Maritime

Holland & Knight is consistently recognized as a leading law firm in maritime law by national and international publications. Our Maritime Team is featured in Chambers and Partners Global and USA editions (shipping litigation and finance practices), Euromoney's Guide to the World's Leading Shipping Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Shipping & Maritime Lawyers and Super Lawyers (transportation). Holland & Knight was named the 2022 "Law Firm of the Year" in Admiralty & Maritime Law by U.S. News – Best Lawyers®. The firm also won the honor in 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2020. In addition, Law360 named our Transportation practice as 2022 "Practice Group of the Year."

After combining with Haight, Gardner, Poor & Havens in 1997 to amass more than 150 years of maritime experience, Holland & Knight is one of the few "shipbuilder to shipbreaker" maritime law practices in the United States. This comprehensive and in-depth experience ensures an informed and precise response to any maritime matter.

Diverse Representation

Our multidisciplinary Maritime Team offers the sophisticated legal service and counsel you need to successfully accomplish your business objectives. We have extensive experience in all aspects of maritime operations, including:

• casualty, pollution and salvage
• maritime and logistics contracts
• regulatory and government
• maritime security and piracy
• vessel finance, maritime bankruptcies and workouts, including maritime liens
• energy, LNG/LPG and cables
• marine appellate and amicus curiae
• intermodal and terminal
• cruise line and yachts 

Global Reach Advances Your Strategy

Supporting your global strategy, our maritime law practice is positioned to serve you throughout the world with offices located on all three U.S. coasts and in Bogotá and Mexico City. Additionally, our network of national and foreign correspondent counsel is available to assist you in any matter around the globe.

Extensive Industry Connections

The United States government and Congress have called upon Holland & Knight lawyers to lend their experience in critical maritime matters such as:

• Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: We provided expert testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on legal issues relating to oil pollution liability and written testimony on the same issues to the U.S. Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works, at the Committee’s request, in connection with the drilling rig Deepwater Horizon oil spill and environmental damages.
• Rotterdam Rules: One of our maritime attorneys was a member of the United States delegation to the United Nations Commission for International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) working group that drafted the Rotterdam Rules, the first rules governing the carriage of goods by sea and connecting or previous transport by land.

Our commitment to the maritime industry is also demonstrated by our participation and service on the boards of maritime organizations, industry groups, seminars, conferences, bar associations and maritime museums. Over the years, Holland & Knight attorneys have served as:

• president of the Maritime Law Association of the United States (USMLA)
• chair of the International Bar Association's Committee on Maritime and Transport Law
• chair-elect of the American Bar Association's Admiralty and Maritime Committee
• counsel to INTERTANKO
• director and committee chair of USMLA
• chair of the Alumni Foundation of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point)

In addition, our maritime attorneys have served on boards of the following industry organizations:

• Propeller Club of the United States
• Marine Society of the City of New York
• National Maritime Historical Society
• American Maritime Museum
• South Street Seaport
• Seamen’s Church Institute
• Tug Pegasus Preservation Project, New York

We use the knowledge gained through these industry connections and our experience to provide added value to our clients. For example, our team frequently writes articles and legal updates to keep clients informed of the latest developments within the maritime industry.