National law firm with a transportation practice that has dedicated teams for trucking, freight intermediaries, supply chain and warehousing, covering compliance, contracts, cargo claims and litigation.
Services
Who it serves
Overview
Husch Blackwell is a national law firm that organizes much of its work by industry. Its transportation practice includes dedicated teams for Truck, Transit and Ground; Intermediaries; Supply Chain Logistics; Warehousing and Ports; Rail; and Aviation, with related work in maritime and ocean law and autonomous vehicles.
The practice page says it handles fuel price volatility, multi-modal shipping, contract disputes and litigation, and it lists clients across the freight chain: freight carriers, freight brokers, long- and short-haul truckers, transportation insurers, commercial shippers, ocean carriers and intermediaries, 3PLs, freight forwarders and NVOCCs, warehouses and software companies that build transportation products.
In January 2024 the firm added a five-attorney supply chain and logistics team to its transportation practice. Julie E. Maurer, a partner in the Phoenix office, is listed as the key contact for the Truck, Transit and Ground team.
Compare with other Transportation Attorneys providers: Barnes & Thornburg, Cozen O'Connor and Clark Hill, or see all Transportation Attorneys.
Services
Motor carriers. The Truck, Transit and Ground page lists advice on federal and state operating, licensing, security and regulatory requirements including FMCSA and DOT rules, drafting internal safety and operations manuals, and representation before DOT. It also covers hazardous materials and Food Safety Modernization Act issues, cross-border operations, driver compliance and tax questions, and drafting transportation master agreements and load-specific contracts.
Freight brokers and intermediaries. The Intermediaries page lists advice on the regulations that govern brokers and forwarders and on the scope of services they can lawfully offer; drafting and negotiating co-broker, broker-carrier and shipper-broker agreements; defense of cargo loss and damage claims brought against intermediaries; surety bond disputes; Federal Maritime Commission detention and demurrage matters; and help for brokers and forwarders hit by cargo theft and fraud, including fraudulent use of SCAC codes.
Litigation. The firm defends trucking and shipping clients in accident cases, with listed capabilities in accident reconstruction, ECM and GPS data analysis, negligent hiring and retention claims, and hours-of-service issues. It also handles cargo and freight charge disputes and Carmack Amendment liability.
Employment and other work. Listed areas include non-competes, wage and hour, class actions, collective bargaining, worker classification, OSHA and DOT drug testing, plus intellectual property, technology agreements and M&A.
Who it is for
Husch Blackwell's transportation teams fit mid-size and larger carriers, brokers and 3PLs that want one firm for regulatory, contract and litigation work. The Intermediaries team's focus on broker contracts, cargo claims against brokers and cargo theft and identity fraud is directly relevant to freight brokers dealing with today's fraud environment.
Shippers and warehouse operators can use the Supply Chain Logistics and Warehousing teams for carrier and 3PL contracts and facility issues, and transportation technology companies can use the firm's technology and IP work.
How working with them works
The firm does not publish fees for transportation matters. Engagement typically starts with a conflict check and an engagement letter. The firm's homepage lists 23 office locations, and its transportation pages name team contacts and link to attorney profiles, so you can reach someone in the team that matches your issue.
Husch Blackwell publishes legal updates, blogs, white papers and podcasts, including an episode of Trucking with OOIDA, and its attorneys write for outside publications. Its trade and tariff updates are frequent, which can be useful for shippers and forwarders moving international freight.
Questions to ask before you sign
Which team would handle my matter: Truck, Transit and Ground, Intermediaries or Supply Chain? Ask for the specific attorney and their freight experience.
Do you represent the other party or any of my major customers, carriers or insurers? Ask for a conflict check before sharing details.
How do you bill transportation work? Ask about hourly rates by attorney level and whether there are flat fees for contract packages or compliance reviews.
For brokers dealing with fraud: what can you do quickly when a load is stolen or my MC or SCAC is being used by someone else, and what does that cost?
Which states are the attorneys licensed in, and will local counsel be needed if a case is filed elsewhere?
Company background
Husch Blackwell in its current form came from the February 29, 2008 merger of Husch & Eppenberger, LLC and Blackwell Sanders LLP, which the firm announced at the time brought it to more than 630 lawyers. Legal 500 describes Husch & Eppenberger as St. Louis based and Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin as Kansas City based, and reports later combinations with Brown McCarroll of Texas in 2013 and Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek of Milwaukee in 2016.
Legal 500 lists 932 lawyers firmwide and more than 20 offices, including a virtual office the firm calls the Link, and lists the firm's address in Kansas City, Missouri. Since 2012 the firm has organized its work around industry groups, one of which covers technology, manufacturing and transportation. A founding year and single headquarters city are not stated on the firm's own pages reviewed, so those fields are left blank.
Sources
Information compiled from public sources. Last verified November 2026. Confirm details directly with the company.
