Holland & Knight LLP

A veritable global conglomerate, Holland & Knight complements its fleet of offices in the United States with locations in England, Colombia, and Mexico. With a political pedigree and strong Capitol Hill ties, the firm covers dozens of practice areas, from litigation, corporate law, intellectual property, and tax to more industry-specific teams.

A Prime Pedigree

Holland & Knight came to be from the combination of the two firms built by Florida practitioners Peter O. Knight and Spessard Holland, with roots dating back to 1889 and 1929, respectively. Present-day Holland & Knight owes much of its success to Chesterfield Smith, who oversaw the combination of Holland and Knight’s practices in 1968 and was the new firm’s first managing partner. Smith worked to transform Holland & Knight from a regional practice to a global firm. One of his key ideas was decentralization: Boundaries between local offices would be fluid, and lawyers would be matched to clients on the basis of skill and compatibility, not geography.

Two Double Zero

Holland & Knight has wide-ranging experience—to the tune of 200 practice areas. The firm does it all—corporate, energy, health care, IP, international business, employment, litigation, real estate, regulatory and government affairs, technology, and transportation—and all of the sub-practices within. It also boasts a Latin America practice. The firm’s 2021 merger with Thompson & Knight significantly enhanced its energy industry capabilities, combining Holland & Knight’s expertise in renewable energy—particularly wind and solar—with Thompson & Knight’s strength in oil & gas and energy infrastructure.

The firm’s Financial Services group advises on a range of areas, including financing, M&A, regulatory issues, securitization, structured finance—and does so with a global mindset. It also has a robust Real Estate practice that is more than 280 lawyers strong. Its lawyers focus on a range of areas, including construction, corporate services, environment, financial services, government contracts, insurance, international issues, labor and employment, land use and zoning, litigation, property management, public policy and regulatory matters. And Holland & Knight’s DC office is the center of the firm’s lobbying activities. The firm has helped clients secure billions of dollars in funding for infrastructure, development, and research projects.

Helping Hand

Holland & Knight goes above and beyond with its community outreach. It is the only law firm to have received the ABA’s Military Pro Bono Project Outstanding Services award every year since its inception in 2012 for its pro bono work assisting military members and their families. It helped create the first state curriculum when Florida mandated that the Holocaust be taught in public schools and has helped Holocaust victims recover reparations from the German government. The firm also serves as general counsel and provides pro bono services to MyGoodDeed, a nonprofit founded by the brother of a Holland & Knight partner and volunteer firefighter/EMT killed in the line of duty on 9/11. These are just some of the ways in which the firm has pledged to effect change in its community.

• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity's 2021 Top Performer and 2021 Compass Award 
• Perfect score Corporate Equality Index (eighth consecutive year), 2022—Human Rights Campaign
• Best Law Firms for Women, 2021—Seramount 
• 354 lawyers and 96 practices recognized, 2021—Best Lawyers in America
• 165 attorneys "America's Leading Lawyers for Business," 2021—Chambers USA