Transportation
If your business is transportation related, your legal needs require a specialized team of lawyers who understand the industry and are able to advise on a wide range of legal issues.
For more than 30 years, Holland & Knight lawyers have focused on serving public and private sector clients operating in the many facets of the transportation industry. We have extensive experience in:
Integrated Approach Supports Efficient Representation of Any Interest
Our integrated approach to your practice needs enables us to draw in resources specific to your industry niche or legal need. For example, on behalf of one client, a Holland & Knight team of maritime, surface transportation and international corporate attorneys was created to assist with the development of a unique global logistics system.
Lawyers who have held substantial positions with federal, state and local governments, with transportation agencies and in private sector transportation companies are part of Holland & Knight's Transportation Team.
A Multidisciplinary Approach and Commitment to Generating Results
Working closely with other specialty practices within Holland & Knight, our combined experience supports you in the following areas:
- federal authorizations, appropriations and grants, including grants management
- intergovernmental relations
- transportation plan review and approval
- environmental review, mitigation, litigation and remediation
- bond issuances and other instruments of public indebtedness
- project finance and innovative financing techniques
- federal, state and local regulation and licensing
- public-private partnerships, privatization and outsourcing
- real estate – acquisition, condemnation, land use and zoning, leasing and joint and transit-oriented development
- right-of-way, trackage rights and permitting matters
- Americans With Disabilities Act and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise compliance
- procurement
- construction – contract drafting and administration, bid issues and disputes, contract claims and litigation
- design-build, build-operate-transfer, and turnkey contracts
- audits
- labor and employment law
- mergers, acquisitions and general corporate advice
- civil rights matters, including First Amendment issues
- Qui tam lawsuits and other claims
Government Relations
Transportation is a major focus of our premier government relations practices located in Washington, D.C. Some of our attorneys previously worked on the House and Senate Appropriations Committees for chairmen of the transportation subcommittees. Highlights of client support include:
- securing funding for a wide range of transportation clients, including transit systems, municipalities and corporations
- helping obtain over $1 million in federal funds for clients in need of such assistance for worthy projects
- representing numerous clients before the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs, Senate Environment and Public Works, and Senate Commerce Committees as well as before the Administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation
Public Transportation
A deep and long-standing commitment to and participation in the public transportation industry has given Holland & Knight the opportunity to represent and provide legal services in the areas of procurement, project finance, project development and negotiation of Full-Funding Grant Agreements for:
- state and local departments of transportation
- transit agencies
- commuter railroads
- public authorities
- governmental agencies
- private sector companies, including investment bankers, planning consultants and engineers, developers, contractors, operation and maintenance companies, transit and bus operators, and material and equipment suppliers
Aviation
Holland & Knight aviation lawyers concentrate on regulatory matters for both common and private carriers before the Department of Transportation, the Federal Aviation Administration and the International Civil Aviation Organization. We provide counsel for your operational issues, financial agreements, SEC filings, fuel purchase and labor negotiations, among other areas. In addition, the team can navigate you through a wide range of issues, such as:
- operating rights, aircraft purchases and lease negotiations, aircraft sales and export approvals for aircraft
- alleged violations of federal aviation regulations
- Securities and Exchange Commission filings for airlines
- aircraft and fuel purchase negotiations
- labor negotiations with airline unions
- domestic and foreign financial agreements for airline operations in Canada, the Caribbean and South America
Highways
Some of our lawyers, previously employed by highway departments and toll agencies, have been involved in various facets of highway law, such as development, financing and construction for both tolled and non-tolled roads, bridges and tunnels
Freight Rail
Holland & Knight lawyers, some of whom have previously been employed by railroads, have decades of experience representing freight railroads, including Class I and short line carriers. Clients have been assisted with a range of environmental matters, from regulatory and permitting to hazardous materials and spill remediation
Trucking and Logistics
Major trucking, package and express delivery carriers, leading non-asset based North American third party logistics providers, and publicly traded trucking and logistics providers represented by Holland & Knight have access to a full range of legal services, including:
- representation with respect LTL, TL, and Intermodal transportation agreements with shippers
- underlying transportation agreements with carriers (both rail and motor)
- equipment leasing, pooling, repair and maintenance and management agreements
- freight forwarder agreements
- property broker agreements
- warehousing agreements claims policies and procedure manuals
- advice concerning applicable AAR (Association of American Railroads) and UIIA (Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement) rules and procedures
- bills of lading
- cargo loss and damage
- regulatory and permitting issues
- labor and employment and commercial litigation and defense of third party claims
High Speed Ground Transportation
The first two high-speed rail projects in the United States engaged Holland & Knight lawyers. On behalf of a national rail system, the firm drafted and then helped administer the design-build contract for the electrification of the Northeast Corridor, the prelude to development of high-speed service from Washington D.C. to Boston. Our attorneys provided assistance on certain real estate and other aspects of this project as well.