Holland & Knight Grows Real Estate Section in Nashville with Addition of Erica Garrison
NASHVILLE (April 6, 2026) – Erica Garrison, a widely respected land use and zoning attorney in Tennessee, has joined Holland & Knight's esteemed Real Estate practice in Nashville. She was previously a partner with Bradley Arant.
Prior to joining Bradley Arant, Ms. Garrison practiced for 15 years at Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, which combined with Holland & Knight in 2023.
Ms. Garrison has more than two decades of experience advising on complex entitlement, municipal regulatory and government affairs matters across Nashville and Middle Tennessee. She has helped shape Nashville's landscape by permitting and entitling numerous projects that have beneficially impacted the city's skyline. Ms. Garrison interfaces daily with agencies in Nashville and the surrounding Mid-South area, and she is well known for her entitlement work. Her practice also includes advising clients on procurement matters, including request for proposal (RFP) strategy and bid protests, further expanding the Firm's government‑facing capabilities.
"Erica's extensive background in land use, zoning and government affairs work, as well as her longstanding relationships across Nashville, bring immediate and strategic value to our clients," said Joe Guay, leader of Holland & Knight's Real Estate Section. "Her ability to navigate complex entitlement and regulatory processes will significantly enhance our capabilities in the city and the broader Mid‑South region."
Ms. Garrison regularly handles land use, zoning, entitlement matters, metro and state regulatory engagements, incentive structuring and complex negotiations with Metro Nashville departments, the Nashville Planning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment, Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, city council, and state boards and commissions. She previously served as an associate attorney with the Metropolitan Department of Law in Nashville.
"Complicated development projects in Middle Tennessee generally and in Nashville specifically are rarely just about the law," said James Weaver, co-leader of Holland & Knight's Tennessee State and Local Government Advocacy Team. "Having Erica Garrison back alongside Jon Cooper and the rest of our zoning and land use, government affairs and real estate team means clients are getting unparalleled experience, decades-long and time-tested relationships, and practical, industry-focused problem-solving in one place."
Holland & Knight has been ranked as a top-tier real estate firm in Tennessee for more than 20 years by the Chambers USA guide. The team is known for being "well equipped to handle major development projects, as well as multistate acquisitions" and is "also capable of conducting significant zoning and land use work," according to Chambers.
"I am excited to reconnect with colleagues I have long respected," Ms. Garrison said. "Helping clients steer substantial projects across the public and private sector has been the focus of my career, and Holland & Knight's collaborative culture and deep regional platform provide an ideal environment for that work."
Ms. Garrison received a J.D. degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School and a B.A. degree from DePauw University.