a cross-border element. For more than 45 years, Mr. Karlin has focused on private client work. He advises individuals and families from abroad who invest in or move to the U.S., as well as U.S. individuals and families who invest and move abroad, including the ever-increasing regulatory and reporting obligations associated with such activities. Pre-immigration and expatriation planning are an important part of his practice. Mr. Karlin also advises individuals and closely held businesses on the tax and business aspects of operating outside their home jurisdiction. He has helped to establish corporations, companies, partnerships and joint ventures in many parts of the world and worked extensively on foreign and domestic trusts. In recent years, Mr. Karlin has helped many taxpayers deal with the tax and reporting consequences of foreign financial accounts and holdings, including through offshore voluntary disclosures, streamlined disclosures and other ways of handling noncompliance. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Karlin is a regular speaker on tax, estate planning and business issues, and has contributed articles to a variety of professional publications, including Tax Notes, Tax Lawyer, Journal of International Taxation, Tax Management International Journal and Major Tax Planning. Mr. Karlin has also been involved in the submission of many comments on tax legislation, regulations and tax reform, including leading a national group that obtained relief from the IRS on the application of U.S. tax residence rules for noncitizens stranded in the U.S. because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Karlin was a founder and an attorney at a boutique private wealth services law firm in Los Angeles.

Stewart Kasner is a private wealth services attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office, where he co-leads the firm's International Private Client Group, focusing primarily in the areas of international taxation, trusts and estates. Mr. Kasner routinely advises ultra-high-net-worth foreign and domestic clients on U.S. federal income, gift and estate tax matters associated with their cross-border investments, including U.S. real estate investments and business activities, as well as pre-immigration tax planning. His practice also includes forming and overseeing complex international corporate and trust structures, and implementing international reorganizations. Mr. Kasner has extensive experience in offshore trust instruments, international information reporting, Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act (FIRPTA), Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), voluntary disclosures and withholding tax matters. He also advises on divorce tax matters for cross-border couples, as well as the development and purchase of offshore private placement U.S. tax compliant life insurance and annuity contracts. In addition, Mr. Kasner is board certified in tax law by The Florida Bar. In the community, Mr. Kasner has served as an adjunct professor of federal income taxation and estate planning at University of Florida Levin College of Law, St. Thomas University School of Law, the University of Miami and Florida International University College of Law. He also represents indigent clients in connection with their U.S. tax controversies through Put Something Back, a joint pro bono project of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida and the Miami-Dade County Bar Association in conjunction with Legal Services of Greater Miami.

Nora Katz is an immigration attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. As a trusted advisor to clients in healthcare, technology, manufacturing, logistics and other sectors, Ms. Katz helps employers build and retain competitive international workforces. In particular, she has extensive experience serving the needs of hospitals, health systems and healthcare providers, partnering with healthcare employers to address critical workforce challenges and guiding them through the complex landscape of U.S. immigration law to attract, hire and retain top international medical and scientific talent. Ms. Katz's practice centers on preparing and managing a full spectrum of nonimmigrant and immigrant visa petitions and essential applications, including: J-1 waivers for physicians subject to the two-year foreign residence requirement, enabling hospitals and clinics to recruit and retain international medical graduates in underserved areas H-1B visas for specialty occupation professionals, with a particular emphasis on physicians, researchers and allied health professionals O-1 visas for individuals of extraordinary ability L-1 visas for intracompany transfers E-2 and E-3 visas TN visas PERM, Schedule A, National Interest Waiver and EB-1 immigrant petition processes Ms. Katz also advises clients on compliance with government regulatory programs, including I-9 employment verification and E-Verify, and provides strategic counsel on immigration issues arising from mergers, acquisitions and organizational restructuring. Ms. Katz is recognized for her pragmatic approach, deep industry knowledge and commitment to client service. She regularly collaborates with human resources, legal and compliance teams to develop tailored immigration solutions that align with organizational goals and regulatory requirements. Prior to her current role, Ms. Katz gained extensive experience in immigration law and regulatory compliance at two AmLaw 100 law firms, where she developed a reputation for her meticulous approach and commitment to client service.

Christopher Kelly

Christopher G. Kelly is the firmwide Section Leader of Holland & Knight's 615-lawyer Litigation Section. Mr. Kelly focuses his practice on multiparty complex commercial litigation, including aviation defense, defense of mass and toxic torts, product liability, class-actions (consumer, labor/employment, data privacy and cybersecurity) and insurance. In addition, Mr. Kelly has an internationally recognized reputation for pioneering innovative and cost-effective strategies for minimizing risk in both litigation and commercial transactions. His clients include domestic airlines, international transportation carriers, food and chemical manufacturers, domestic and foreign insurers, and public and private companies in the financial professional and consumer service industries. Mr. Kelly has particular experience in representing clients facing potentially catastrophic liabilities; since 1987 he has successfully guided domestic and foreign clients to resolution, through trial, arbitration, negotiation or mediation of dozens of highly publicized claims that in total sought more than $60 billion in damages. Mr. Kelly is ranked in Chambers USA, where clients noted in particular his ability to "navigate problems large and small effectively." Representative Matters Aviation After successfully representing an international carrier in a 2000 crash involving more than 100 casualties, Mr. Kelly served as lead U.S. trial counsel in the disappearance of an international flight in May 2009, which resulted in the forum non conveniens dismissal of the 45 individual lawsuits brought in the U.S. He also was the architect of a domestic airline's zero pay resolution of 25 nationwide privacy breach class actions from 2005 to 2008, arising from alleged violations of the airline's self-imposed privacy policies. Mr. Kelly has represented domestic and foreign air carriers in more than 100 commercial and tort claims since 1995. Class Actions Mr. Kelly has represented clients across the country as lead trial counsel in putative class actions alleging carcinogenic exposure of 6 million putative class members stemming from West Nile virus spraying in New York City and 4 million putative class members arising from Medfly spraying in Central Florida; privacy violations in the mobile application arena; breach of contract and consumer fraud claims; penalty wage claims; and unfair trade practice claims across multiple industries. Commercial Litigation Mr. Kelly has successfully represented dozens of clients in state and federal court actions ranging from bank fraud, shareholder disputes, distribution agreements, unfair competition, fraud, trademark and copyright infringement, various business torts, creditors' rights, bankruptcies and destruction of natural resources. Mr. Kelly has been Holland & Knight's Litigation Section Leader since Aug. 1, 2018, and was the New York office Practice Group Leader from 2008 to 2018. From 2009 to 2018, he served as one of 24 firmwide elected members of the firm's Directors Committee. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Kelly was employed as Director of Development at Regis High School, his alma mater, in New York City. Mr. Kelly has spoken yearly since 2008 at the City Bar Association of the City of New York's "Developments in Commercial Division Practice." In addition, he has spoken at numerous aviation seminars as well as led presentations and moderated panels at American Bar Association (ABA) Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS) and the ABA Air & Space Law Forum on litigation. Topics on which Mr. Kelly has spoken include demonstrative evidence, criminalization of negligence claims, comparative U.S.-European legal regimes and the rights of secured and unsecured creditors unintentional bankruptcies. He regularly speaks at overseas conferences for European insurers and their insureds on product liability litigation and developing areas of liability in the United States.

Wade M. Kennedy is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office and a member of the firm's Financial Services Team and co-lead of the Asset-Based Lending Team. Mr. Kennedy has more than 30 years of experience and focuses his practice on representing lead financial institutions in complex syndicated credits to asset-based and leveraged borrowers. He has significant experience documenting asset-based credit facilities in the context of sponsor-driven acquisitions, unitranche facilities and working capital, high yield/term debt and first lien/second lien transactions. In addition, Mr. Kennedy's practice includes representing national financial institutions in single and multicurrency credit facilities, cross-border financings and other leveraged finance and cash flow transactions. His asset-based lending experience spans various industries, including manufacturing, trucking, food products, lender finance, retail, beverage and energy.

Marc Klein is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, where he represents employers in all aspects of employment and labor law, and employment-based and business immigration law. Mr. Klein's practice focuses on counseling clients on day-to-day personnel matters, handling administrative proceedings and investigations before federal and state governmental agencies, and representing management in employment litigation, including claims for discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful discharge. In addition, Mr. Klein advises management on compliance with the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), provides strategic immigration-related guidance and risk analysis in connection with corporate transactions (including assessment of employment eligibility and formulating pathways to ensure employees may continue working lawfully without interruption), develops successful approaches so multinational companies may lawfully transfer executives, managers and specialized-knowledge personnel to the United States, and prepares nonimmigrant and immigrant petitions for foreign national employees. Mr. Klein also represents foreign investors who desire to reside temporarily in the United States or seek U.S. permanent resident status and lawful permanent residents who wish to become naturalized U.S. citizens. Mr. Klein is Board Certified in Labor and Employment Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He previously served as a chairman and member on the Labor and Employment Law Advisory Commission for the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Tammy L. Knight is a partner in Holland & Knight's Fort Lauderdale office. She practices in the areas of corporate, securities and franchise law. Ms. Knight is experienced in a wide range of corporate and securities matters with an emphasis on advising clients in public offerings, private placements, M&A transactions, periodic reporting and compliance matters, and proxy contests. Her experience also includes advising boards of directors and their committees on disclosure, governance and compliance matters arising out of Securities and Exchange Commission regulations, stock exchange rules and corporate laws. Ms. Knight also represents franchisors in a broad range of legal services, including organizing and structuring franchise and other distribution programs, negotiating and preparing franchise agreements, representing franchisors in compliance with franchise disclosure and registration law, including preparation of franchise disclosure documents, registering, amending and renewing franchises with state authorities; mergers and acquisitions; preventing and resolving franchise disputes; assisting in franchise termination and renewal issues; and handling various other related corporate and business matters.

Sarah Passeri Korapaty is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s New York office, as well as a member of the firm's Litigation Practice Group. Ms. Korapaty's practice focuses on aviation and complex litigation matters, with emphasis on aviation accident and transportation mass disaster litigation, transportation accident claims and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) accident investigations. Domestic and foreign transportation companies rely on Ms. Korapaty to represent them in all types of civil litigation, including claims involving wrongful death and personal injury, mass torts, product and premises liability, regulatory violations, breach of contract and commercial disputes. Ms. Korapaty's notable experience includes: representing air carriers in disputes arising out of the Flight 447 accident in the Atlantic Ocean, the Flight 1951 accident in Amsterdam and the Flight 6 accident in Dubai securing dismissal of numerous types of passenger claims on preemption grounds under the Airline Deregulation Act, the Federal Aviation Act and accompanying regulations, the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, and international treaties, including the Montreal Convention assisting air carriers and manufacturers with investigations by the NTSB and foreign bodies, including non-fatal turbulence incidents, ground collisions, runway excursions, and fatal and non-fatal accidents representing air carriers in class action litigation arising from COVID-19 pandemic refund policies Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Korapaty served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judge Anita Florio, New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division, Second Department. In addition, Ms. Korapaty has experience flying single-engine aircraft. She also is a competitive distance runner and has completed the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathon on multiple occasions. Ms. Korapaty is the chair of the Women's Initiative for the New York office and the Public and Charitable Service partner for the Charlotte office.

Alyse Latour is a corporate attorney in Holland & Knight's Tampa office and is a member of the firm's Corporate Services, Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) and Public Companies and Securities teams. Ms. Latour focuses her practice on transactional and corporate matters. She counsels clients on M&A, corporate law, securities and corporate governance. Ms. Latour has worked with clients across a range of sectors, including manufacturing, consumer products, technology, banking and financial services, private equity, defense, aerospace and government services. Ms. Latour has experience in corporate mergers, acquisitions and dispositions, venture capital investments, financings and other business transactions. She advises clients on all aspects of such transactions, including planning, structuring and negotiation. Ms. Latour's experience also includes public and private securities offerings, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) reporting, proxy statements and other business matters.

Nathan Leavitt is an asset finance attorney based in Holland & Knight's San Francisco office. Mr. Leavitt focuses on representing commercial aircraft lessors, and his clients include most of the top-10 largest aircraft leasing companies in the commercial aviation industry. Trades and financings for portfolios of more than 15 aircraft are a significant part of Mr. Leavitt's practice. He has dedicated a considerable portion of his career to developing systems, procedures, technology and training that enable Holland & Knight's 30-plus aviation finance professionals who regularly work with him to rapidly and accurately negotiate and scale complex aviation transactions. Mr. Leavitt regularly negotiates aircraft operating lease agreements with airlines for Boeing, Airbus, Embraer and ATR aircraft, as well as engines from CFM, Rolls-Royce, Pratt & Whitney, International Aero Engines (IAE) and General Electric (GE), among others. He has particular experience negotiating Passenger-to-Cargo (P2F) conversions and related lease documentation. In addition, he has developed contractual architecture for complex engine swaps under leasing documentation. Pre-delivery payment (PDP) financing is a regular component of Mr. Leavitt's practice, whether structured with an associated sale/leaseback or as stand-alone PDP financing. He has also advised several participants in asset-backed securitization (ABS) for passenger aircraft, engines and cargo aircraft. Servicing agreements – whether associated with ABS vehicles or for assets owned by a joint venture (JV), side-car or third-party investor – are contractual relationships on which Mr. Leavitt regularly advises both lessors and investors. Consignment agreements for the efficient parting out of end-of-life aircraft is a further area in which Mr. Leavitt has significant experience. Default, repossession and remedies advice for lessors faced with defaulting lessees is also a regular part of Mr. Leavitt's practice. He has designed custom repossession and remedies strategies on numerous occasions to help lessors analyze not only their contractual rights, but also the practical and business considerations concomitant with exercising remedies. Often following a default, Mr. Leavitt has negotiated restructuring agreements for lessors to forebear exercising remedies in exchange for certain assurances and other consideration from the lessee. Mr. Leavitt has coordinated involuntary repossession plans by means of temporary restraining orders (TROs), injunctions, issuance of grounding orders and exercise of deregistration powers of attorney in multiple states throughout the U.S. and multiple countries in Asia, Europe and Latin America. And when an airline files bankruptcy, whether Chapter 11, 13 or 15 in the U.S. or in another jurisdiction, he has regularly been brought in to advise on the contractual rights, U.S. Bankruptcy Code 1110 issues and Cape Town Convention rights and remedies. Mr. Leavitt began his career with Holland & Knight's aviation finance team in San Francisco. He spent two years in the firm's New York office before relocating to England to open the firm's London office, and once established, he returned to San Francisco. Previously, Mr. Leavitt was a secondee with GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) working for their Latin America and Caribbean division.

Kristine Little

Kristine O. Little is a Washington, D.C.-based transportation attorney who focuses her practice on a broad range of international and domestic, transactional, litigation and regulatory compliance matters in the areas of maritime, rail and trucking. Ms. Little represents clients on regulatory and commercial issues pertaining to international trade and transportation. Ms. Little's experience includes: drafting, negotiating and providing guidance regarding shipper, carrier and broker transportation and logistics agreements, and commercial contracts providing guidance on federal transportation regulations and statutes with the Surface Transportation Board (STB), Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) commercial negotiations and dispute resolution involving transportation-related agreements, including those related to demurrage and detention representing clients in federal, arbitration and agency proceedings, primarily involving transportation issues Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Little worked as a transportation attorney for a Washington, D.C.-based firm. During law school, Ms. Little was an articles editor for the American University Business Law Review, a student attorney for the Washington College of Law's Disability Rights Law Clinic and served as a judicial intern for the Honorable Gary Bair of the Montgomery County Circuit Court.

Cynthia Liuis an asset finance attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, where she focuses on commercial aircraft finance. Ms. Liu represents commercial banks, leasing companies, borrowers, lenders, initial purchasers, arrangers, private equity investors and airlines in connection with secured and unsecured lending, simple and complex bank loans, sale/lease transactions and other financing transactions in the U.S. and abroad. In addition, Ms. Liu has extensive experience in international trade, including U.S. export controls, sanctions, trade policy, World Trade Organization (WTO) litigation and trade remedies. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Liu was an attorney at an international law firm in its Washington, D.C., office.

Kenneth Lowenstein

Kenneth Lowenstein is a land use attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office who advises clients on all aspects of site development in New York City, including site analysis, zoning changes, special permits, zoning variances and air rights transfers. Mr. Lowenstein also assists clients who wish to develop affordable housing under one of the city's programs, including Voluntary Inclusionary Housing (VIH), Mandatory Inclusionary Housing (MIH) and the newly adopted Uniform Affordability Preference Program (UAP). In addition, he represents clients seeking to utilize the Section 421-a and Section 485-x tax exemption programs, Affordable New York Housing Program, Section 421-a Extended Affordability Program and Section 467-m Conversion Program. Mr. Lowenstein has more than 35 years of experience in the land use field. Recent matters handled by Mr. Lowenstein include: representing a multibillion-dollar real estate asset manager in the development of approximately 7 million square feet of office, residential, retail and hotel space on the west side of Manhattan providing ongoing zoning analysis to a private equity fund in connection with its acquisition of self-storage facilities obtaining approval from city agencies for a national real estate investment trust (REIT) to develop a full-block site with three schools, housing and retail representing a developer in converting two office buildings into residential properties with more than 2,000 apartments on completion obtained the first approval for an owner under the Section 421-a Extended Affordability Program and represented numerous other owners in securing the required approvals; additionally advising the Real Estate Board of New York in connection with tax exemption programs filing applications with the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development for approvals under the Inclusionary Housing Program (IHP) Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Lowenstein worked for a U.S. congressman and served in senior positions in New York state and city governments, including on former Mayor Edward Koch's staff, as well as in New York City's Department of Buildings and in the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Marisa Marinelli

Marisa Marinelli is an attorney in the Litigation Section of Holland & Knight's New York office and serves on the firm's Directors Committee. She is also a director of the New York International Arbitration Center. Ms. Marinelli is an arbitration advocate and trial attorney whose practice focuses on the litigation and arbitration of disputes arising in connection with international commercial contracts and transactions. She represents clients in all phases of the dispute resolution process (drafting and advising on dispute resolution provisions, analysis of claims, pre-dispute settlement negotiations and mediation, arbitration or litigation of claims, post-judgment recovery, and appeals), with a focus on disputes that involve the international sale of goods, particularly in the energy and raw materials sectors; transportation contracts; post-M&A representation and warranty disputes; insurance coverage disputes; and commercial disputes. She also has represented clients in matters concerning marine casualties; environmental claims; sovereign immunity issues; the Oil Pollution Act of 1990; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA); and shipping-company workouts. Ms. Marinelli's representative engagements include: Obtained a favorable award in an ad hoc arbitration in New York for a major power company concerning the novel issue of whether grid-scale battery energy storage facilities qualify as generation in the modern electric grid and under the terms of an option that was given under a merger agreement Represented a Spanish subcontractor against a U.S. general contractor in an International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR) dispute arising from the construction of a photovoltaic plant in Chile Represented a major oil company in New Jersey state court litigation in connection with complex insurance and indemnity claims involving liability for cleanup at a New Jersey Superfund site Represented the foreign sovereign nation of Spain in pursuing its claims against a ship's classification society and in defending the government's response to an oil spill pursuant to its National Contingency Plan following the sinking of the Prestige tanker in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Spain, which caused pollution damages of more than $1 billion; the litigation addressed important issues of federal maritime law and limits on the application of the Civil Liability Convention Obtained a favorable award in an ICDR arbitration for the seller in a post-M&A breach of representation and warranty claim that included complex damages and business valuation claims Obtained a favorable award in an ICDR arbitration for a Mexican oil company in a dispute involving claims and counterclaims for a breach of a contract for the sale of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), including complex claims for past and future damages Obtained a favorable settlement after one day of a trial that was projected to last multiple weeks in a matter involving shareholder and corporate governance disputes Obtained a favorable award in an AAA arbitration for an airline client involving claims for breaches of an employment contract asserted by more than 4,000 pilots Obtained dismissal of action, vacatur of the Yellowstone injunction that had been granted, and obtained an award of attorneys' fees on behalf of a warehouse/property owner for which a tenant under a long-term lease asserted claims for alleged hidden defects Obtained a favorable award, including attorneys' fees, in a Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA) arbitration on behalf of the seller of a tanker vessel under an MOA, where purchaser asserted claims for inter alia revocation and recession Obtained numerous favorable settlements on behalf of oil companies for claims involving contamination of products transported on tanker vessels or delivered to, stored at, or loaded on board ships or barges from storage tank farms After an ICDR arbitration that included strict discovery oversight under ITAR regulations, obtained a settlement of a claim for insurance coverage for the alleged total loss of a satellite Obtained a favorable award in an AAA arbitration for an investment banking consultant involving disputes for fees arising under an Independent Contractor Agreement In addition, Ms. Marinelli's non-litigation practice includes drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising on commercial agreements and transactions, including letters of credit, international distribution and marketing agreements, energy-related purchase and sale agreements, and transportation agreements. She also provides support to teams doing due diligence in transactions involving these sectors. In a notable pro bono matter, Ms. Marinelli represented the Committee to Save St. Brigid's, a group of parishioners and preservationists, in an action against the Archdiocese of New York. That action sought to save an historic church built by Irish shipwrights in the 1840s from demolition. With an appeal pending before the New York Court of Appeals, an anonymous "angel" donated more than $20 million to restore the Church. See Frances Robles, "A New Beginning for a Church Where Demolition Once Started," The New York Times, Jan. 27, 2013. Ms. Marinelli has published articles on pre-arbitration requirements in dispute resolution clauses, appeals of arbitral awards, third-party discovery in arbitration, the neutrality of arbitrators, the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods, and CERCLA and the carriage of dangerous goods and hazardous substances. She is currently working on a chapter for a book on maritime arbitration addressing the topic of compelling arbitration. While at Hofstra University School of Law, she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review.

Lorena Martinez

Tadeo Martínez

Tadeo Martinez is a financial services attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Martinez focuses his practice on structured and corporate finance, financial products design, mergers and acquisitions, private equity, private debt and venture capital funds, development financial institutions (DFIs), resource mobilization, impact investing, restructuring, workouts and contract enforcement. With more than 25 years of experience in transactional law and dispute resolution, Mr. Martinez has advised lenders and investors in more than 200 cross-border transactions, including debt, quasi-equity and equity products. In addition, he has in-depth knowledge and experience with the design and implementation of complex resource mobilization initiatives and financial products design. Mr. Martinez has also represented clients before local authorities and regulators regarding the introduction of new financial products into local markets and in connection with the privileges and immunities of international organizations. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Martinez served more than 18 years at the Inter-American Development Bank Group, the largest development financial institution focused on Latin America and the Caribbean, working as senior counsel for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Multilateral Investment Fund (IDB Lab), and as lead counsel for the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest), the private sector arm of the IDB Group. Based in Washington, D.C., Mr. Martinez provided legal advice on private sector operations, including loans, grants, guarantees, equity and quasi-equity investments, and the mobilization of third-party resources.

Andrew McAllister

Andrew K. McAllister is a Washington, D.C., attorney and member of Holland & Knight's International Trade Group and the co-leader of the Customs and Products Importation Team. He focuses on export controls, sanctions, customs, antidumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD), anti-corruption and industrial security. Mr. McAllister advises clients on U.S. export controls laws, such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). He has extensive experience with U.S. trade embargoes and economic sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the U.S. Department of State, particularly with respect to Cuba, Iran, Russia, Ukraine and Syria. Mr. McAllister also counsels a wide range of clients regarding import matters before U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including seizures, classification, valuation, country of origin and preferential duty treatment under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) and free trade agreements (FTAs), including the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). He has experience related to court actions at the U.S. Court of International Trade (CIT) involving import matters. Leveraging his prior government experience at the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), he also advises clients on the AD and CVD laws administered by the DOC and the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC). He has represented foreign companies and U.S. importers in a number of diverse industries, including steel, solar, agriculture, chemicals, furniture and construction materials. These efforts include dumping and subsidization issues before the DOC and injury issues before the USITC. He also has experience in other trade remedy laws, including Section 201 (safeguard investigations), Section 232 (national security investigations), and Section 301 (technology transfer/intellectual property investigations). Mr. McAllister counsels clients regarding domestic preference programs such as the Buy American Act (BAA), Trade Agreements Act (TAA), and Buy America requirements (U.S. Department of Transportation). In addition, Mr. McAllister assists clients on anti-corruption issues under the FCPA and the U.K. Bribery Act. He has participated in internal investigations, assisted in providing legal counsel and opinions on corruption issues and developed anti-corruption compliance programs. Mr. McAllister counsels clients in matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). He also works on facility security clearance (FCL) issues before the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), the Department of Energy (DoE), and the intelligence community with a particular focus on Foreign Ownership, Control or Influence (FOCI) mitigation measures. Mr. McAllister is active in Holland & Knight's pro bono program, through which he provides counseling to nonprofit organizations in connection with their humanitarian assistance and environmentally friendly programs. Additionally, he frequently serves as a volunteer judge for the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. McAllister served as a senior international trade analyst within the DOC's International Trade Administration (ITA). He was the lead analyst on numerous AD/CVD cases brought against foreign companies. These cases involved a wide range of industries, including synthetic products, paper products, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, agricultural products and steel. He also led DOC teams conducting on-site verifications in China, Korea, Thailand, India, Canada and Italy.

Chelsea Ashbrook McCarthy

Chelsea Ashbrook McCarthy is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office. Ms. McCarthy routinely handles highly complex financial-based litigation matters under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and in the areas of real estate and class action defense. As a partner in the firm's Litigation and Dispute Resolution Practice and member of the ERISA Litigation team, Ms. McCarthy blends nearly two decades of experience in complex litigation matters with a keen interest in each client's business objectives to create a tailored approach to achieve them. Her experience advocating through all phases of litigation helps ensure that she advises on the best strategy – be it the means for obtaining a quick resolution or driving trial-focused litigation. With a particular focus on ERISA litigation, Ms. McCarthy defends plan sponsors, company boards of directors, selling shareholders and fiduciaries in ERISA putative class actions involving employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) and 401(k) plans alleging claims of breach of fiduciary duty and engaging in prohibited transactions. She also represents clients in regulatory investigations by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) for alleged violations of ERISA. Ms. McCarthy is a member of the ESOP Association's Legal and Regulatory Committee, the American Bar Association's (ABA) Labor and Employment Section Employee Benefits Committee and a frequent speaker and publisher on ERISA issues. She is a chapter editor of the Bloomberg ABA Treatise: Employee Benefits Law. Ms. McCarthy's class action experience extends beyond the ERISA space. She has defended clients in putative class actions involving claims under the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act (ICFA), Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA) and other state comparable statutes, as well as federal Truth-in-Leasing Regulations governing motor carriers. Ms. McCarthy also has significant experience handling claims for breach of contract, fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and other business torts across a variety of industries. She represents companies and individuals in the prosecution and defense of restrictive covenant and trade secret claims, frequently representing clients in expedited injunction proceedings. She routinely advises clients in financial services disputes, with a particular focus on distressed real estate and commercial foreclosures. Her real estate experience extends to commercial lease disputes. And, as the client development leader for Holland & Knight's Real Estate and Hospitality Industry Sector Group, Ms. McCarthy utilizes her years of experience with real estate disputes to collaborate with attorneys across practice areas to support clients in the real estate and hospitality industries. Ms. McCarthy advocates for clients through all phases of litigation, from pre-suit counseling through appeals. She has successfully prevailed on and defended claims for preliminary injunctive relief and has tried cases to verdict in state and federal court. She is a member of the trial bar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. In addition to her legal practice, Ms. McCarthy is an active community volunteer and serves as a member of the board of directors of the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. McCarthy clerked for the Honorable Richard L. Young in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana.

Mary McNulty is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Ms. McNulty represents large business taxpayers in Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits, appeals and tax litigation, with emphasis on federal tax procedural issues, interest, penalties and partnership audits. She has significant knowledge and experience in partnership tax issues relating to private equity, energy, real estate, and exempt organizations.

Gregory R. Meeder is a nationally recognized construction attorney who handles civil trial matters in state and federal courts on a local and national basis, proceedings before governmental and administrative agencies, and arbitration and mediation proceedings. Mr. Meeder was named the 2023 "Lawyer of the Year" for Litigation – Construction in Chicago by The Best Lawyers in America, but his practice is national in scope. Notably, Mr. Meeder has more than 10 years of experience handling construction conflicts in Texas. His neutral experience and training, together with his relationships with key subject matter experts throughout the country, bring added value to his representations. Mr. Meeder's legal career focuses on complex construction procurements, litigation, arbitrations, mediations and the representation of public owners, property developers, underground contractors, construction companies, commercial banks, corporations, partnerships, not-for-profits and individuals with regard to multimillion-dollar construction matters. General Construction. Mr. Meeder's general construction experience includes structuring project delivery methods and reviewing, structuring and negotiating construction, design and construction management contracts; advising clients on contract interpretation and contract and project administration for commercial, institutional and public building projects and public works projects; claim avoidance counseling; public procurement laws and bid protests; construction industry labor and employment issues; Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) matters; change order management; project close-out management; assessment, preparation and defense of claims; litigation and arbitration of construction-related disputes; and providing general business advice to premier construction industry clients. Mr. Meeder has handled projects including hydroelectric power plants, federal buildings, manufacturing facilities, fast-track office buildings, commercial and residential buildings, nationally known golf courses, highway construction, hospitals, wastewater treatment plants, airports, senior housing projects, tollway systems, underground utility, cable, electric, gas, fiber optic, telephone, water, stormwater and sewer projects, including tunneling, horizontal boring, directional drilling and other specialty work related to underground infrastructure projects. Construction Defects. Mr. Meeder has developed a niche in handling construction defect and design matters involving geotechnical issues involving hydroelectric power plants, industrial developments, transportation terminals, elevated highways, high-rise building and underground infrastructure. He also handles preliminary injunction matters on an emergency basis on behalf of construction clients involving asbestos regulation and environmental issues, seal orders and remediation actions brought by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Construction Disputes. Clients turn to Mr. Meeder to resolve construction disputes throughout the country, as he is known for his ability to quickly identify and address complex legal and business issues at the contract level prior to litigation, including multimillion dollar projects. As a member of the Panel of Neutrals for the American Arbitration Association (AAA) Industry, ADR Systems of America and the International Court of Claims (ICC), acting as an arbitrator and mediator in construction disputes, he has served as an arbitrator and mediator in 120 to 150 matters involving construction disputes, delay claims, differing site condition claims, terminations for default, construction defect claims, mechanics lien cases and geotechnical claims. His mediations and arbitrations have included mega-construction cases involving parties such as energy owners, national physics laboratories, national general contractors, large material suppliers, nationally known golf courses, specialty contractors and sophisticated owners of commercial, retail and public projects, including national developers. In addition to his legal practice, Mr. Meeder has authored legislation on behalf of the Underground Contractors Association (UCA) and the Illinois Construction Industry Committee (ICIC) requiring differing site condition clauses in public construction contracts in excess of $75,000. See 30 ILCS 557/1 et seq. Mr. Meeder co-authored the first-ever strategic partnership agreement between OSHA and the UCA. The agreement employs a third-party administrator to significantly reduce exposure of construction companies and their employees to safety risks. Further, Mr. Meeder has held key positions within the industry that have provided him with strong personal and professional construction industry ties, experience and knowledge. He holds the distinction of being only the second attorney member of the Chicago Building Congress (CBC) to serve as president in its 80-year history. He also has served as a past board member as well as general counsel to the Underground Contractors Association.

Mark Melton is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office and serves as the co-chair of the Tax, Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice Group. He focuses on federal income taxation issues related to domestic and international transactions of private equity and hedge funds, as well as other investment partnerships, joint ventures, real estate investment trusts (REITs) and operating businesses. More specifically, Mr. Melton assists clients with investment fund formation, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), real estate investment and development, and financial instruments and derivatives. He is experienced in a broad spectrum of tax issues such as complex partnership allocations, inbound and outbound cross-border investments, and investments by sovereign wealth funds, tax-exempt entities, international organizations and other institutional investors. Mr. Melton also advises on Section 1202 qualified small business stock (QSBS) issues. Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Melton served as a fund tax manager for a multibillion-dollar international private equity group. He is a certified public accountant (CPA) and a Level II candidate in the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.

George Mencio Jr. is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office and serves as the firmwide co-leader of the Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group and serves as chair of firmwide International Initiatives. He practices principally in the areas of corporate and international law, with emphasis on mergers and acquisitions and joint venture transactions, cross-border transactions and dispute resolution, commercial contracts, international trade and commerce with industry specialties in the agribusiness, mining and transportation sectors. His clients include multinational concerns in the fragrance, medical equipment, transportation, tourism, mining and agricultural sectors, major airlines, cruise lines, software and technology companies, operators and managers of hotel projects, and providers of goods and services in the international arena. Mr. Mencio has extensive experience in mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures; international commercial transactions, such as franchising, distribution and licensing agreements; and is accustomed to working on cross-border transactions and disputes. Mr. Mencio has conducted multiple international arbitrations in the United States, Europe and Latin America.

Lee Meyercord is a Dallas tax attorney who represents taxpayers in all stages of a federal tax dispute, including audits, administrative appeals and federal income tax litigation. She has represented a broad range of clients, including Fortune 100 companies, large partnerships, closely held businesses, exempt organizations and high-net-worth individuals. She has significant experience in partnership tax issues relating to energy, real estate and private equity. She also represents taxpayers in Texas property tax disputes. Ms. Meyercord is Board Certified in Tax Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Jeffrey Mittleman

Jeffrey W. Mittleman is an attorney in the Healthcare Section of Holland & Knight. He is also co-leader of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Group and the Healthcare Regulatory and Enforcement Practice Group. He practices in the areas of health, regulatory and corporate law. With more than 25 years of experience, he represents clients in a variety of sectors within the healthcare industry, including health plans (both fully and self-insured), PPOs, HMOs, insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, pharmaceutical manufacturers (including a number of companies specializing in oncology medicine), medical device companies, retail pharmacies, long-term care pharmacies, specialty pharmacies, infusion pharmacies, compounding pharmacies, mail order pharmacies, wholesale drug distributors, dialysis companies, e-health, disease management and healthcare technology companies. Mr. Mittleman counsels clients in a variety of corporate and contractual transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing, financing and services-related transactions. He also advises clients on fraud and abuse issues including the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law and the Corporate Practice of Medicine, and the structuring of compliance and ethics programs, Medicare, Medicaid, ERISA, HIPAA, licensing, state insurance and managed care law. In addition, Mr. Mittleman has significant experience advising health plans in connection with the drafting of plan documents, ASO contracting and other regulatory issues. Mr. Mittleman represents private equity firms in connection with investments in portfolio companies that are engaged in the healthcare and life sciences industries. He guides private equity clients through every stage of an acquisition, from evaluation of the opportunity and due diligence to deal structuring and negotiation to closing. Mr. Mittleman has published several articles and spoken at conferences regarding various health law issues, including compliance, fraud and abuse, pharmacy law, drug distribution and managed care. Mr. Mittleman holds various leadership positions within the firm, including serving on the firm's Directors Committee. From 2007-2017, he served as the Boston office Public & Charitable Services Partner and from 2009-2017, he served as the co-chair of the Boston office's Diversity Committee.

Gerald Morrissey III

Gerald Morrissey is a maritime and international trade attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Morrissey focuses his practice on the development, financing and operation of maritime- and international trade-related companies and projects. He regularly advises clients on ocean shipping and trade contracting and regulatory compliance matters, offshore energy industry maritime matters, and vessel ownership and operating matters. Mr. Morrissey's transactional experience includes a wide range of maritime-related investments and acquisitions, operational contracting (e.g., charters and vessel use agreements) and diverse finance matters. Mr. Morrissey has represented numerous institutional lenders, private equity investors, as well as corporate borrower-side clients, on asset-backed corporate lending, vessel and equipment lease finance, private placement debt and structured finance projects. A significant portion of Mr. Morrissey's practice also involves administrative counseling and maritime regulatory matters, including matters involving the Federal Maritime Commission, U.S. Maritime Administration and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. He has extensive maritime litigation experience before the Federal Maritime Commission, and in federal district and appellate courts involving federal maritime law and U.S. Shipping Act matters. Mr. Morrissey's combination of maritime transactional and regulatory experience has had particular application to the offshore energy and renewable energy industries. He has represented numerous clients with traditional offshore oil and gas infrastructure and transportation projects. In the developing offshore wind industry, he has advised clients on offshore turbine supply and installation contracts; operation and maintenance contracts; corporate investments and structuring (including Jones Act compliance); dredging and cable laying matters; state and federal law jurisdiction, employment and liability matters; and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, and U.S. Coast Guard permitting and regulatory matters.

Anita Mosner is a partner in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office and practices in the areas of aviation law, competition and international law. Ms. Mosner is the co-chair of Holland & Knight's Transportation and Infrastructure Industry Sector Group and is also a leader of the Aviation Team. Ms. Mosner has dedicated her entire career to the commercial aviation industry. With a background in consulting as well as law, Ms. Mosner tackles complex business disputes, compliance challenges and operational problems. She regularly represents airlines, UAS (drone) operators, airport and infrastructure developers and other aviation-related businesses, and also provides strategic advice to investors in the sector. Ms. Mosner has strong experience in the development and implementation of several major airline alliances and joint ventures, assisting with the structuring, negotiation and documentation of such arrangements, as well as obtaining antitrust immunity and other clearances for such activities. With deep experience in issues pertaining to airline ownership and control, Ms. Mosner has secured approval for several cross-border investments in U.S. air carriers, and has advised on other complex cross-border aviation transactions. She regularly provides air carriers with antitrust compliance training and advice. Ms. Mosner has assisted in the negotiation of several airline investment transactions and has led successful efforts to secure the necessary clearance of such arrangements. Skilled in government affairs and communications, Ms. Mosner also helps her clients seek congressional and regulatory agency support for critical policy and legislative initiatives. She has extensive experience in aeropolitical matters, including handling international aviation traffic rights negotiations and disputes. Ms. Mosner devotes considerable time to regulatory counseling and compliance. She has defended major enforcement actions before the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), U.S. Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and other federal agencies. With experience in crisis management and response, Ms. Mosner also has handled matters involving the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). She has strong experience in international air safety and air safety oversight. She handles both administrative and appellate litigation, and regularly offers pre-litigation counseling and litigation strategy advice to her aviation clients. As a member of Holland & Knight's Drone Team, Ms. Mosner assists companies seeking certification and approval to deploy new aviation technologies. Ms. Mosner is frequently called upon to speak at industry conferences and events, and delivers training seminars for her clients and industry trade associations. Ms. Mosner has received top-tier rankings from the Chambers USA guide, being recognized for her ability to "deliver nuanced, cogent and practical solutions against a complex landscape." She also regularly writes about topics pertaining to aviation law and contributes to the Holland & Knight Transportation Blog.

Judy Nemsick is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office. Her practice is focused primarily on complex litigation matters, with an emphasis on aviation-related litigation, class action lawsuits, product liability and privacy issues. She routinely represents clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts, and has authored amicus curiae briefs on behalf of industry trade groups on significant issues before the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Courts of Appeals. She has extensive experience representing foreign and domestic air carriers in civil litigation matters, including claims related to commercial disputes, wrongful death and personal injury, privacy and consumer protection, passenger delay and cargo liability. Clients often seek her counsel on legal strategy relating to complicated Montreal Convention and federal pre-emption issues, particularly in sensitive, high-profile matters. She also has significant experience representing foreign and domestic companies, including app developers, in class action consumer privacy matters involving data security breaches, government investigations, and statutory and common law claims related to the taking of personal data. Ms. Nemsick is a frequent speaker and writer on various topics, including personal jurisdiction, the Airline Deregulation Act, the Montreal Convention, social media discovery, Montreal Protocol 2014 and airline passenger protection laws. She has authored chapters on choice of law and federal jurisdiction for the ABA treatise Litigating the Aviation Case From Pre-Trial to Closing Argument (3rd and 4th editions). In addition, she is an editor and regular contributor to Holland & Knight's Centerline newsletter alerts and the firm's Aviation Law Blog. Ms. Nemsick is also a member of the International Aviation Women's Association (IAWA). She previously served as the national chair of the Holland & Knight Women's Initiative. Ms. Nemsick's pro bono efforts include working with Kids in Need of Defense to successfully represent minors in obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and eventually legal residency, in the United States. She also has authored amicus briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of the National Women's Law Center and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights challenging state demonstration projects that would disproportionately limit access to Medicaid for women and communities of color.

James W. Noe is a government attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., and Houston offices who co-chairs the firm's Oil and Gas Practice. Mr. Noe provides legislative and regulatory advocacy to energy, oil and gas, maritime, construction and other industry clients in a broad range of transactions and disputes. Mr. Noe also has a long history of representing buyers and sellers in complex merger, acquisition and disposition transactions. Mr. Noe helps businesses and trade groups address a broad range of energy issues, both from a governmental relations perspective as well as confronting regulatory hurdles, disputes and investigations, especially in the context of energy development on federal lands and waters. Mr. Noe represents companies in investigations conducted by Congress or federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), relating to alleged regulatory violations that could lead to civil or criminal enforcement action. He regularly challenges federal agency action in administrative and court actions, and Mr. Noe has a substantial practice before the Department of Interior's Board of Land Appeals challenging federal energy policies and actions. He provides effective government relations and lobbying counsel to clients by drawing upon his comprehensive skill set, global business relationships, familiarity with the legislative and regulatory corridors of Washington, D.C., and other national capitals, as well as his work in major commercial and financial centers across Europe, Asia and Africa. In addition, Mr. Noe has experience acting as lead negotiator and senior attorney in numerous transactions, including multibillion-dollar sales, acquisitions and mergers. He routinely conducts internal investigations and represents clients facing agency inquiries and law enforcement investigations involving Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) securities law and other regulatory compliance matters. Mr. Noe also provides effective crisis and media management counsel. Over the course of his lengthy career, Mr. Noe has personally led and managed hundreds of multinational business formations, corporate launches, investment deals, commercial transactions and infrastructure projects around the world. Among his numerous high-profile engagements was his appointment as primary advocate and spokesman for energy-industry participants following the Macondo (Deepwater Horizon) oil spill. As executive director of the Shallow Water Energy Security Coalition, he testified regularly before U.S. Senate and House committees and held numerous meetings with congressional leaders, White House officials and agency leadership on issues facing exploration and development companies, drilling contractors and oilfield service companies. One of his many accomplishments while serving in this role was to persuade the federal government to end the impasse that had delayed the issuance of new shallow-water drilling permits and had threatened the financial viability of businesses across this vital sector. Early in his career as a litigator in the oil and gas drilling rig and vessel space, Mr. Noe successfully argued and won numerous cases before state and federal courts, including high-profile shipbuilding disputes heard in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. After time in private practice, Mr. Noe was named merger and acquisition (M&A) counsel of a French-Dutch offshore oil and gas maritime and technology company based in Monaco, for which he led numerous cross-border business initiatives and acquisitions and dispositions often involving assets, operations and investments on multiple continents. Subsequently, he joined a leading global provider of oil and gas well services, where he served as chief corporate counsel and became a member of the executive management team overseeing matters in more than 140 countries, including significant operations in Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. Mr. Noe was one of the original members of the management team of Hercules Offshore Inc., joining as senior vice president, general counsel, chief compliance officer and secretary. In that role, he managed Hercules' initial public offering (IPO) and numerous follow-on offerings and built the public-company regulatory and compliance infrastructure. He was the lead negotiator on numerous acquisitions, divestitures and mergers worth billions of dollars cumulatively, including the company's $2.3 billion merger with TODCO. In his role as general counsel, he ensured compliance with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) regulations and was responsible for all regulatory affairs, public relations and risk management. Mr. Noe was also CEO and executive director for CH Offshore Ltd. in Singapore. In that capacity, he managed the company and its fleet of offshore supply and support vessels operating in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Mexico. On behalf of CH's affiliate companies, he oversaw the construction of a fleet of high-specification offshore drilling rigs in Singapore and China, advised and represented large Chinese companies in cross-border transactions, and managed the legal and technical aspects of rig construction disputes.

Christopher Nolan

Christopher R. Nolan is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's New York and Chicago offices and serves as co-chair of the firm's Transportation and Infrastructure Group comprising 225 colleagues in the U.S. and around the world, including Mexico City, Monterrey, Bogota and aviation finance in London. Mr. Nolan is an international dispute resolution and arbitration lawyer whose practice concentrates on complex commercial litigation with an emphasis on maritime, contract and insolvency matters. From the start of his career, Mr. Nolan has represented a broad range of transportation clients from shipping owners, charterers, shippers, consignees of cargo, supply chain logistics providers, traders and foreign instrumentalities who have sought his business judgment in order to resolve shipping disputes arising from charterparties, bills of lading, fire and explosion, total loss, limitation, demurrage and detention invoicing and insolvency. He is regularly instructed on behalf of Hull underwriters and protection and indemnity (P&I) Clubs on marine insurance matters. Mr. Nolan acts as national counsel for a major ocean carrier, and as such is frequently instructed in cargo disputes, logistics challenges and contamination claims. The scope of claims necessitates resolving disputes with regularity that concern proceedings in the key transportation hubs of California, Florida, Illinois, the New York Tri-State area and Texas, as well as the Washington, D.C., metro area before the Federal Maritime Commission involving the U.S. Shipping Act and Ocean Shipping Reform Act matters. In the last decade, as risk tolerances differ from dispute to dispute, he has assisted companies with developing aggressive early resolution programs for thorny matters. In 2014, Mr. Nolan served as delegate for the Comité Maritime International (CMI) at the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law – Working Group IV on the pending convention on electronic shipment documentation to determine its impact on the proposed new ocean cargo liability convention (the "Rotterdam Rules"). In 2020, he co-authored an American Bar Association (ABA) book chapter on "Damages in Cargo Cases and General Average," which includes Rotterdam Rules considerations. Mr. Nolan is active in the legal community. He is the current chair of the American Bar Association (ABA), Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section (TIPS). Mr. Nolan was elected 2018-2024 as an officer of the 10,000-plus member ABA Section, the 2011-2012 ABA TIPS Admiralty Committee Chair, and as a Maritime Law Association of the United States (MLAUS) Proctor in Admiralty and its 2021-2025 Chairman of its 90-year-old Arbitration & Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) committee. He has been quoted in maritime publications Lloyd's List, TradeWinds and the like on a wide range of topics. In 2016, Mr. Nolan was one of two partners to receive Holland & Knight's inaugural Living the Commitment Award recognizing his work as the New York office's community service chair in connection with the firm's 9/11 Day of Service commitment. He also is the New York office's representative for pro bono work with Kids In Need of Defense (KIND), and he has handled pro bono cases for journalists on First Amendment grounds in defamation suits and a workers' compensation proceeding arising out of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

Ronald A. Oleynik, co-head of the International Trade Practice, is a partner practicing in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office in the area of international trade regulation. His experience includes a broad range of industrial security, customs, export control, trade policy and public & private and international trade matters. Mr. Oleynik has substantial experience in assisting clients in complying with U.S. trade embargoes and economic sanctions programs involving countries such as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. Mr. Oleynik works frequently with the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, which is responsible for implementing, administering and enforcing sanctions regulations that restrict business transactions involving designated countries and their nationals. In the area of U.S. export control, Mr. Oleynik counsels a broad range of clients on licensing, compliance, and enforcement issues under the export control regimes of the departments of State, Commerce and Treasury. In the area of industrial security, Mr. Oleynik has been involved in a significant percentage of all foreign investment review proceedings before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and is one of the leading practitioners in the area of foreign direct investment in the U.S. defense industry under the U.S. regulations regarding Foreign Ownership, Control and Influence (FOCI). Mr. Oleynik has considerable experience in the area of anti-bribery laws. He counsels clients regarding compliance and enforcement issues related to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In this regard, he has helped a broad range of companies establish effective programs to address the risks inherent in operating in certain parts of the world and counsels those companies on the wide range of FCPA issues that arise on a daily basis. He represents a wide array of clients in trade litigation before the U.S. Department of Commerce and International Trade Commission regarding Antidumping and Countervailing Duty investigations and reviews, Section 232 national security investigations, and Section 201 & 301 investigation. In the area of customs, his experience includes custom classification and valuation, rules of origin, and special duty programs such as GSP, NAFTA, CBI, and CBPTA; as well as trade policy representation before the Executive Branch and Congress regarding the WTO, CBI, CBPTA, FTAA, and other trade multi- and bi-lateral trade negotiations. Mr. Oleynik is admitted to practice before the Court of International Trade and Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. He is also a member of the American Bar Association, the Customs and International Trade Bar Association, and the American Society of International Law.

Maria-Soledad Otero

Maria Otero is a private wealth services and tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Century City office. Ms. Otero focuses her practice on international income tax planning and compliance matters for high-net-worth private clients and multinational businesses. Ms. Otero has experience advising on a broad range of international tax and estate planning matters, working with individuals and families with cross-border businesses and investments. She also advises corporate clients seeking to optimize their worldwide effective tax rate and to reduce foreign taxes through tax-efficient financing, efficient cash management, repatriation of earnings to the U.S. and transfer pricing analyses. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Otero was an attorney at a boutique private wealth services law firm in Los Angeles. Previously, she worked for a national firm of certified public accountants and concentrated her practice on cross-border tax planning and compliance. Ms. Otero began her career at a Big Four accounting firm in Switzerland, where she consulted with individuals involved in multiple taxing jurisdictions. She also worked with a broad range of clients such as corporate executives on international assignments, as well as multinational high-net-worth individuals and families, business owners and investors.

David L. Packer is a real estate attorney in Holland & Knight's Century City office. Mr. Packer's practice focuses primarily on real estate financings. Mr. Packer has experience representing lenders and borrowers in all types of financings, including permanent, bridge, construction, mezzanine and receivables as well as preferred equity transactions. Mr. Packer also has in-depth knowledge of secured debt workouts, real property acquisitions and dispositions, and joint ventures. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Packer was an attorney at a boutique national real estate law firm in Los Angeles. During law school, Mr. Packer served as the executive editor of The Virginia Law Review.

Kevin E. Packman is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Private Wealth Services Group. He co-leads the firm's International Estate Planning Group as well as the Tax Controversy and Litigation Team. Mr. Packman's practice includes advising high-net-worth private clients (whether U.S. or foreign) with tax, trusts and estates. This also includes pre-immigration planning and expatriation planning. He also helps clients come into compliance and resolve tax controversies. He represents clients daily before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and has represented clients before the U.S. Tax Court. Mr. Packman is a fellow of the American College of Trusts & Estates (ACTEC), is a frequent writer and regularly speaks at national and international tax conferences. He is also frequently quoted by the national media.

James Paine is an Atlanta business attorney who focuses his national technology transactions practice on information technology and business process outsourcing matters, enterprise resource planning (ERP) licensing, implementation and support, cloud solutions, including software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and other technology transactions. In addition, he has experience with marketing and e-commerce arrangements, technology transition services agreements, information technology (IT) licensing and commercialization transactions, joint ventures and strategic alliances, and other large commercial contracts. Mr. Paine advises clients on a broad range of strategic information technology and business process outsourcing arrangements, including IT infrastructure operations and support, application development and support services, IT help desk and desktop support, co-location and managed network services. Mr. Paine also handles strategic business process outsourcing arrangements, including outsourcing of finance and accounting services, benefits and human resources administration, procurement supply chain and logistics, customer relationship management, call center operations and back office support. In addition, Mr. Paine has handled engagements in the United States, Canada, South America, Australia, EU, India, Mexico, India, Philippines and China. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Paine was a corporate attorney for an international law firm in its Atlanta office. Previously, Mr. Paine served as corporate counsel of information technology and data privacy for The Home Depot.

Allie Parnell is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Ms. Parnell focuses her national technology transactions practice on complex technology and commercial deals, including global information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO) transactions. She also has in-depth knowledge of, and experience with, security, digital transformation, analytics and engineering, and managed and cloud services, including platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), device as a service (DaaS) and software as a service (SaaS). Ms. Parnell advises her clients through every stage of their deals, from procurement of technology and technology services or development of requests for information and proposal (RFIs and RFPs) through negotiations and closing. She also counsels her clients on post-closing matters, including resolving complex scope, performance and financial disputes. In addition, she advises clients in technology acquisitions, divestitures, licensing and commercialization transactions, joint ventures, strategic alliances and global procurement. Additionally, Ms. Parnell has knowledge of, and experience with, data privacy, security, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) and intellectual property (IP). She also has in-depth familiarity with laws affecting multinational contracting, including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Acquired Rights Directives (ARD), Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations (TUPE) and International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Parnell was an in-house attorney for a Fortune 500 global IT services provider, where she provided legal support on complex technology and outsourcing deals. Previously, Ms. Parnell was a corporate attorney for an international law firm in its Houston office, as well as with a national law firm in its Houston and Dallas offices, where she advised corporate clients in complex business transactions, including drafting and negotiating primary and ancillary documents for public and private mergers and acquisition (M&A) transactions on the buy-side and sell-side, and prepared relevant U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and private placement memorandum.

Adam J. Paterno is a New York-based construction law attorney whose practice is national in scope. Mr. Paterno frequently represents owners, developers, contractors, subcontractors, construction managers and design professionals across the United States in contract drafting and negotiations. From the Santiago Calatrava-designed St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center campus to the redevelopment of Penn Station in New York City, Mr. Paterno has gained significant experience representing an array of large public and private institutions on some of the most notable projects in the construction industry. He has spoken on various topics in construction law and given continuing education seminars to architects and engineers. Mr. Paterno routinely serves as project counsel to domestic and foreign governments as well as profit and not-for-profit corporations. In his practice, he routinely drafts and negotiates architecture and engineering, construction management, system commissioning, equipment purchase, license and access agreements and contracts addressing the general operation and functioning of large facilities. He also has experience with streetscape, multifamily and oil recovery projects. Recently, Mr. Paterno assisted a large New York-based medical center in the drafting and negotiation of a wide range of critical agreements that were needed in the wake of a $1 billion loss the institution suffered after Superstorm Sandy and is involved in the center's expansion and redevelopment efforts throughout the U.S. Currently, he is actively involved in drafting and negotiating agreements required for the redevelopment of the home of the annual New Year's Eve ball drop in Times Square, a 2 million-square-foot, mixed-use megaproject in West Palm Beach, Florida, and the expansion and redevelopment of a private school in New York City. Additionally, Mr. Paterno is assisting a large healthcare provider with its ongoing redevelopment and expansion efforts throughout the New York metropolitan area, a foreign government with its embassy redevelopment in Washington, D.C., and one of New York City's most well-known houses of worship with its ongoing facility upgrades and redevelopment efforts. Mr. Paterno has been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business guide, a Rising Star in New York by Super Lawyers magazine and a Next Generation Partner by The Legal 500 USA. In addition, he was previously recognized nationally as one of only four construction law attorneys to be honored as a Law360 Rising Star and named to its list of top attorneys "whose legal accomplishments transcend their age." Prior to and during law school, Mr. Paterno worked in radio, television and publishing, holding positions at several major media corporations. During such time, he had the opportunity to work with many notable individuals, including White House Deputy Chief of Staff Michael Deaver, White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Author Elmore Leonard, Journalist Cokie Roberts and University of Chicago Economist Steven D. Levitt. While in law school, Mr. Paterno interned for the Honorable Julianne S. Eisman of the Nassau County Family Court and in the legal division of Bloomberg L.P. Mr. Paterno was a member of the Hofstra Moot Court Association, a finalist in the Nassau Academy of Law Moot Court Competition, awarded Best Direct Examination in the 2006 American Trial Lawyers Association Intra-School Trial Competition and achieved the highest grade in his Litigation and Drafting Skills and Insurance courses, respectively. Mr. Paterno completed the National Institute for Trial Advocacy Trial Skills program and served as an evaluator for the American Bar Association's (ABA) Student Trial Advocacy program at Fordham Law School. He is authorized by the New York State Court System to serve as a volunteer mediator, and maintains New York State property and casualty insurance and real estate broker licenses. Mr. Paterno recently served as co-chair of Holland & Knight's first small and emerging business networking event for its New York office, currently serves on the hiring committee and chairs the summer associate program for the New York office.

Ryan Phelps is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Houston office. Mr. Phelps focuses his practice on the federal income tax aspects of complex domestic and cross-border transactions, including mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, leveraged buyouts, joint ventures, tax-free spinoffs, restructurings, public offerings and other financings. In addition, Mr. Phelps advises clients with respect to federal production tax and investment tax credits for renewable energy, alternative fuels, carbon capture, energy storage, hydrogen, biogas property and other technologies incentivized through tax credits. He also counsels clients on structuring, formation and investment in U.S. and international private equity, real estate and continuation funds.

Kurt B. Plankl is an asset finance attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office. Mr. Plankl focuses on the representation of U.S. and international lenders and borrowers in connection with secured loans and other financing transactions. Mr. Plankl also has experience with matters ranging from the formation of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and asset finance transactions to the sale and purchase of vessels. A significant portion of his practice also involves offshore registries, including the Marshall Islands and Liberian registries and the interpretation of their maritime and corporate laws. In addition, Mr. Plankl has represented numerous clients involved in the offshore sector, including offshore wind, advising clients on the application of U.S. coastwise laws and corporate structuring strategies to comply with the Jones Act. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Plankl was an attorney at a leading New York law firm. Previously, he worked in the maritime industry, where he held several leadership positions at a privately held maritime and corporate registry service provider that administers the maritime and corporate programs for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Mr. Plankl also held a non-renewed Third Mate Unlimited Oceans License from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and sailed for a marine construction and dredging contractor.

James H. Poweris a partner in Holland & Knight's New York office and practices in the areas of international law, admiralty law, transportation law, environmental law, public law and general civil litigation. He focuses generally on marine casualties, cargo cases, charter party disputes, maritime liens, government bid protests, marine pollution, seamen's claims and variety of other maritime and non-maritime matters. Mr. Power has extensive experience handling large complex litigation cases and is presently senior counsel on the multi-billion dollar oil pollution spill case involving the vessel Prestige on behalf of the Kingdom of Spain. He argues motions in numerous Federal and State Courts and represents clients in federal mediation and in maritime arbitrations. Mr. Power conducts numerous onboard investigations for both civil and criminal claims against vessel interests. Mr. Power assists lenders and buyers in the sale and acquisition of vessels and advises parties on various maritime and regulatory aspects involved in such transactions. He represented the secured lender in the high profile Millenium Seacarriers bankruptcy. Representation in this multi-tiered litigation involved a series of successful maritime lien priority judgments favorable to the secured lender. Prior to entering practice, Mr. Power worked as an engineer in the maritime industry and as a licensed engineering officer onboard U.S. merchant vessels. Mr. Power is currently a lieutenant in the United States Naval Reserve. Mr. Power is serving as treasurer of Holland & Knight's political action committee (PAC).

Tim Poydenis serves as the co-head of Holland & Knight's Emerging Companies and Venture Capital practice. Mr. Poydenis is based in the firm's Century City office as a corporate attorney. His practice focuses on representing emerging growth companies, venture capital investors, private equity funds and other strategic investors. Above and beyond the legal guidance that Mr. Poydenis provides to clients, he also serves as a strategic business adviser to all of them. Mr. Poydenis advises companies throughout all stages of their corporate life cycle, from formation to exit, as well as venture capital firms and strategic investors in connection with their investments in these companies. He has significant experience working with startups and growth-stage companies, and advises them on all aspects of formation, fundraisings, acquisitions, exits and corporate governance. In addition, Mr. Poydenis represents clients in the technology market across a variety of industries, including real estate (PropTech), digital health and wellness, clean technology, sports and entertainment, advertising, music, Web3, artificial intelligence (AI), marketing, defense technology, food and beverages, lending and financial services, insurance, and many others. Mr. Poydenis also represents his clients in buy-side and sell-side merger and acquisition (M&A) transactions, which allows him to have a true life-cycle practice for all clients. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Poydenis was a corporate attorney who co-founded a technology companies practice group for a global law firm in its Santa Monica, California, office. In addition, Mr. Poydenis previously was a sports agent for a leading sports agency that focused on the representation of professional baseball players.

Sean T. Pribyl is a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Pribyl concentrates his practice on maritime law and regulatory compliance, international law and trade, marine casualties and claims, Jones Act coastwise trade, autonomous transportation and emerging technologies, offshore energy, and environmental law. He also leads the firm's practice involving all U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) matters and worldwide shipboard investigations. Mr. Pribyl combines a common sense legal approach with an emphasis on personal relationships with his clients, and brings to bear a significant background with more than 25 years of combined experience as a federal regulator, international maritime and trade attorney, USCG officer and attorney (JAG), U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Special U.S. Attorney, merchant mariner deck officer and international protection and indemnity (P&I) club lawyer. With a focus on results, Mr. Pribyl combines the analytical with the practical to offer sound and timely advice on complex compliance matters so that clients can make informed decisions – to avoid potential issues. Mr. Pribyl has also forged a reputation as being an industry thought leader on developing areas of risk and innovation on the horizon to help clients stay "ahead of the game." Mr. Pribyl has significant experience in working with clients in regulatory, litigation and compliance matters involving maritime and international trade. He leverages his operator and regulator background to help clients navigate complex and shifting regulatory compliance and enforcement landscapes involving the USCG, U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Military Sealift Command (MSC), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Department of State (DOS), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and others. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Pribyl worked as a senior claims executive and lawyer in Arendal, Norway, with the world's largest P&I Club. Previously, he practiced law at an international law firm in Washington, D.C. Before entering private practice, Mr. Pribyl served as an attorney with the USCG and DOJ, as the primary legal advisor to the federal on-scene coordinator for the Deepwater Horizon Incident Management Team, and as the lead legal advisor to the joint National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)-USCG major marine casualty investigation and hearing into the allision between the M/V Delta Mariner and Eggners Ferry Bridge. Prior to law school, Mr. Pribyl was a licensed ship master and worked for eight years as a licensed deck officer aboard offshore supply, container, roll-on/roll-off, break bulk and fiber-optic cable vessels. He also served for 12 years as a naval reserve officer. Mr. Pribyl is a widely published author in treatises and publications, as well as a regular speaker at international legal and industry conferences and seminars. As a military veteran, Mr. Pribyl proudly represented veterans before the Board of Veterans' Appeals and volunteers significant time in matters involving defense of merchant mariners' credentials in USCG Suspension and Revocation proceedings.

Danielle C. Price is an attorney in the Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group in Holland & Knight's Miami office and co-head of the firm’s Emerging Companies and Venture Capital Practice in South Florida. Ms. Price is dedicated to providing balanced, practical, business-focused advice using her deep understanding of today's business and regulatory environment. Ms. Price has more than 20 years of experience advising and representing emerging and mature private and public companies in an array of corporate matters, including joint ventures, capital raising, and mergers and acquisitions (M&A). She has experience across industries with strengths in healthcare, real estate and manufacturing businesses. Ms. Price has extensive experience designing complex joint ventures, partnerships and limited liability company structures. Her practice focuses on representing developers, sponsors and investors in structuring complex joint venture arrangements, contribution agreements and development agreements in connection with real estate projects at any stage. Ms. Price has vast experience working with entrepreneurs and emerging growth companies in all phases of their business life cycles from company formation to raising capital in initial seed and later-stage funding rounds, through their initial public offerings (IPOs). Ms. Price also represents angel investors, family offices and venture capital funds with their investments and divestitures of securities. Ms. Price represents venture capital, real estate and private equity fund clients with the formation of alternative private investment fund structures. Ms. Price has a robust M&A practice, representing private equity fund sponsors and public and private strategic buyers and sellers with their mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and tender offers. Ms. Price counsels companies registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on their 34 Act and Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) compliance requirements and assists them with their annual, quarterly and current reporting requirements and proxy statements. She also assists public companies with their public and private secondary offerings, private investments in public equity (PIPEs) and rights offerings. Ms. Price has experience with SEC investigations and internal investigations as company counsel and independent counsel to audit committees. In addition, Ms. Price counsels companies on corporate governance, executive compensation, director responsibilities and fiduciary duties.

Jonah Price, who co-chairs the firm's Financial Services Practice Group, represents both borrowers and lenders in complex commercial finance transactions. His background includes asset-based loans, cash flow credit facilities, senior and subordinated credit facilities, capital call facilities, private placement facilities and debtor-in-possession credit facilities. Mr. Price is known as a team player who views each transaction as an opportunity to address the risks and challenges faced by clients while helping them achieve their strategic objectives. Healthcare companies, financial services institutions, specialty lenders and private equity firms value his experience and efficiency in domestic and cross-border acquisition financing, asset-based lending, working capital financing, corporate restructuring and bankruptcy proceedings. Previously, Mr. Price gained extensive commercial finance experience in the New York offices of Proskauer Rose, Kirkland & Ellis and Mayer Brown where he independently managed all aspects of multi-million and multi-billion financing arrangements.

John F. Pritchard is Of Counsel in Holland & Knight's New York office and practices in the firm's Asset Finance Group. With over 40 years of experience in aircraft, equipment and facility finance, Mr. Pritchard is knowledgeable in all areas of asset-based financing and concentrates on the representation of lessees, lessors, lenders, borrowers and government guarantors in domestic and cross-border financings, securitizations, workouts and foreclosures. Mr. Pritchard has given many speeches on aircraft and equipment financing at various conferences, including: Cape Town Convention and Legal Opinions, FAA Aircraft Registration and Choice of Registry, Aircraft Purchase Contracts and Aircraft Lease Portfolio Acquisitions from the Buyer's Perspective, Eurocontrol Liens, Risks of Doing Business with Limited Partnerships and Income Funds as Aircraft Lessors, Cross-Border Leasing, Ways of Recovering an Aircraft in the U.S., and on U.S. Ex-Im Bank transactions.

Roberto R. Pupo is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Miami office and co-chair of the South Florida Corporate, M&A and Securities Practice Group, as well as co-chair of the Latin America Practice Group. He has substantial experience in complex domestic and international mergers and acquisition matters, corporate financings, joint ventures and cross-border transactions. Mr. Pupo represents large U.S., Canadian, European and Latin American corporations, private equity and venture capital funds, corporate groups and family offices in a wide range of corporate transactions, cross-border acquisitions, joint ventures and affiliations, including health care and managed care transactions. He is also a frequent speaker on a wide range of legal industry matters.

Norberto Quintana

Norberto E. Quintana is a financial transactions attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., and New York City offices, and a member of the firm's Financial Services Team. Mr. Quintana represents a wide range of lenders, corporate borrowers, project sponsors and developers and private equity sponsors in cross-border and domestic financing transactions. Mr. Quintana has worked on infrastructure, oil and gas and energy cross-border project financings. Several of his Latin American infrastructure project financings received "Deal of the Year" designation for the years of their respective financial closings. Mr. Quintana also advises private equity and venture capital funds in subscription line, other partnership and SPV financings and portfolio company financings. Mr. Quintana has advised lenders, borrowers and equity holders in complex debt restructurings. He has a substantial background in corporate, leveraged, project and structured financings in the bank loan and capital markets. In addition, he regularly advises clients on U.S. secondary loan trading matters.

Steven Raffaele

Steven Raffaele is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group of Holland & Knight's New York office. Mr. Raffaele concentrates his practice on complex commercial litigation and dispute resolution, with an emphasis on aviation, contract, and product liability matters. Mr. Raffaele also counsels start-up and closely-held businesses regarding corporate structure, contract negotiation and interpretation, and litigation avoidance. Mr. Raffaele is dedicated to being a trusted counselor and advisor and clients seek out his business judgment, client-driven focus and results. He has represented clients across myriad industries in federal and state courts, including New York's Commercial Division, and has litigated commercial disputes to verdict. From the start of his career, Mr. Raffaele has represented foreign and domestic air carriers and manufacturers (and their insurers) in state and federal courts throughout the country in all stages of litigation and dispute resolution. He has extensive experience litigating aviation claims, including those involving federal aviation statutes and international treaties, breach of contract and warranty, passenger injury and mass casualty, privacy and consumer protection, delay, denied boarding, discrimination, and class action. Mr. Raffaele also has represented his airline clients in regulatory enforcement proceedings brought by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Mr. Raffaele is strongly committed to charity and community, including working with 9/11 charities, volunteering with the American Red Cross, and mentoring inner-city high school students. Mr. Raffaele also maintains an active pro bono caseload focused on helping those in need. While at Fordham Law School, Mr. Raffaele was a member of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal and worked at the New York District Attorney's Office, Queens County, Appeals Bureau. While at Boston University, Mr. Raffaele studied Psychology and Italian Studies and also completed a course of study at the Università degli Studi di Padova in Padua, Italy, where he studied Italian language and literature. Mr. Raffaele graduated from Boston University with distinction for his academic achievement, and was awarded the College Prize for Excellence for graduating first in his class in Modern Foreign Language and Literature. Born and raised in Queens, NY, Mr. Raffaele is a graduate of Regis High School in New York City.

Colbey Reagan is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office and is the co-leader of the firm's Healthcare Regulatory & Enforcement practice. Mr. Reagan advises healthcare providers on Stark Law and Anti-Kickback Statute compliance, false claims, fraud and abuse, compliance, licensing and certification, healthcare privacy, reimbursement and other regulatory issues affecting providers of healthcare services. He also assists clients facing compliance, billing, data breach and other government investigations. Clients that seek Mr. Reagan's advice and counsel include: psychiatric hospitals residential treatment facilities substance use treatment providers disordered eating treatment providers ambulatory surgery centers home health agencies hospice providers acute care hospitals outpatient treatment providers private equity and healthcare specialty finance firms Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Reagan was a partner at a large U.S. law firm in its Nashville office, where he served on the firm board of directors. Previous to this role, he was deputy general counsel of a publicly traded, nationwide operator of behavioral and substance use treatment facilities, where he was responsible for advising the company and its facilities regarding compliance with state and federal healthcare regulations, physician relationships, reimbursement disputes, licensing and certification, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), corporate litigation, and numerous other challenges faced in the day-to-day operation of a large healthcare company.

Jameson Rice is a transportation lawyer who leads Holland & Knight's Supply Chain Team. Called a "commercially minded business partner" by a client quoted in Chambers USA, he has experience with commercial transactions across multiple industries, but practices primarily in the areas of road and rail transportation, warehousing and logistics, as well as ocean transportation and noncontiguous domestic trade. A client quoted in The Legal 500 United States stated: "We sought out Jameson Rice because of his reputation in the transportation industry. He was knowledgeable, smart and client focused." His experience includes: Transactional: Drafting, negotiating and providing guidance regarding: Motor Carrier and Logistics, Warehousing and Terminals: shipper, carrier and broker transportation agreements, warehouse agreements, terminal services agreements, multi-modal master services agreements, third-party logistics agreements, the Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement (UIIA) and transportation management system (TMS) agreements Rail Operations: contracts between railroads and shippers, railroads and governmental entities, and railroads and other railroads, including operating agreements, trackage rights, haulage and run-through agreements, joint-facility, marketing and interline agreements Transportation Infrastructure, Real Estate and Equipment: the purchase, sale and lease of transportation-related assets, including rail corridors, infrastructure and equipment Technology: transactions involving emerging technology, such as blockchain, autonomous vehicles, and advanced freight and capacity matching software Software: commercial business transactions in the industrial software industry Regulatory: Providing guidance on federal transportation regulations and statutes, including: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): government audits, hours of service and electronic logging device requirements, vehicle and driver leasing and hiring requirements, contract and freight claims related regulations, registration and household goods related obligations Surface Transportation Board (STB): federal preemption, rail transaction-related filings, authority over intrastate rail lines, demurrage issues Pipeline and Hazardous Material Safety Administration (PHMSA): shipper and carrier hazmat requirements and pipeline enforcement matters National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA): federal motor vehicle safety standards and the operation of autonomous vehicles Federal Maritime Commission (FMC): ocean transportation intermediary (OTI) and qualifying individuals (QI) registration, tariffs, negotiated rate agreements (NRA) and Non-Vessel-Operating Common Carrier (NVOCC) service arrangements (NSA) Federal Aviation Administration (FAA): filing comments on behalf of a major media coalition pertaining to the commercial use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs; drones) Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Representation in federal, state and arbitration proceedings, often focusing on transportation issues, including federal preemption and freight claims under the Carmack Amendment, as well as government audits and enforcement actions. Industry Leadership: Mr. Rice is past president and a member of the board of directors for the Association of Transportation Law Professionals (ATLP), an organization for which he also edits a motor carrier regulatory column. He is chairman of the Rail Transportation Committee for the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA). He is on the Law360 Transportation Editorial Advisory Board, and was previously named by Law360 as a Transportation Rising Star. He is ranked by Chambers USA in the area of Transportation: Road (Carriage/Logistics) - USA – Nationwide. He is railroad editor for the Holland & Knight Transportation Blog. Mr. Rice maintains a substantial commitment to providing pro bono representation, for which he has been recognized with a Spirit of Giving Award by the Federal Bar Association's Jacksonville Chapter and an Outstanding Services Award from the American Bar Association (ABA) Military Pro Bono Project. Mr. Rice was formerly a member of Teach for America, where he taught in inner-city Baltimore.

Lara M. Rios is a financial transactions attorney in Holland & Knight's New York and Miami offices. Financial institutions, corporate borrowers, private equity sponsors and project developers rely on Ms. Rios' extensive experience to represent them in connection with structuring complex finance and capital markets transactions, both domestic and cross border, with a particular focus on the energy/infrastructure industry and Latin America. Many of the transactions she has worked on have been designated "Deals of the Year" in their respective categories. Ms. Rios understands clients. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Rios was deputy general counsel at a growing, privately owned international power generation company with traditional and renewable energy projects representing 3,700 megawatts (MW) across 17 countries. She was responsible for overseeing corporate and project-level transactions and supporting all phases of development, acquisition, construction, operations, and project and corporate financings. Ms. Rios led the in-house team in connection with the company's first corporate bond issuance in the international capital markets and first green bond issuance by a Latin American issuer, the proceeds of which helped to finance the construction of a 114 MW wind farm in Peru as part of the country's renewable energy program. The financing was recognized by IJGlobal as Latin American Wind Deal of the Year 2015 and by Environmental Finance as Environmental Bond of the Year 2015. Ms. Rios' extensive experience also includes having previously practiced with two international law firms in New York, where she represented clients on a wide variety of syndicated lending, acquisition finance, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), equity and debt securities, and corporate advisory matters. During law school, Ms. Rios interned in the chambers of the Honorable Sonia Sotomayor of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Passionate about helping others, Ms. Rios maintains an active pro bono practice having represented small business owners, civil rights and not-for-profit organizations and U.S. veterans.

Christopher Rizek

Christopher S. Rizek is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Rizek represents taxpayers in all types of federal civil and criminal tax controversy matters. He guides clients through IRS audits, prepares administrative claims and protests of IRS actions, and litigates tax and tax-related cases in U.S. district and appellate courts, the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and U.S. Tax Court. In recent years, Mr. Rizek has represented numerous taxpayers, financial entities and professional firms in connection with IRS examinations of tax shelters and related compliance and professional ethics issues. From 1984 to 1988, Mr. Rizek served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice's Tax Division, and he received the Outstanding Attorney Award in 1986. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Rizek was an attorney-advisor and then associate tax legislative counsel with the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Tax Legislative Counsel, with substantial responsibilities for legislation and regulatory actions involving taxpayer rights, tax practice and procedure, and tax compliance. Mr. Rizek's combination of practical and policy-level experience in government has given him special insight into the actual application of the tax laws and procedures to taxpayers. This experience has been of great value to his clients who are faced with complex tax controversies and litigation. Mr. Rizek previously was an adjunct professor in the LL.M. tax program at Georgetown University Law Center and taught a Tax Practice & Procedure (Administrative) course to IRS personnel. He also has been a guest lecturer at other law schools and universities, and is a frequent speaker at conferences on tax procedure and ethics issues. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Rizek was a tax attorney for a national law firm in its Washington, D.C., office.

David Rosenberg

David Rosenbergis a business attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Mr. Rosenberg focuses his practice on federal, state and local taxation of, and corporate governance matters for, nonprofit organizations, as well as sophisticated charitable giving techniques. His experience includes the organization, operation and termination of nonprofit corporations and trusts. Additionally, he has significant experience in obtaining and maintaining exemptions for these organizations from federal income, state franchise, sales and use, unemployment and local ad valorem taxes. Mr. Rosenberg also counsels clients on the federal income tax treatment of charitable contributions and on planned charitable gifts and bequests.

Abbey Ruby is a financial services attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office. Ms. Ruby brings insight to lenders, agents, private equity sponsors and corporate borrowers in complex financings and related transactions, including acquisition financings, first and second lien facilities, bridge loan facilities, mezzanine loans, asset-based lines of credit, real estate and construction financings, cash flow loans, capital call/subscription facilities, restructurings and workouts. Ms. Ruby represents lenders, agents and borrowers in finance transactions spanning a wide range of industries, with particular emphasis on healthcare including loans to owners and operators of senior living, post-acute care and behavioral health facilities, as well as multifamily real estate loans. Her experience also includes complex cross-border and multi-currency facilities. Ms. Ruby also has extensive experience representing private equity firms and their portfolio companies on a wide variety of financing transactions.

Danielle Santucci

Danielle Santucci is a financial services attorney in Holland & Knight's San Francisco office and a member of the firm's Asset Finance Group. Ms. Santucci focuses her practice on commercial transactions related to the acquisition, financing and leasing of aircraft. During law school, Ms. Santucci was the Senior Symposium Editor for the Hastings Law Journal, as well as a board member for both the Women's Law Society and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Team. Prior to law school, Ms. Santucci worked at the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts assisting Article III, bankruptcy and magistrate judges. During her time there, Ms. Santucci facilitated the visit of international delegations of judges and judicial staff to various U.S. Circuit Courts and to the U.S. Supreme Court.

John Saran is a healthcare attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office. Mr. Saran focuses his practice on healthcare transactional and regulatory matters. Mr. Saran regularly advises healthcare companies and private equity investors on mergers and acquisitions (M&A), finance and restructuring transactions and public offerings in the healthcare industry, including independent practices, management/dental support organizations, hospice/home health companies and digital health companies. In addition, Mr. Saran has experience in assisting provider platforms with their daily operations and growth strategy, including add-on acquisitions, complex service arrangements and joint ventures. Mr. Saran's regulatory practice helps clients navigate the new state healthcare transaction laws and matters related to the corporate practice of medicine, fraud and abuse laws, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and state licensure. Moreover, he assists clients in the development and implementation of regulatory compliance programs and the assessment of ongoing enforcement actions and audits. More recently, he has advised healthcare clients on homeland security and immigration enforcement matters. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Saran worked as a healthcare attorney for a global law firm in its Chicago office.

Jeff Seul is a corporate, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic transactions lawyer who chairs firm's Technology & Telecommunications Industry Sector Group. Mr. Seul has more than 30 years of experience working with emerging companies, investors, and strategic and financial acquirers. Mr. Seul advises clients on a wide range of corporate transactions and activities, including helping launch, finance and scale startups; helping financial and corporate strategic investors deploy capital; representing sellers, corporate acquirers and private equity buyers in mergers and acquisitions; and negotiating and structuring major commercial and intellectual property transactions, including joint ventures and other types of strategic alliances. He also regularly helps companies and investors in the United States conduct business overseas, companies and investors from other countries do business in the U.S., and handles cross-border mergers and acquisitions. Mr. Seul has advised clients in many sectors of the tech industry. An increasing percentage of his time is spent working with tech companies disrupting traditional industries and companies in traditional industries engaged in the digital transformation of their products, services and business models, including recent work in the autonomous transportation, digital health and financial technology (FinTech) domains. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Seul was vice president and general counsel of Groove Networks, a software company acquired by Microsoft. He has served on the boards of several companies, including C3 Technologies (acquired by Apple), Energy Materials Corp. and Movimento (acquired by Delphi Automotive, now Aptiv). Mr. Seul is a board leadership fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors. Mr. Seul serves as co-chair of the Peace Appeal Foundation, an international nongovernmental organization that helps catalyze and support broad-scale peace and national dialogue processes to end or prevent wars. He is involved in the Peace Appeal Foundation's field work, and has taught courses on negotiation and peacebuilding at Harvard for many years.

Amish Shah is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. Shah focuses his practice on providing sophisticated and practical tax planning and tax controversy advice and representation to clients in the energy sector and to clients interested in achieving environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals through clean energy. Mr. Shah advises clients in other sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, technology and ecommerce. Mr. Shah has been advising clients with respect to energy tax credits for more than two decades in the full range of clean energy technologies. Such advice has been in respect of production tax credits (PTCs) and investment tax credits (ITCs) for renewable power, alternative fuels, carbon capture, utilization and sequestration (CCUS), energy storage, hydrogen, biogas property, nuclear and other technologies incentivized through tax credits, including through the Inflation Reduction Act. Mr. Shah's representation of clients spans across the project life cycle. He represents energy clients in seeking legislative and regulatory changes; in obtaining U.S. Department of the Treasury and IRS guidance, both public and private; in maximizing the value of tax credits, including through "begun construction" strategies; in project development, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, tax equity investments and tax credit transfers; and in issuing and obtaining tax credit insurance. Mr. Shah also represents clients in all phases of tax controversy at the administrative, trial court and appellate levels, including in many of the major energy tax controversy issues arising over the last two-plus decades. He also represents clients in the development of, and investment in, traditional energy projects. In addition, Mr. Shah regularly represent clients in the energy sector, as well as the financial, manufacturing, technology and ecommerce sectors, in a broad range of other tax issues, including income recognition, availability of deductions, capitalization, structuring and reporting. Mr. Shah began his career as a certified public accountant (CPA)/tax accountant at a Big 6 accounting firm. He utilizes his comprehensive experience, encompassing both tax planning and controversy, and his CPA experience to provide clients with knowledgeable and practical advice and representation.

Stephen Shapiro

Stephen B. Shapiro is an attorney and firmwide Construction Industry Practice Group leader in Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., and New York offices. He focuses on domestic and international construction, government contracts, commercial litigation and public-private partnerships. Building on his experience representing contractors and public and private owners, Mr. Shapiro has developed in-depth knowledge of infrastructure, industrial and commercial construction. This experience is derived from working on oil, gas, power, rail, water, wastewater and building projects throughout the world. Mr. Shapiro also has an extensive background in public contracting and government contracts, including procurement, dispute resolution and compliance issues. Mr. Shapiro has served as lead counsel in complex disputes tried before courts, boards and arbitration tribunals throughout the world. He is a Fellow in the Construction Lawyers Society of America and member of the board of directors of the Associated General Contractors of America and is a frequent speaker on topics relevant to the construction industry. He also has published numerous professional articles and contributed to several industry textbooks.

William Sharp is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Atlanta, Tampa and San Francisco offices (residing in Atlanta and San Francisco) with more than 35 years of experience representing clients in a wide variety of international tax planning and tax controversy cases. Mr. Sharp provides international and domestic tax advice to numerous U.S.-based and foreign-based clients, including publicly traded and closely held entities. His tax practice also focuses on globally oriented high-net-worth clients, including many U.S. and foreign-based family offices. Mr. Sharp has served as lead counsel with respect to U.S. Tax Court proceedings, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appeals and examination cases. He also has served as lead counsel or co-counsel to more than 1,500 IRS voluntary disclosure cases. Mr. Sharp advises financial institutions and their clients on international tax enforcement and compliance initiatives. In addition, Mr. Sharp represents several Swiss-based banking institutions in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice Swiss Bank Program, including the largest bank participating in the program and one of the major cantonal banks (both cases were resolved under Category 3 of the program). Mr. Sharp also has extensive experience in handling matters related to the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) and other cross-border compliance and disclosure initiatives. Mr. Sharp has served as an adjunct professor at the Stetson University College of Law and a lecturer at the University of South Florida Executive MBA program. He is a frequent speaker on international tax and business law matters. In addition, Mr. Sharp has been featured as well as quoted in publications such as the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, USA Today and other media on international tax issues. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Sharp was founding and managing partner of a boutique international tax law firm with offices in Tampa, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Zurich, Switzerland.

William Sherman

William B. Sherman is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami and Fort Lauderdale offices. Mr. Sherman concentrates his practice in the area of domestic and international taxation. He provides sophisticated tax planning for mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, joint ventures and investments for clients in diverse industries, such as private equity, healthcare, hospitality, petrochemicals, aluminum, real estate, transportation, telecommunications, retailing, investment management, pharmaceuticals and numerous others. In addition, Mr. Sherman has experience in a broad range of transactions involving United States investment overseas, foreign investment in the U.S., as well as international, federal, state and local taxation issues involving structuring investment management funds, corporate reorganizations, partnerships, equipment leasing, Subchapter S, executive compensation, stock options, and trusts and estates. Mr. Sherman is a well known lecturer and chairs the New York University's Summer Institute in Taxation's Introductory and Advanced International Tax Seminars and its Institute on Federal Taxation International Tax Program. For 12 years, Mr. Sherman was an adjunct professor of Tax Law at the University of Miami, Graduate Tax Program. He is admitted to practice in New York and Florida and has served on numerous panels with The Florida Bar and the American Bar Association, where he is a past chair of the American Bar Association's Tax Section Committee on U.S. Activities of Foreigners and Tax Treaties.

Charles Shewmake

Charles Shewmake is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Dallas office. Mr. Shewmake focuses his practice on a wide range of surface transportation issues, commercial litigation, labor and employment, and regulatory matters. Mr. Shewmake has worked with railroads and railroad-related litigation or regulatory matters from state district courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as representations before the National Railroad Adjustment Board (NRAB) and Surface Transportation Board (STB). He prides himself on being able to translate the arcana of railroad law, including the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA), Interstate Commerce Act and Railway Labor Act (RLA) (which applies to airlines as well as railroads) to non-railroaders or businesses looking to learn more about railroads. Mr. Shewmake has also assisted trucking companies, truck brokerage firms and warehouse firms with their transportation-related legal issues. In addition to his transportation clients, Mr. Shewmake has also been involved in litigation and dispute resolution for a number of other industries. Mr. Shewmake spent the majority of his career with BNSF Railway Corp., including most recently serving as vice president and general counsel from 2008 to 2016. In that role, he managed a team of more than 100 attorneys and claims professionals as well as outside counsel. He also was responsible for casualty litigation, safety-related legal matters, labor and employment matters, and environmental legal matters. Mr. Shewmake was a frequent speaker and presenter on transportation issues. During his career at BNSF, Mr. Shewmake also coordinated the activities of the state government affairs team, with responsibility for state legislative and political activities in 28 states. In addition, Mr. Shewmake's experience includes complex shareholder litigation, antitrust litigation, personal injury litigation, environmental litigation and commercial arbitration as well as emergency response management.

Christine Shiker

Christine Moseley Shiker is the practice group leader of Holland & Knight's Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia Land Use & Zoning Group. She also serves as co-chair of the firm's Embassies and Sovereign Governments Practice. Ms. Shiker represents clients on a number of land use and zoning matters in the District of Columbia, including proceedings before the Zoning Commission, the Board of Zoning Adjustment, the Public Space Committee and D.C. Council. Ms. Shiker provides guidance and strategy from the beginning of a project in due diligence, through any discretionary entitlement requirements, to delivery and occupancy of a completed project. Ms. Shiker handles large, mixed-use and multi-phased projects throughout the downtown core of the District of Columbia as well as in emerging neighborhoods. Ms. Shiker's experience includes processing planned unit developments and design review cases as well as securing map and text amendments before the D.C. Zoning Commission; obtaining variance and special exception relief for property owners before the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment; navigating projects through the design review before the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board; pursuing legislative changes and approvals before the D.C. Council, including alley and street closings and dedications; and preparing analyses and opinions on zoning and building code issues. Ms. Shiker also is experienced in securing public space approvals before the D.C. Public Space Committee and works closely with her clients to interface with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs for permitting and occupying development projects. In addition, Ms. Shiker leads Holland & Knight's foreign missions land use team and has represented a variety of international organizations with zoning entitlement and public space issues. The firm's foreign missions land use team has represented more than 60 foreign governments in zoning, real estate and related issues in Washington, D.C. Ms. Shiker also served as chair of Holland & Knight's Women's Initiative in the Washington, D.C., office.

Jose E. Sirven is a partner in Holland & Knight's Miami office. He has practiced in the financial services, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance and cross-border fields for more than 35 years. A significant part of his cross-border work has involved Latin American and Caribbean jurisdictions, including Mexico and nearly every country in South and Central America. Mr. Sirven regularly conducts complex negotiations and drafts documents in the Spanish language. At Holland & Knight, Mr. Sirven is the chair of the Business Section. Previously, he led or co-led the Financial Services Practice Group. He also served on the firm's Directors Committee for more than a decade, including chairing a number of committees such as the Budget and Finance Committee and the Managing Partner Compensation Committee. Additionally, Mr. Sirven served as the executive partner of the Miami office. At the University of Miami School of Law, he served as Articles & Comments Editor for the University of Miami Law Review.

Aaron T. Slavens serves as the co-head of Holland & Knight’s Private Equity practice in the Miami office. Mr. Slavens is a corporate attorney who represents both public and private companies, including private equity funds, strategic investors and founders. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, including public and private acquisitions, dispositions, co-investments, joint ventures and other general corporate matters. In addition, Mr. Slavens represents both insureds and underwriters in connection with transactional risk products, including the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies.

Mark Sloan is the vice chair of Holland & Knight's Practice & Operations Committee, and previously served as the managing partner of Thompson & Knight. Mr. Sloan is a national real estate attorney with nearly 30 years of experience advising clients on various types of real estate finance transactions, real estate acquisitions, dispositions and real estate development. Based in Holland & Knight's Dallas office, Mr. Sloan has represented lenders in virtually all types of real estate financing transactions, including construction loans, interim bridge loans, permanent loans, mezzanine loans, conduit mortgage-backed securities (CMBS) loans and revolving loan facilities, as well as preferred equity transactions. He has also represented various financial institutions in their capacity as both administrative agent and participant in connection with syndicated loan transactions. Mr. Sloan also has extensive experience representing lenders in connection with workouts and foreclosures. He also represents several real estate companies in connection with their acquisition, development and operation of retail shopping centers, including the negotiation of joint venture agreements with preferred equity providers. Another major part of his practice focuses on multifamily development, including mixed-use "lifestyle" centers.

Monte S. Starr is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Orlando office and member of the firm's Construction Industry Practice Group. He handles a variety of complex construction litigation matters covering a wide range of industrial, commercial and infrastructure projects across the United States. Mr. Starr has significant experience with engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) projects; public-private partnerships (P3s); road and bridge construction; power-generation facilities and desalination facilities. He is well versed in representing general contractors, owners and manufacturers in both private and government contract matters, including claims for construction defects, inefficiency/delay damages, construction-related product defects, water intrusion, lien/bond foreclosures and contract disputes. Mr. Starr also handles the drafting and negotiation of construction contracts and related documents for a variety of projects, as well as assists clients with contract management strategies in an effort to avoid disputes. Mr. Starr is Board Certified in Construction Law by The Florida Bar. He also has received an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating in Martindale-Hubbell®.

Ben W. Subin is a partner in Holland & Knight's Orlando and Miami offices. He is the Practice Group Leader of the firm's Florida Construction Industry Group and serves as a member of the firm's Directors Committee. Mr. Subin's practice focuses on domestic and international construction contracting and federal government contracts. He represents contractors, owners and manufacturers on a range of energy, infrastructure and industrial projects, including power generation facilities, seawater desalination facilities, water/wastewater treatment facilities, reservoirs, citrus processing facilities, petrochemical facilities, wind turbine projects, commercial buildings, hotels and hospitals. Mr. Subin's intricate knowledge of the industry and the challenges that can potentially impact project performance, productivity and profitability allow him to deliver comprehensive and results-driven legal strategies for each client. His multidimensional approach is focused on helping clients meet business objectives, anticipate risks and protect their interests while pressing toward the best possible resolution. Representative matters include: Energy In the energy industry, Mr. Subin has extensively represented engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors and turbine manufacturers on power plant projects both domestically and abroad. defense of claims totaling $30 million arising from the construction of a 1,000 megawatt (MW) power generation facility defense of claims totaling $50 million arising from the construction of a 1,300 MW power generation facility defense of claims totaling $500 million arising from a turbine purchase agreement defense of claims totaling $80 million arising from the construction of a 1,040 MW power generation facility pursuit and defense of claims totaling $29.2 million arising from the design and construction of 53.5 MW biomass power generation facility Infrastructure and Public-Private Partnerships Mr. Subin routinely represents prime and EPC contractors in a variety of matters related to reservoir, highway, bridge and other infrastructure projects. lead project counsel to the EPC contractor responsible for the $2.3 billion, six-year reconstruction of a major highway corridor, which is the largest public-private partnership (P3) in the U.S. market to date prosecution of claims for a prime contractor arising out of an $81 million contract for modifications to 10.7 miles of roadway defense of a prime contractor for claims of $200 million arising from the construction of a reservoir Industrial Within the industrial sector, Mr. Subin has represented a number of clients in matters involving seawater desalination facilities, cement processing facilities, citrus processing facilities and manufacturing plants. defense of a prime contractor for claims in excess of $51 million arising from the construction of a 50 million-gallons-per-day seawater desalination facility representing a prime contractor in pursuit of claims totaling $45 million arising from the construction of cement processing facility Condominium, Hotel and Mixed-Use Mr. Subin's experience also includes representation of prime contractors in the development and construction of commercial condominiums, hotels, resorts and mixed-use projects. defense of a prime contractor for claims in excess of $40 million arising from the presence of Chinese drywall in a condominium project representing a prime contractor in pursuit of claims arising from construction of a luxury condominium tower representing a prime contractor in pursuit of claims arising from the construction of an oceanfront hotel Mr. Subin is Florida Bar Board Certified in Construction Law. He was among 54 attorneys in the nation named for two consecutive years as Client Service All-Stars by The BTI Consulting Group, Inc.

Sean Sullivan is a tax attorney in Holland & Knight's Nashville office and serves as the co-practice group leader of the Tax, Executive Compensation and Benefits Practice. Mr. Sullivan focuses his practice on Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), employee benefits and executive compensation. ESOPs. Mr. Sullivan regularly represents companies, sellers, trustees and lenders in ESOP transactions and ongoing ESOP administration. Mr. Sullivan has extensive experience in ESOP negotiations, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) compliance and fiduciary considerations. Employee Benefits. Mr. Sullivan frequently represents plan sponsors on matters related to tax-qualified retirement plans, including traditional pension plans, as well as welfare and fringe benefit programs. He regularly represents clients before the IRS, DOL and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) on a broad range of employee benefit issues. Mr. Sullivan also advises clients on the many employee benefit issues that arise in mergers and acquisitions (M&A). Executive Compensation. Mr. Sullivan regularly negotiates and drafts equity, change of control, deferred compensation, employment, bonus and other compensation-related agreements and plans, as well as related public disclosure statements. Industry Focus. Mr. Sullivan has particular experience on the employee benefit issues faced by companies in the healthcare, life sciences, education and retail industries.

Audrey L. Sung is a partner in Holland & Knight's San Francisco office and a member of the Asset Finance Group. Ms. Sung practices general corporate and commercial law, with particular emphasis on asset-based financing for assets ranging from commercial jet aircraft to turboprop aircraft and from oil drilling rigs to private yachts. She represents financial institutions as well as borrowers and operators in a variety of financing structures, ranging from term loans to revolving credit lines and from leveraged leases to progress payment financings. She also has extensive experience representing financial institutions and operating lessors in a wide range of domestic and cross-border leasing transactions (including sale-leasebacks), in asset acquisitions and dispositions in the secondary market, and in negotiations with manufacturers and vendors of new equipment. Ms. Sung has lectured on various aspects of aircraft finance transactions.

Ram Sunkara is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Houston and Atlanta offices. Mr. Sunkara has an industry-leading multidisciplinary practice advising clients on complex mergers and acquisitions (M&A) (buy- and sell-side processes), joint ventures, tax equity and project finance transactions, project development, build-own-transfer and construction matters, as well as structured commodity hedge transactions across the electric energy, oil and gas, transmission and storage, carbon capture and sequestration, mining and metals, timber, chemicals and natural resources industries. Mr. Sunkara has one of the market's leading data center, power and utility practices in the country, having represented some of the largest hyperscalers in the world in negotiating "first-of-their-kind" energy procurement arrangements for high-power factor, high-peak load data centers. For example, Mr. Sunkara represented a leading hyperscaler in negotiating the very first large-load, high-power green tariffs (sourcing 100 percent renewable energy) in states such as New Mexico and Utah with incumbent utilities. Mr. Sunkara has also represented developers and sponsors in developing, constructing and financing many of the largest hyperscaler data center campuses in the world. His experience includes negotiating and documenting a range of innovative structures in the industry, including "powered land," "powered pad and campus" and "powered shell" structures. He also has structured fiber connectivity arrangements, secured firm gas supply and transportation, and structured power and water supply under local regulatory frameworks, including in open access markets as well as utility jurisdictions and real estate investment trusts (REITs). Additionally, Mr. Sunkara procured and negotiated arrangements on a wide array of power equipment (including transformers, substation facilities, gen-tie lines, power conditioning equipment and heating and cooling infrastructure), as well as engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts for all phases of data center development, including civil works, trenching, fiber connectivity, behind-the-meter generation of all types – nuclear/small modular reactor (SMR), solar, gas-fired (simple and combined cycle configurations) and battery storage collocated with generation – and coordinated permitting processes for all of the foregoing as lead project counsel. Further, Mr. Sunkara has represented data center developers, owners, operators, utilities, cooperatives, municipalities and other load-serving entities regarding the negotiation of retail service and issues surrounding the design, development and construction of interconnection facilities to provide retail electric distribution service to data centers and data center campuses. He also has addressed matters related to cost reimbursement for such infrastructure, load ramp timelines, demand, generation and transmission charges and cost allocation, distributed generation and behind-the-meter solutions for data center load ramp growth demands and other nuanced issues impacting the rapid deployment of data center infrastructure across North America. Mr. Sunkara regularly represents a broad range of energy, timber and industrial sector clients, including renewable energy sponsors and developers, diversified publicly traded companies, electric and gas utilities, independent power producers (IPPs), electric cooperatives, private equity and hedge funds, oil and gas companies in midstream and downstream project matters, commodity trading companies, financial institutions, timber investment management organizations (TIMOs), and chemical and petrochemical producers and other industrials. Mr. Sunkara's experience spans the entire energy spectrum. In his oil and gas practice, Mr. Sunkara represents clients in upstream oil and gas matters, midstream projects – including the acquisition of intrastate and interstate pipelines, as well as a number of underground gas storage facilities across North America – liquefied natural gas (LNG) liquefaction and regasification terminals and related infrastructure, compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling stations and processing facilities, the acquisition and operations of maritime port and rail terminals, crude and natural gas liquids (NGLs) gathering systems and pipelines, and the development and financing of hydrocarbon blending, refined products and processing facilities. Mr. Sunkara has also advised oil and gas clients and financial institutions on gas and crude "prepay" transactions and routinely advises clients on commodity trading transactions effected on master agreements such as International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA), North American Energy Standards Board (NAESB) and bespoke arrangements. Mr. Sunkara also has one the leading renewable natural gas (RNG) and responsibly sourced gas (RSG) practices in North America, having worked on dozens of landfill gas, dairy digester, wastewater and coal mine methane capture projects in his more than 20 years of practice, and he is routinely called upon by clients in the RNG and RSG space to represent them in the largest transactions involving such facilities. In addition, Mr. Sunkara has extensive experience with the full array of power generation, traditional baseload generation and renewables/energy storage technologies, including wind (onshore and offshore), solar and solar-plus-storage projects, RNG, biomass and cogeneration facilities, hydropower and geothermal projects. In this space, he guides clients through M&A transactions, tax equity investments (sponsor-side and investor-side representations), power purchase agreements (PPAs), engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contracts, operation and maintenance (O&M) and balance of plant (BOP) agreements, turbine supply (TSAs) and solar panel and related equipment procurement arrangements (including for the procurement of "safe harbored" equipment), purchase and sale agreements for steam, chilled water and other cogeneration offtake contracts, advising on the generation and purchases and sales of environmental attributes, such as renewable energy certificates (RECs), carbon offsets, renewable identification numbers (RINs), and trading agreements involving physical and financially settled purchases (including secured and unsecured hedges), and sales of electric power and related products. He has a market-leading practice advising Fortune and Financial Times Stock Exchange (FTSE)-listed corporations in achieving their sustainability and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives and project developers globally in the negotiation of physically settled and financially settled renewable PPAs and virtual PPAs and has been involved in that space from its inception more than a decade ago. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Sunkara was the leader of a number of energy teams for a global law firm in its Houston office. Additionally, Mr. Sunkara provides pro bono contractual advice to a charity focused on providing memorable trips for chronically and terminally ill children.

Jordan B. Taylor serves as the co-head of Holland & Knight's Private Equity practice in the Miami office. His practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity, joint ventures and other general corporate matters. In addition, Mr. Taylor represents both insureds and underwriters in connection with transactional risk products, including the issuance of representations and warranties insurance policies. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he obtained his Master's degree in accounting from the University of Florida Fisher School of Accounting.

Jovi Tenev is a partner in the New York office of Holland & Knight and is a member of the Business Law Section. Mr. Tenev previously served on the firm's Directors Committee. Mr. Tenev has extensive experience representing financial institutions, investment banks, foreign and domestic companies and airlines in a wide variety of transactions. He practices in all corporate and finance areas, including projects in the U.S. and international aerospace, energy, alternative energy, shipping, offshore drilling and rail industries, utilizing capital markets, complex syndicated loan and leveraged and single-investor leasing structures. He has been involved in domestic and foreign mergers and acquisitions, global securities offerings, tender offers, solicitations, portfolio purchases, private equity matters, workouts, bankruptcies, restructurings, enforcement and foreclosures, competition matters and in U.S. regulatory proceedings. Before joining the firm in 1985, Mr. Tenev served as a trial attorney for the United States Department of Justice, Criminal Division, where he received the Attorney General’s Special Commendation for Outstanding Service, and was on the staff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Center for Policy Alternatives. Mr. Tenev has published and addressed industry groups on energy and regulatory and comparative law issues, crossborder aircraft and vessel finance and leasing, alternative finance using derivatives and capital markets, vessel cabotage (the Jones Act), and employing asset‑based financing techniques for the economic development of transportation and satellite communications systems. While attending law school, Mr. Tenev was a member of the International and Comparative Law Review.

Mike Timpone is an asset finance attorney in Holland & Knight's New York office and serves as co-chair of the Maritime Industry Team as well as head of the Transportation Finance Team. Mr. Timpone focuses his practice on the representation of lenders and borrowers in secured loans and other financings in the maritime industry. He also regularly advises on the formation of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), asset finance transactions, securities transactions and restructurings. Mr. Timpone is a renowned maritime attorney who has dedicated his career to advising leading industry stakeholders on critical financings and transactions. His work has influenced significant trends that shape the current maritime sector. As a leader in his field, Mr. Timpone has guided his clients, including banks and shipowners, through multiple economic cycles and industry consolidations. Several significant transactions that Mr. Timpone has executed have won industry honors, including the Lloyd's List Americas "Deal of the Year" Award and the Marine Money "Deal of the Year" Award each year since 2020. Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Timpone was an attorney at a leading New York law firm, where he led its maritime and transportation practice.

Antonia Tzinova

Antonia Tzinova leads Holland & Knight's CFIUS and Industrial Security Team. She is a national security attorney who practices in the areas of international trade, foreign direct investment and industrial security. Ms. Tzinova is based in the firm's Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Tzinova has been recognized by Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide for her strong command of national security reviews before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), and she has been commended for her contributions in this field. Clients value Ms. Tzinova's "highly collaborative working style on complex, multi-jurisdictional matters" and praise her "strong, rounded understanding of international trade rules" and "her ability to deliver practical solutions." Ms. Tzinova regularly represents clients before CFIUS and advises on measures to mitigate Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence (FOCI) in cross-border mergers and acquisitions (M&A) of U.S. government and defense contractors. She counsels foreign investors on structuring investments in the defense, high-tech and critical infrastructure sectors of the U.S. economy. She has also advised on measures to mitigate FOCI in portfolio investments by private equity firms in government contractors performing on classified contracts, as well as advising dozens of clients on whether and how to approach the CFIUS review issue. Ms. Tzinova additionally counsels clients on defense and high-technology exports, U.S. trade embargoes and economic sanctions, and customs matters. Recent transactions include advising on a complex CFIUS mitigation measure in a foreign government acquisition of a critical technology manufacturer supplying the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and a CFIUS review of a sovereign wealth fund investment in a North American railroad depot services provider. Ms. Tzinova also has extensive experience in assisting technology exporters, government contractors and research universities in developing and implementing export compliance programs and conducting company-wide compliance training. Enhancing compliance under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) regulations often includes conducting confidential internal investigations and submission of voluntary disclosures to mitigate potential export compliance violations. These are issues that come up during regular day-to-day business operations, or in the context of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) due diligence. Ms. Tzinova also advises on inbound movement of goods in import matters, including classification, valuation, country of origin, and import licensing under the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and other U.S. trade regulations. Ms. Tzinova is actively involved in pro bono and bar activities. She is engaged with the Bulgarian-American community in the wider Washington metro area, serving as pro bono counsel to the Bulgarian Educational and Cultural Center of Washington, D.C. She has also served on the Board of Governors, and recently completed a successful two-year term as president of the Washington Foreign Law Society. Ms. Tzinova's experience also includes interning at the Foreign Investment Advisory Service (FIAS), a joint facility of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), where she worked on issues relating to foreign direct investment in the developing countries. Prior to the practice of law, Ms. Tzinova was an administrator of professional economics training at the IMF Institute of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), where she served as a liaison between leading economics lecturers and officials of the central banks and ministries of finance of IMF member states. During her time at the IMF, she was involved in developing internal guidelines for the use of training materials in compliance with U.S. and international copyright laws.

Matthew Vafidis

A qualified English barrister, Matthew Vafidis is a litigation attorney whose practice focuses principally on representing and counseling commercial clients, particularly in the maritime and transportation industry. Mr. Vafidis has an active pro bono practice and he has served as a mediator, including for the U.S. District Court Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) program, for more than 30 years.

Aymee D. Valdivia is an attorney in the International and Cross Border Transactions Practice of Holland & Knight's Business Section and a member of Holland & Knight's Cuba Action Team. Ms. Valdivia focuses her practice on corporate and transactional matters, representing foreign and domestic clients in joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, and a broad variety of commercial transactions, with a focus on Latin America and Cuba. Her background and legal education in both common and civil law systems provides Ms. Valdivia with the ability to advise clients on transactions and projects involving multiple jurisdictions, legal systems and cultures, including the drafting and negotiation of contracts in English and Spanish. Ms. Valdivia advises domestic and foreign clients on the Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR), which are administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), concerning their business ventures in Cuba, as well as regulatory compliance. Her experience practicing law in Cuba for several years provides Ms. Valdivia with extensive knowledge of the Cuban legal system, especially in the areas of foreign investment, financing, regulatory compliance and immigration. She is a native of Cuba and has an in-depth understanding of the business culture in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout her practice, Ms. Valdivia works directly with foreign in-house counsel law firms in serving clients on multijurisdictional projects. Ms. Valdivia has experience in international commercial arbitrations in which she has served as assistant to one of the parties or the arbitrator. Ms. Valdivia has also handled a number of pro bono matters, including successfully representing two Cuban nationals in unblocking nearly $1 million in funds frozen by OFAC, representation of a Cuban independent entrepreneur against a Florida travel agency in connection with unpaid invoices for services provided, and representation of foreign nationals in immigration matters.

Bradley Van Buren

Bradley Van Buren is a partner with Holland & Knight's Corporate Mergers and Acquisitions Practice Group and the leader of its Private Investment Funds and Investment Management practices. Mr. Van Buren's practice focuses on formation and operation of domestic and international private equity funds, venture capital funds, real estate funds, private credit funds, fund of funds, co-investment funds and other related investment partnership arrangements. Mr. Van Buren advises clients from a legal, regulatory and tax perspective and focuses on fund structuring, drafting of fund offering documents and negotiations with investors and service providers. In addition to established private fund manager representation, he also has extensive experience representing and advising emerging fund managers. Mr. Van Buren also commonly represents institutional investors in connection with investments in private investment funds, co-investments and other special purpose investment vehicles, secondaries transactions and other strategic investments.

Tara L. Vance is a partner and immigration lawyer in Holland & Knight's New York office. She provides legal representation in most areas of immigration and nationality law affecting individuals, corporations and other businesses, as well as advises clients with certain family-based immigration matters. Ms. Vance is experienced in assisting clients with developing strategic plans for bringing employees to the U.S. to work and employing foreign nationals following a merger or acquisition. She advises foreign and domestic startup companies, mid- and large-size entities, and nonprofit organizations in obtaining immigrant and nonimmigrant visas. She also advises on related compliance issues, including with respect to Form I-9 issues and the EB-5 immigrant investor program. Ms. Vance regularly counsels clients with developing internal human resource and corporate policies and procedures for handling immigration matters and obtaining immigrant and nonimmigrant visas, as well as U.S. citizenship and expatriation. She assists clients with Form I-9 audits and has provided I-9 training and compliance guidance. Ms. Vance regularly advises clients on immigration issues associated with buying or selling companies in the U.S. and during merger and acquisition transactions so that such transactions take into consideration the immigration needs of the underlying companies and individuals. Ms. Vance represents clients in a wide variety of industries, including entrepreneurs and investors, law firms, finance and banking, educational institutions, entertainment, media and communications, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, energy, technology, aviation and real estate. She is well-versed in helping clients identify all possible work visa options and develop a strategy to obtain the best work visa for the needs of the individual and the employer, considering both short-term and long-term goals, as well as walking clients through complicated immigration regulations and procedures.

Joe Watson is a Nashville attorney who focuses his practice on construction-related issues for a broad range of clients. His practice includes representation of owners, developers and contractors in all phases of construction projects: developing the design and construction agreements at the front end; assisting clients navigate issues that arise during the project and in claim avoidance; and, at project conclusion, prosecuting and defending claims and disputes. Mr. Watson represents clients on private and public projects ranging from urban high-rises and heavy civil construction to the development of healthcare facilities, hospitality properties, manufacturing facilities, mixed-use commercial developments and tenant buildouts. In his transactional practice, Mr. Watson is experienced in preparing and negotiating stipulated sum, guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and design-build construction contracts, in addition to design agreements. He routinely develops and advises clients regarding modified American Institute of Architects (AIA) contracts, custom contracts/templates, master agreements and other industry-recognized contract forms. Inevitably disputes arise, and Mr. Watson assists owners and contractors in resolving commercial construction disputes in the most cost-effective way possible, whether in the courtroom or through alternative dispute resolution (mediation and arbitration). He prosecutes and defends claims related to design and construction defects, project and schedule delays, payment disputes, cost overrun and change order disputes, mechanic's and materialman's liens, and insurance coverage disputes pertaining to construction issues. By working closely with his clients and learning the issues that are most important and valuable to them, Mr. Watson is able to efficiently and pragmatically resolve issues and disputes, so clients can focus on their day-to-day operations. He has made numerous continuing legal education presentations on various construction issues, including Tennessee's construction lien and prompt pay/retainage statutes. While in law school, Mr. Watson worked at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Following law school, he served as a law clerk to the Chief Justice of the Tennessee Supreme Court, the Honorable Gary R. Wade.

Jennifer Weaver

Jennifer Weaver is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Healthcare Section and a co-leader of the firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Industry Group. She has more than two decades of experience representing healthcare providers in government investigations, False Claims Act (FCA) litigation, Medicare audits and appeals, and healthcare business disputes across the country. Ms. Weaver resides in the firm's Nashville office. Ms. Weaver helps clients navigate the vast resources and power of the government. She has built an impressive track record defending clients' FCA matters across the United States, including cases where the government has intervened. She has been equally successful appealing costly and potentially crippling Medicare audits conducted by Unified Program Integrity Contractors (UPICs). Ms. Weaver has successfully reduced multimillion-dollar overpayments to four- or five-figure overpayments through the Medicare appeals process and convinced the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to lift potentially devastating Medicare payment suspensions on behalf of providers. In addition to her experience in government enforcement actions, healthcare providers rely on Ms. Weaver's successful track record in complex business disputes. She has secured landmark defense verdicts in trials and pre-trial dismissals on behalf of healthcare providers in state and federal courts across the country.

Todd D. Wozniak is a trial attorney and the leader of Holland & Knight's ERISA Litigation Team and Atlanta Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Wozniak defends companies, fiduciaries and public institutions throughout the United States in Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), labor and employment, and business disputes. Mr. Wozniak is also experienced in wage-and-hour litigation, state and federal whistleblower statutes, non-discrimination laws, plant closing and mass layoff laws, collective bargaining and traditional labor relations, executive contracts and compensation, non-compete and trade secrets litigation, and partnership/business disputes. During his career, Mr. Wozniak has defended dozens of class or collective actions and tried more than 40 cases or arbitrations to verdict. In addition, Mr. Wozniak is a frequent lecturer and writer on a wide range of ESOP, employee benefits, employment and business-related issues, including ERISA compliance and preemption, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) audits and investigations, protecting trade secrets, implementing reductions-in-force, pre-dispute arbitration agreements and programs, class action defense, eDiscovery, and wage-and-hour compliance.

Parker Young is a Houston financial services attorney who represents both lenders and borrowers in an array of finance transactions in a broad range of practice areas, including upstream and midstream energy, renewables and commercial middle market transactions. She has worked on syndicated lending facilities, acquisition financings, bridge loans, note purchase and sale transactions, and debtor-in-possession (DIP) financings. She also has played an active role in negotiating and documenting both senior and subordinate credit facilities.