Transportation

Our Focus

Transportation is a major building block of our economy; at any hour of the day, carriers of all types are on the road, in the air, or on the water delivering goods and supplies. Issues of great importance to transportation providers can often take place outside the "traditional" workday, which is why we developed the rapid response team. Our transportation attorneys are available 24/7 to respond to an accident. We can dispatch someone to the scene to protect the driver, interview witnesses, communicate with law enforcement, and obtain experts to preserve critical evidence.

We understand the major issues that affect the transportation industry and have developed several areas of service to support transportation companies.

Litigation

Our attorneys are experienced in handling the defense of complex litigation in state and federal courts and in dealing with various state and federal agencies. Our attorneys represent trucking and general aviation companies who must defend injury and wrongful death accident claims. We are experienced in accident investigation and are familiar with US DOT regulations and NTSB protocol. We represent insurance carriers and insureds with regard to accident coverage questions, and defend carriers charged with violations of US DOT regulations.

Real Estate and Environmental Law

Our real estate and environmental attorneys have experience representing transportation entities in the acquisition and leasing of property and in the development of facilities and infrastructure, including permitting, environmental review, and agency negotiations. We have experience in all types of permitting, including local zoning, state department of transportation or aviation approvals, and federal agency requirements, including the Federal Aviation Administration, Army Corps of Engineers and United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Our attorneys also have experience responding to agency enforcement actions or remediation requirements in the event of discovery or release of hazardous substances as they relate to the transportation industry.

Securities and M&A

Our attorneys have extensive experience in counseling both public and private transportation companies in the areas of securities compliance and mergers and acquisitions. We frequently act as general and outside securities counsel to SEC-registered companies, and as such, review most SEC filed documents for compliance prior to filing, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K as well as proxy statements and registration statements. Our attorneys also regularly counsel boards of directors and their committees on governance issues, specifically the implementation of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and new SEC rules and regulations. In addition, we advise both public and private companies on all types of mergers and acquisitions transactions, including public company mergers, tender offers, going private transactions, acquisitions, and dispositions of subsidiaries and other assets.

Employment

We regularly counsel both unionized and non-unionized transportation companies regarding labor and employment law matters. Those matters involve issues affecting all employers, such as the discipline of problem employees, complying with the myriad of federal, state, and local employment laws (including anti-discrimination statutes), drafting policies and handbooks, and training supervisors concerning topics such as documentation, investigations, and harassment. With regard to transportation companies, we also provide industry-specific advice regarding DOT drug testing, hours of work/safety rules, and wage/hour motor carrier exemption issues. We train clients' management teams on union avoidance and assist those facing a union election. We counsel our transportation clients regarding strikes, picketing, and other work disruptions, collective bargaining, and the grievance/arbitration process. We also provide a full range of employee benefit services to the transportation industry.

Who We Represent

Trucking, aviation, and other transportation carriers all count on our legal support across all business operations—such as help with litigation and regulatory issues, employee concerns, real estate and environmental issues and securities and M&A compliance.

Industry Commitment

Our attorneys continue to stay informed about industry changes and challenges. They are members of and involved with various transportation subgroups in the American Bar Association, the USLAW Network, DRI and the Transportation Lawyers Association (TLA). Additionally, our attorneys regularly write articles and give presentations for various transportation publications and organizations.