Firm Profiles

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