Former Senate Commerce Counsel and Senior Department of Transportation Official Kara Fischer Joins Holland & Knight
WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 13, 2026) – Holland & Knight has strategically bolstered its Public Policy & Regulation Group with the addition of Partner Kara Fischer in Washington, D.C. Before joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Fischer served as acting deputy staff director and senior counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation under Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and as deputy chief of staff and principal deputy assistant secretary for governmental affairs at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) under Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
During her time working for the Senate Commerce Committee, Ms. Fischer led bipartisan negotiation and passage of major bills exceeding $4 trillion, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and other legislation focused on innovation, transportation, privacy, telecommunications, manufacturing and emerging technologies.
At the DOT, Ms. Fischer served as a senior strategic advisor to Secretary Pete Buttigieg, shaping enterprise priorities, operational planning and strategic initiatives across a $600 billion innovation and infrastructure agenda. She also led agency-wide government affairs, including strategic engagement with Congress, the White House, state and local officials, and external stakeholders to implement and coordinate advocacy and engagement strategies.
"Kara is a highly regarded professional across the transportation policy ecosystem who has bipartisan respect and credibility," said Paul Stimers, co-leader of Holland & Knight's Federal Government Affairs Practice. "Kara's first-hand experience in both the legislative and executive branches, first with the Senate Commerce Committee and then at DOT, as well as her deep relationships with agency leadership, industry stakeholders and committee staff, make her an invaluable asset to our Firm."
At Holland & Knight, Ms. Fischer will use her more than 15 years of experience to provide executive-level counsel to transportation, logistics, infrastructure and emerging technology clients on their federal government engagement strategies. Her background in enforcement, oversight and incident response also enables her to advise clients on regulatory risk, investigations and congressional oversight. Earlier in Ms. Fischer's career, she was a senior trial attorney and policy advisor at the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), where she led high-profile litigation, investigations and regulatory initiatives.
"I am excited to bring my deep regulatory and litigation experience to Holland & Knight, a top firm for the transportation and technology industries," Ms. Fischer said. "As Congress and the current administration continue to sharpen their focus on implementation and oversight of major infrastructure, innovation and supply chain initiatives, it is more important than ever for clients to build relationships and trust with key players in Washington. I'm happy to be a connector for clients, as well as a trusted adviser in the critical areas of congressional investigations and agency enforcement."
Ms. Fischer received a J.D. degree from American University, Washington College of Law, an MBA degree from York College of Pennsylvania and a B.A. degree from York College of Pennsylvania.