FLORIDA RECORD

March 1 marks the first anniversary of the completion of Holland & Knight's combination with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis, bringing together two highly regarded law firms to offer clients a broader scope of services and experience, a deeper bench and expanded geographic coverage.

The combination created one of the nation's strongest healthcare practices. Additionally, it strengthened the firm's capabilities in private equity, financial services, real estate and litigation. The firm also expanded its geographic footprint in the states of Tennessee and Alabama.

The combination represents an important milestone in Holland & Knight's growth strategy, which has focused on building strength in specific geographies, practices and industries, as well as expanding relationships with important clients.

The impact of the Waller combination over the past year is reflected in a number of areas:

• This strategic combination continues to facilitate growth in the firm's client base, and through our strong revenue base will help fund ongoing investment in talent and technology, consistent with the firm's growth strategy.
• The addition of more than 280 attorneys and other professionals in Nashville, Birmingham, Chattanooga and Austin has expanded the firm's practice capabilities, geographic footprint and scale in areas of increasing demand.
• The firm's Healthcare & Life Sciences Section, a cross-disciplinary team, covers virtually every segment of the healthcare industry. Holland & Knight now has one of the largest healthcare law practices in the United States, according to data submitted to Modern Healthcare.
• The firm was ranked first in the Southeast for private equity transactions for 2023 and fourth for healthcare private equity transactions by PitchBook.
• The number of practices ranked Band 1 in the Chambers USA 2023 guide rose 50 percent from 2022, with ranked lawyers increasing more than 25 precent.

"The success of a combination can be measured in a variety of ways – expansion of client relationships, opportunities for growth in clients, higher-end work and ultimately the personal satisfaction of the individuals who make up the firm. In the past year, we have achieved success in each of these areas," said Holland & Knight Managing Partner Steven Sonberg. "We've built on the existing strengths and traditions of each firm and leveraged new connections to provide better service to our clients, while seamlessly merging the collaborative cultures of both firms."

"The opportunity to join a national platform with a deep bench of talent and experience has been rewarding for our clients, attorneys and staff," said Matt Burnstein, executive partner of Holland & Knight's Nashville office, who previously served as the chair/managing partner of Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis. "As we have seen in the last year, the combined firm is well equipped to better serve our clients across the nation in virtually all aspects of business, regulatory and dispute resolution law."

Original source can be found here.