Large national law firm with a Motor Carriers and Logistics practice covering transportation contracts, FMCSA rulemaking, freight claims, independent contractor issues and trucking litigation.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Holland & Knight is a large national law firm with about 2,200 attorneys and 36 offices in the United States and abroad, according to its website. Freight work sits in its Motor Carriers and Logistics practice, which is part of the firm's broader Transportation and Infrastructure industry group.
The Motor Carriers and Logistics page says the team represents trucking, package and express delivery carriers, non-asset-based North American third-party logistics providers, publicly traded trucking and logistics companies, and national and international motor carriers, freight forwarders and NVOCCs. The listed primary contacts are William P. Byrne and Jameson B. Rice.
The wider Transportation and Infrastructure group covers aviation, maritime, transit, freight rail, motor carriers and logistics, and autonomous transportation, and it publishes a Holland & Knight Transportation Blog.
Compare with other Transportation Attorneys providers: Husch Blackwell, Barnes & Thornburg and Cozen O'Connor, or see all Transportation Attorneys.
Services
Transactions and contracts. The team drafts and negotiates owner-operator, agency, warehousing and transportation brokerage agreements, and advises on bills of lading, shipper-carrier and shipper-broker contracts and limitation of liability.
Operations. It advises on equipment acquisition, leasing, maintenance and repair, warehousing and interchange issues under the Uniform Intermodal Interchange and Facilities Access Agreement.
Regulatory. The page lists advice on FMCSA initiatives and rulemakings, state and federal regulatory matters and federal compliance, plus representation in National Transportation Safety Board investigations, including highway accident investigations conducted with states.
International. Work includes ocean freight, Federal Maritime Commission initiatives involving ocean transportation intermediaries, and cross-border issues with Mexico and Canada.
Claims, labor and litigation. The team handles cargo loss and damage issues including tariff and liability limitations, IRS inquiries into owner-operator classification, class action defense, trucking accident defense, contract disputes with customers and suppliers, insurance coverage disputes, and restrictive covenant, trade secret and patent claims.
Related practices include Autonomous Transportation, Supply Chain, Compliance Services, Public Policy and Regulation, and Transportation and Infrastructure Policy.
Who it is for
Holland & Knight's motor carrier practice is aimed at larger and more complex freight businesses: national carriers, sizable 3PLs, publicly traded transportation companies and international forwarders. It is a strong fit when a matter crosses into other areas the firm covers, such as federal policy and lobbying, M&A, securities, environmental or international trade, because those teams sit in the same firm.
Smaller brokers and owner-operators can still engage a large firm, but should expect large-firm rates and should weigh whether a boutique transportation firm is a better match for routine contract or collection work.
How working with them works
The firm does not publish fees on its website. As with any firm of this size, engagement starts with a conflict check across a very large client base and an engagement letter that sets scope and billing. The motor carrier practice page names its primary contacts, and the firm's professionals directory lets you search by practice and office.
The Transportation and Infrastructure group publishes a transportation blog, publications, podcasts and webinars. Reading recent posts on FMCSA rulemaking or broker issues is a quick way to see which attorneys are active on the topic you care about.
Questions to ask before you sign
Can you clear conflicts? With about 2,200 attorneys, the firm may already represent the other side or a major customer or carrier of yours.
Who on the Motor Carriers and Logistics team would handle my matter, and how much of their work is trucking and logistics?
What are the hourly rates by attorney level, and are there alternative fee arrangements for contract templates, compliance reviews or defined projects?
Which states are the assigned attorneys admitted in, and which office would lead the work?
If my issue involves policy or rulemaking, such as an FMCSA proposal, can the firm's policy team help, and how is that billed?
For a cargo claim: is the amount at stake large enough to justify large-firm fees, or would you suggest another approach?
Company background
Wikipedia reports that Holland & Knight was formed in 1968 in Tampa, Florida, through the merger of practices tied to Spessard Holland and Peter O. Knight, and lists Tampa as its headquarters. It grew through mergers, including Thompson & Knight of Dallas in 2021 and Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis of Nashville in 2023.
The firm's website lists about 2,200 attorneys, 36 offices and more than 250 areas of law. Its Transportation and Infrastructure group spans aviation, maritime, transit, freight rail, motor carriers and logistics, and autonomous transportation.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
