Michael A. Abel practices in Holland & Knight's Litigation Section, where his practice includes the representation of corporate and individual clients in wide-ranging commercial and business disputes, in both state and federal court, as well as in alternative dispute resolution forums. This includes:
- Commercial litigation for diverse business and industries, including real estate and leasing companies, commercial landlords and tenants, health insurance and medical benefit providers, title insurance companies, manufacturers and distributors, resort and hotel owners, railroads, and trucking companies. This includes representing clients in breach of contract and business tort claims, as well as claims arising out of non-compete agreements, misappropriation of trade secrets, and fraud allegations.
- Real estate litigation, including the representation of developers, purchasers, title companies, lenders, and lessors/lessees in disputes concerning real estate purchases, contract disputes, commercial landlord-tenant litigation, insured title claims, easements and boundary disputes, title issues, and mortgage fraud.
- Corporate litigation, including disputes between shareholders and other business owners; cases involving business entity governance, shareholder actions, derivative actions, corporate dissolution, merger and acquisition claims, and disputes involving limited liability companies and partnerships.
- Trust and estate litigation, including the defense of breach of fiduciary duty claims asserted against banks and trust companies; representation of large beneficiaries, such as charitable organizations and educational institutions, in contested estate matters.
- Transportation litigation, including the resolution of major liability claims and complex commercial litigation arising out of rail and motor carrier operations; claims arising under the Interstate Commerce Commission Termination Act (ICCTA); federal preemption claims including disputes with local and/or state governments regarding efforts to regulate rail operations; commercial disputes with shippers and vendors; internal compliance reviews or internal investigations involving the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Mr. Abel frequently presents to corporate clients and in-house counsel on topics such as the attorney-client privilege, e-discovery, and alternative pricing and innovative fee arrangements. As a leader in implementing Holland & Knight's alternative pricing initiatives for the firm's Litigation Section, Mr. Abel has developed numerous client engagement agreements and RFPs that involve innovative structuring of fees.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Abel practiced in-house at CSX Transportation, the nation's third largest railroad, where he headed litigation, and at Pacer International, a leading intermodal, trucking and logistics company, where he served as chief litigation counsel. Before gaining his in-house experience, Mr. Abel was an associate at a national law firm in Jacksonville, Florida and Richmond, Virginia.