Firm Profiles
IN-DEPTH RESEARCH REPORT
on Holland & Knight LLP
- - Financial Information
- - Compensation
- - Billing Rates
- - Lateral Partner Moves
- - Pro bono
- - Key Contacts
Holland & Knight
- Designation: National
- Head Count: 926
- Gross Revenues: $598,000,000
- Revenue Per Lawyer: $645,000
- Profits Per Partner: $950,000
- Year Over Year Change: 1
The result of a 1968 merger between two Florida–based law firms, Holland & Knight has grown into a top 50 firm in the United States (indeed, it ranked exactly fiftieth on the 2011 Am Law 100, with just over $550 million in revenue). Based in Tampa, it has more than 900 lawyers (including 183 equity partners), and boasts practice areas that range from corporate law and intellectual property to aviation and alcoholic beverage law. Holland & Knight’s health care group is particularly well–known; it’s among the largest such practices in the country, and has been one of the firm’s strongest performers in recent years.
While Holland & Knight maintains a large presence throughout Florida, it has expanded both its geographical and substantive reach over the past decade. An August 2002 merger with 85–lawyer McBride Baker & Coles gave it a sizable presence in Chicago, while the March 2007 acquisition of Milstein & Taylor gave a boost to its IP practice. Meanwhile, office openings in Beijing (2004) and Abu Dhabi (2008) broadened its global footprint. Holland & Knight also maintains a fairly substantial base in the nation’s capital, with 138 lawyers based in the firm’s Washington, D.C., office and another 36 lawyers working in nearby McLean, Virginia.
While the economic crisis did not leave Holland & Knight unscathed—the firm eliminated some 70 lawyer positions in 2009—it was on the rebound by 2010, when average profits per partner jumped 15 percent (they increased another 11 percent, to $890,000, in 2011). One explanation for the uptick on profits, according to managing partner Steven Sonberg, was a thorough approach to trimming expenses. Still, Holland & Knight continues to rank well outside the top 100 for average partner compensation (ranking 140th among law firms in 2010).
Another bright spot has been the work coming out of Latin America, where the firm—and its Miami office in particular—has helped U.S., European, and Chinese companies break into the region’s transportation, construction, telecommunications, and natural resources markets. “Miami just happens to be a hub for Latin American work to take place,” says Sonberg.
The firm’s upswing has trickled down, too. Midlevel associate satisfaction—which took a pounding during the recession—has been slowly but steadily rising. The firm’s 111th–place finish in 2009 improved to ninety–fourth place in 2010 and seventy–eighth by 2011. A few more years of this trend, and Holland & Knight may well be a hub for ambitious young lawyers, too.
—Updated as of 1/1/12
Firm Rankings
| Survey | Rank | Year Over Year Change | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Am Law 100 | 52 | 1 | Gross revenue |
| Am Law 200 | 52 | 1 | Gross revenue |
| NLJ 250 | 27 | 4 | Lawyer head count |
| The A-List | NR | N/A | Overall excellence |
| Pro Bono Scorecard | 63 | 36 | Pro-bono commitment |
| Diversity Scorecard | 47 | 2 | Minority head count |
| Midlevel Associates Survey | 78 | 16 | Job satisfaction |
| Summer Associates Survey | 33 | 23 | Summer programs |
In the News
Your Skills: Misbehaving Juries May Alter Verdicts
Richard Raysman and Peter Brown : The Recorder : May 24, 2013
Jurors who turn to social media while in trial may be giving parties ammunition to overturn the verdict, say Richard Raysman of Holland & Knight and Peter Brown of Peter Brown & Associates.
Florida Hopes To Attract Businesses With LLC Change
Eric Kalis : Daily Business Review : May 22, 2013
State lawmakers unanimously passed a bill changing the state's 31-year-old limited liability company law to help Florida better compete with other states for new LLCs.
D.C. MOVES
: The National Law Journal : May 20, 2013
Federal Lawsuit Against MAKO Dismissed
John Pacenti : Daily Business Review : May 20, 2013
Senior U.S. District Judge James Cohn dismissed a suit against Fort Lauderdale's MAKO Surgical Corp. by lead defendants Oklahoma Firefighters Pension and Retirement System and Baltimore County Employees' Retirement System.
After Controversy, Ex-Congressman Registers to Lobby
Andrew Ramonas : Legal Times : May 20, 2013
Former Representative Ron Klein (D-Fla.) has registered with Congress as a federal lobbyist at Holland & Knight for the first time since he left congressional lobbying rolls in February 2012 amid controversy.
AG Holder Taking Fire Yet Again
Todd Ruger : The National Law Journal : May 20, 2013
Renewed criticism has placed Eric Holder on the defensive, raising questions about whether the attorney general would remain in office and threatening to undermine his effort to shape a legacy of increased government transparency and the protection of civil rights.
AP Subpoenas Spotlight Obama's Scrutiny of Press
Zoe Tillman and Mike Scarcella : The National Law Journal : May 17, 2013
The Obama administration's record on transparency once again faces criticism - this time from both Republicans and Democrats - following the revelation that the U.S. Department of Justice secretly obtained and reviewed Associated Press telephone records during a criminal investigation into a suspected leak of classified information.
The Churn: Lateral Moves in The Am Law 200
Diane Jeantet : The Am Law Daily : May 17, 2013
Andrews Kurth heads to London; Bingham McCutchen grabs seven lawyers in Tokyo; and a Munger, Tolles & Olson partner plans a move to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Churn is constant. Please send all announcements to thechurn@alm.com.
The Churn: Lateral Moves in The Am Law 200
Diane Jeantet : The Am Law Daily : May 14, 2013
Dickstein Shapiro loses a partner to Jones Day in Washington, D.C.; Bryan Cave poaches five attorneys from Sutherland Asbill & Brennan; and a former Dewey & LeBoeuf partner, most recently with Linklaters, joins KPMG. The Churn is constant. Please send all announcements to thechurn@alm.com.
- Akerman Senterfitt
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