Holland & Knight LLP

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

A Prime Pedigree

Holland & Knight is the combination of 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 merger of Holland’s 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 strategies was decentralization: Boundaries between local offices are fluid, and lawyers are matched to clients on the basis of skill and compatibility, not geographical location.

Two Double Zero

Holland & Knight lawyers have wide-ranging experiences that enable the firm to practice in 200 areas. The firm does it all—corporate, energy, healthcare, intellectual property, international business, employment, litigation, real estate, regulatory and government affairs, technology, transportation and all the related sub-practices. 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 2023 merger with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis added expertise in healthcare, as well as offices in Nashville, Chattanooga, and Birmingham.

The firm’s financial services group advises on a range of areas, including financing, M&A, regulatory issues, securitization, and structured finance, with a global mindset. It also has a robust real estate practice that is more than 280 lawyers strong; these attorneys focus on a range of areas, including construction, corporate services, environmental law, financial services, government contracts, insurance, international issues, labor and employment, land use and zoning, litigation, property management, public policy, and regulatory matters. 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 through community outreach. Because of its pro bono work assisting military members and their families, 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. 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 the community.

• Mansfield Rule 6.0 Certified, 2023 – Diversity Lab
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework Member, 2023 – Bloomberg Law
• Best Law Firms for Women & Diversity, 2023 – Seramount
• Top Performer Award, 2023 – Leadership Council on Legal Diversity
• Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion (formerly referred to as “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality”), 2023 – Human Rights Campaign Foundation