David C. Whitestone

David Whitestone is managing partner of Holland & Knight and, together with the firm's chair and deputy managing partner, oversees the strategic growth of the firm and manages its operations. Prior to joining Holland & Knight's leadership team, Mr. Whitestone was executive partner of the firm's Washington, D.C., office and served as co-chair of the Practice & Operations Committee. Since joining the firm in 1999, he has been elected to several terms on Holland & Knight's Directors Committee, served as the firmwide Lateral Hiring Partner and led the firm's Government Section.

Mr. Whitestone is a transportation attorney who represents corporations, private equity funds and municipal entities, with a concentration in the aviation sector. His clients have included technology companies, government contractors, industry vendors, airlines and airports, as well as transit property sponsors and professional sport leagues. Mr. Whitestone advises on matters related to federal budgeting, statutory construction, transactions and investigations.

Mr. Whitestone has led multidiscipline teams in conducting transactional due diligence and compliance for clients engaged in the acquisition of regulated entities, including government contractors, where governmental actions and fiscal policy may have a material impact on revenues and risk.

In addition, Mr. Whitestone regularly advises clients on significant matters facing governmental scrutiny, including all types of congressional investigations, and coordinates with colleagues from multiple practices to advise on white collar, government contracts, shareholder interests and public relations matters. He counsels clients in responding effectively and efficiently to congressional reviews, while protecting their legal rights and reputations. In many cases, congressional investigations are closely related to U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigations and regulatory compliance, requiring coordinated responses to the government.

Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Whitestone worked in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was associate staff on the House Appropriations Committee and principal staff for a member of Congress from Virginia. In leveraging his congressional budget experience, Mr. Whitestone advises clients on federal financial matters, statutory drafting, and policy execution and implementation. On behalf of clients, Mr. Whitestone appears before the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as well as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT).

In an effort to better serve clients by aggregating the firm's legal and policy offerings to the transportation market, Mr. Whitestone launched the firm's Transportation Industry Team, which has been recognized by U.S. News, Chambers USA and Law360 as a leading legal practice. With a sharper focus on the client's line of business, the firm is better able to assist aviation, maritime, trucking, rail, transit and emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and uncrewed aerial vehicles, in generating value for shareholders, owners and stakeholders while reducing inherent legal and political risks.

Mr. Whitestone serves on the board of directors of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Congressional Management Foundation and the Washington Airports Task Force, where he is chair emeritus.