A variety of transportation businesses, including railroad operators, motor vehicle manufacturers and distributors, trucking and logistics companies, and aviation companies rely on our experience to provide counsel on all aspects of transportation law. Drawing on our deep experience working within these highly nuanced and sophisticated worlds, we are able to advise clients on the full spectrum of legal challenges that impact their business, from general corporate operational matters to regulatory compliance to handling all manners of litigation.
We also work extensively with a variety of municipalities and government subdivisions to advise on financing matters within the transportation world, encompassing everything from standard public financing to commercial loans to more complex public/private partnerships to ensure our clients’ goals are achieved.
Railroad
Our railroad clients appreciate our nuanced and intimate understanding of this highly-regulated world, as well as our ability to provide practical counsel that mitigates their risk and keeps their operations running. They routinely turn to us to advise on an array of corporate and operational matters, ranging from negotiating and drafting contracts to interacting with federal and state regulatory agencies, including the Federal Railroad Administration.
Additionally, when issues and problems arise, clients benefit from our ability to find effective resolutions. We are one of the most experienced railroad litigation law firms in the country, having litigated thousands of matters, including trying dozens of cases to verdict. These have included:
- FELA occupational disease and traumatic injury cases
- Property damage cases
- Crossing accident and trespasser accident cases, including trestles
- Accidents involving industrial sidetracks
- Indemnity claims and other disputes arising under sidetrack agreements
- Personal injury and wrongful death cases relating to railroad maintenance, construction, repair and operations
- Derailment cases
- Hazardous material issues
- Locomotive Inspection Act and Safety Appliance Act matters
- Cases with claims relating to track maintenance and bridge design
- Pole line and electrocution accidents
Notably, our team also has evolving experience working with municipalities to manage light rail systems, having handled everything from securing waivers to drafting and enforcing contracts to interfacing with the appropriate regulatory agencies to ensure compliance. We rely on our deep experience working in the traditional railroad industry to inform our strategies with light rail systems, tailoring our counsel strategically to fit each client’s unique needs.
Motor Vehicle Manufacturers and Distributors
A wide variety of motor vehicle manufacturers count on our team for counsel on issues ranging from general business transactions to intellectual property protection to navigating disputes, challenges and litigation.
On the business side, we routinely work with clients to advise on tax and financing issues, as well as mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations and divestitures, in order to protect every aspect of their business. In that vein, we also work shoulder to shoulder with our clients to protect their innovations, utilizing our deep bench of intellectual property attorneys to design strategies that keep our clients’ businesses protected. We have a deep bench of attorneys with technical backgrounds in the mechanical, software, electrical and computer science worlds, enabling them to provide targeted, insightful counsel as our clients continue to evolve their services and products.
Finally, when disputes arise, we have deep experience shepherding our clients through to resolution, This includes navigating the full spectrum of personal injury and product liability claims, as well as counseling on warranty and lemon law issues, consumer finance claims, general business disputes, intellectual property enforcement, and employment disputes.
Commercial Motor Vehicles and Fleet Maintenance
Beyond standard motor vehicles, we also have experience working with commercial motor vehicle, logistics and fleet-maintenance companies to advise on corporate matters, regulatory compliance, and all manners of litigation.
This includes defending clients involved in transportation-related accident and fatality cases, including alleged violations of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”) regulations and other federal and state regulatory schemes. We have attorneys who have assisted clients at every step of a catastrophic accident, including:
- Formation and utilization of rapid response teams
- Participating in and overseeing accident investigations and reconstructions
- Assessing liability and handling resolution, whether through dismissal of claims, mediation, settlement or litigation up to, and including, trials
Our deep experience handling these matters ensures we understand the complex and unique challenges presented in such cases, ranging from on-site investigations to evidence preservation to media and public relations factors that can impact overall timeline and strategy. We are adept at assessing each case on an individual basis while still drawing on our previous experience to build in efficiencies, whether handling accident reconstruction, engaging experts or examining sometimes-sensitive evidence. We recognize that catastrophic accidents can impact a client’s business and we work closely with each client to find a resolution that fits each situation.
We represent a number of national and regional commercial motor vehicle, transportation and logistics companies that directly manage fleets, brokers operating within the industry, as well as large clients in industries that necessitate fleet ownership and/or management.
Aviation
Aviation clients seek our representation in administrative hearings, FAA enforcement actions and civil litigation, which comprises both property damage and personal injury claims, including wrongful death. We also assist individual and corporate clients in the purchase, sale and leasing of aircraft and fractional share ownership agreements.
Our attorneys practice before the National Transportation Safety Board, administrative law judges and both federal and state courts throughout the United States. Additionally, we frequently address industry gatherings and seminars including:
- The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Bar Association
- The National Business Aircraft Association
- The Aviation Insurance Association
- Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA)
- The Organization of Flying Adjusters