Holland & Knight LLP - The Inside View

“Sophisticated clients” and “million-dollar deals”: This Knight in shining armor is galloping its way through all the major legal markets in the US.

Put simply, there aren’t many firms in the US with offices in both Nashville and Algeria. But the more you get to know Holland & Knight, the less of a surprise it becomes. With two mergers in the space of two years in 2021 and 2023, it’s safe to say that the firm always has half an eye on expansion. Yet this growth isn’t just limited to offices and jurisdictions. Our interviewees informed us that “people here are very invested in your growth as a professional and encourage you to bring your own ideas.” Holland & Knight now boasts a mighty 35 offices globally, and over 2,200 lawyers. Part of this has seen the firm establish an impressive reputation in markets like Boston and Texas, which was a major draw for the juniors we spoke to. “Sophisticated clients” and “million-dollar deals” we heard, are just a part of life at the firm, as well as a generous salary packet.

“You can tell what it’s like just from interviewing, you get a vibe.”

“The culture is the strongest part of the firm,” one junior told us, “You can tell what it’s like just from interviewing, you get a vibe.” The work also speaks for itself, with Chambers USA knighting H&K with top-tier titles in banking and finance, energy and natural resources, appellate litigation, general commercial litigation, securities litigation and tax in the firm’s home state of Florida. That’s as well as top-ranked practices in banking and finance, bankruptcy/restructuring, construction, corporate M&A, environment, healthcare, intellectual property, labor and employment, general commercial litigation and real estate in Tennessee, real estate in Texas, and offshore energy, NTSB and road transportation nationwide.

Most of the associates on our list were based in the Nashville and Dallas offices, followed by DC, Boston, New York and Miami, with some others in offices such as Los Angeles and Houston.

Strategy & Future

H&K’s recent success in its two mergers was a topic of discussion amongst our sources. Associates cited this as a reason for their interest in the firm, as the firm's focus on expansion has resulted in it offering a diverse range of practice areas. With no new mergers on the cards, H&K has recently been focusing on the hiring of new partners. For example, the firm made a recent hire of James McGuire in the Dallas office, who had previously been regional counsel for the Environmental Protection Agency.

The Work

Associates informed us that work is allocated through a free market system. Trying to build relationships and finding your own work may be a daunting thought, but we were told: “The partners are very approachable and are open to giving you career advice. They are always looking for opportunities to get juniors involved, so you really don’t need to worry!” Plus, there’s “a big emphasis on sharing the billables, so there’s the attitude of if one person can’t help, another can. There are no sharp elbows.” So overall, “it’s pretty easy to stay busy and get work through relationships. You can easily reach out to partners that aren’t in your home office and ask for a chat, they’re really receptive.” We were told the system can be a source of worry when it’s slow, but thankfully the firm has a platform which has work you can assign yourself on to if you’re in a pinch.

In the finance space, associates enthused that the firm “does a good amount of lending work, such as syndicated loans, single lender deals, as well as work on the borrower side, which allows you to work in tandem with the M&A team on mid to low market acquisitions.” We heard that the firm has recently seen a surge in matters involving software companies. There are also plenty of one-off matters which you can jump on, like bridge loans, net asset value-based credit facilities and subordinated debt. Therefore, as you can imagine, the matters assigned to juniors can vary greatly. One insider told us, “on something smaller, like a five-million-dollar loan, the partner won’t want to go too much into the weeds on that and rack up a large bill. So, I would take on most of the work on a deal like that and go over and deal with all the client issues.” For a larger facility (think a couple of hundred million), juniors would act more as a second chair: “A partner would lead and mark up an issues list, and we would work on the ancillary documents.” However, it was stressed that every transaction has its challenges regardless of the size.

Banking & Finance clients: New York Green Bank, Credit Suisse, Wells Fargo Bank. Represented Bank of America in connection with a $500 million cross border asset-based credit facility. 

The firm’s litigation group was applauded for offering a diverse set of practice areas to work across before finding your niche. Clients vary across different industries, from universities to large corporations. The firm also has considerable strength in appellate, white-collar crime and government investigations, and ERISA litigation issues. One associate praised the group for providing “a lot of client contact for an associate-level position,” telling us that “the firm exceeded my expectations in terms of client contact and responsibility. I do a lot of research for clients and connect with them directly.” Typical junior tasks include drafting, working on summary judgements, and providing general counselling to clients. In the employment group, an insider commented, “I am really pleased that the firm has allowed me to form special relationships with certain clients. They now directly reach out to me which is great.” In this space, associates commonly work on reviewing company handbooks or providing in-person employment training to clients.

Litigation clients: National Collegiate Athletic Association, Bedford County Tennessee, HCA Healthcare. Represented CDMO August Bio in its legal action for breach of contract and fraud against SP Industries.

Unsurprisingly, those in the international business and trade group stated that it has been “very busy in this court of the world,” so there have been no issues getting work. However, the group was described as more ‘niche’ and does not tend to go out and get its own work, instead receiving work from inside the firm. We were told that, “there are a lot of clients in places like Canada who are trying to understand what their liability is. We can service any company who may be subject to export controls, so anyone who sends goods across the border, but we have been seeing a lot of manufacturing companies, especially those in the defense sector.” Associates in this group explained, “you end up having a lot of responsibility,” and that “what tends to happen is you get a call or an email from a partner and will give you work and tell you to run with it. They will give you areas you should be looking at but encourage you to take ownership.” Our juniors were wowed by the fact partners “can recite regulatory oversights laws off the top of their heads,” which one said that they were “both jealous and terrified of!” The tasks you can be assigned may include writing memos and summarizing research and legal explanations to clients.

International Business & Trade clients: Undisclosed

Career Development

“…we have external career coaches that come into the office who we can meet with as much as or as little as we want. All meetings are confidential, and they can really help with your development.”

Associates at the firm were quick to highlight the fact that “we have external career coaches that come into the office who we can meet with as much as or as little as we want. All meetings are confidential, and they can really help with your development.” This was remarked as a particularly helpful resource around the time of the mid and end-of-year reviews. Besides this, “partners are very approachable and happy to provide you with some ad hoc career advice.” Talk about learning from the best! There are also firm-wide meetings and seminars on professional development, which associates are encouraged to join. In fact, as one associate informed us, “they are always looking for opportunities to send juniors abroad for client development and conferences. They also encourage us to take the lead on different initiatives, such as creating podcasts or identifying a new program, which helps develop expertise and your brand.” The firm also has a strong mentorship program: “You get both an associate and a partner mentor. You also act as a mentor once you get a bit more senior.” As a result, the general consensus was that the firm hires its associates open to the idea that they will one day make partner.

Holland & Knight is recognized as a Strong Performer for Career Development and Associate Retention in our 2025 survey.

Hours & Compensation

Billable hours: 2,000 target

To be eligible for a bonus, associates must hit the firm's billable hours target of 2,000 hours. “I have always been at a firm which requires that,” stated one interviewee, “I think it’s a pretty standard number in Big Law.” Our sources didn’t sweat it when asked about the target: “I think it’s very achievable. I started off slow last year and still hit it!” Also, the firm includes 125 credible hours in this target, which includes up to 50 hours of DEI,  25 hours of shadowing, or the full 125 pro bono. Associates on our list were happy with their work schedule: “There’s a mutual understanding between the partners and associates, if they see you are very busy on a deal and can’t work on another matter, they can help shift stuff to other associates. So, there’s no super late nights or all-nighters.” Juniors are expected to come into the office three days a week, which is apparently now being more strictly enforced by the firm.

Pro Bono

When it comes to pro bono, H&K “has an exceptional attitude compared to other firms,” according to one insider. The firm “has relationships with legal aid across offices and relationships with the American Bar Association. Clients that meet the income threshold can ask us questions and we can go in and answer them on the computer, so it doesn’t need to be in a clinic.” For those who want something a bit more hands-on, “there are pro bono partners who are available for you to ask about new matters. You can say you’re interested in something, and they’ll go out and find something for you!” One thing that interviewees were particularly pleased with was that “pro bono work is integrated into the work we are given and is not differentiated from any fee-earning work. Pro bono clients are treated like any other client, and we deal with issues regularly as they come up.” Our sources also let us know that the firm is typically happy to waive the 125-hour billable cap and allow you to add extra if you wish.

Pro bono hours

  • For all US attorneys: 78,671
  • Average per US attorney: 33

Culture

“The firm is committed to giving attorneys the chance to interact.”

For our juniors, “the culture is the strongest part of the firm.” So, of course, we asked what makes them think that: “The firm is committed to giving attorneys the chance to interact. There are always little meetings or huddles, and events for every holiday. We literally have a lunch for everything: a Valentine’s Day lunch where you can bring your partners, a Halloween lunch, cultural lunches, and the list goes on. There are so many opportunities which aren’t about work but give you the chance to build organic relationships with co-workers.” Another thing which helps to cultivate “an interactive culture” is the all-lawyers meeting that the firm holds. We were told that “It’s pretty cool to see everyone from every office in one place and do some networking.” Culture can vary by office, but the majority of offices organize socials, happy hours and even breakfasts. However, the associates we spoke to all agreed that “it’s a pleasant working environment which offers loads of opportunities to learn while being encouraged and supported.”

Holland & Knight is recognized as an Excellent Performer for Quality of Life in our 2025 survey.

Inclusion

The firm was applauded for having a good number of female attorneys throughout the firm, and for their representation at the partnership level. We were informed that the women’s initiative is particularly strong: “it has created a network of women that I can go to if I have questions. You can create connections with women across practice groups and reach out if you have any questions or concerns.” The firm also publishes its DEI statistics, which track the percentage of female partners by both income and equity partner.

Get Hired

Student Engagement

Each year Holland & Knight’s law student outreach efforts span the U.S.  We partner with law schools to continue to strengthen and support our entry-level pipeline and the firm participates in a number of initiatives to support this goal.  We engage with law student groups and work closely with career services to host programs and events so students have the opportunity to get better acquainted with Holland & Knight.

These include but are not limited to demystifying events where attorneys break out into smaller groups to discuss their career paths, mock interviews, tabling and networking events, and other practice-specific presentations.  All these initiatives are aimed at educating law students about Holland & Knight and providing them with a clearer picture of what it is like to practice in big law.

Top tips for this stage: 

”These outreach programs are extremely beneficial for students as they allow them to connect with potential mentors and possibly a future employer through platforms that allow for meaningful interactions.  This allows students to really get to know the culture of the firm.”   – professional growth & development partner Deborah Barnard. 

Interviews

As a means of getting to know Holland & Knight, applicants meet with a mix of associates and partners. They incorporate behavioural based questions to help identify summer associates with “the skills, work ethic and work style needed to succeed at Holland & Knight.” Those skills include independent thinking, self-confidence, interfacing with clients and working as part of a team. Interviewers also assess each candidate’s writing sample and could discuss anything on their resume. 

Top tips for this stage: 

"Everything on a resume is up for discussion. Review your writing sample and be prepared to speak about it. Reflect on what you're looking for in a firm in terms of practice area, culture, training and associate support, and focus on those firms that meet your criteria and resonate with you. The firm is looking for someone with an entrepreneurial spirit, and who will be proactive when they arrive.” – professional growth & development partner Deborah Barnard. 

Summer program 

Offers: undisclosed 

Acceptances: undisclosed 

Culturally, Holland & Knight places a premium on working well together across practices and offices and relies on its summer associate program as an important source of hiring. The firm strives to give summer associates an accurate sense of what it is like to work as an entry-level associate at the firm and hires each summer associate with the expectation that an offer for a full-time position will be extended at the end of the summer. 

The firm provides each summer associate with a minimum of two mentors – typically one partner and one associate – who will guide the summer associate through the summer program experience. Mentors are available to answer questions, from how the firm operates and the stylistic preferences of various partners to the best place to go for coffee or lunch near the office. Mentors help summer associates create and reach their career goals, connect with colleagues, provide guidance about work assignments and teach substantive and practical legal skills through direct experience and observational opportunities. 

Assignments are intended to help summer associates further develop their analytical and advocacy skills and strengthen their writing capabilities. Feedback is provided after each assignment and from mid and end-of-summer reviews. There is also a Summer Associate Training Program (SATP) which focuses on providing summer associates with skills training. In addition, summer associates are given opportunities to work on pro bono projects to help individuals who may not otherwise have access to legal services. 

“Be authentic and work hard,” the firm advises. “Understand that every email and written communication is another example of your writing sample.” 

Notable summer events:  Past events have included paint and cooking classes, designing your own sneakers with a well-known athletic vendor, golf excursions, boating excursions, family friendly events at the aquarium, trivia, themed partner home events such as Havana Nights, farm day picnics, bowling, , escape rooms, baseball games, wine tastings, attorney hosted happy hours and more.  These events are intended for summer associates to really get to know our attorneys and our firm’s culture.   

Top tips for this stage: 

“Do as much as you can experience-wise. You want to turn out good work product, but sitting in on client calls, observing our lawyers in court and as they go about their day-to-day work is invaluable. Take ownership of your work and be your own feedback manager." – professional growth & development partner Deborah Barnard. 

And finally... 

Each summer associate’s practice area preferences – combined with business need – are taken into consideration when H&K extends offers. 

 

Holland & Knight LLP

Main areas of work 
Holland & Knight advises clients in a broad range of practice areas falling within business, government, healthcare, litigation, and real estate. Attorneys work collaboratively across practices and teams, drawing upon their legal and industry knowledge to advise clients on their most important matters. 

Firm profile 
Holland & Knight, a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 35 offices throughout the world, provides outstanding career opportunities for attorneys at all levels. To address clients' needs as effectively and efficiently as possible, we work collaboratively, drawing upon our depth and breadth of legal experience and industry knowledge. Our "one-firm" structure means that we work across departments and offices so that we can support the most complex matters at all levels, with comprehensive and value-added service. We believe it is essential to offer our clients the broad range of perspectives that a diverse team brings, thus encouraging innovative thinking and unique solutions.

Recruitment 
Law Schools attending for OCIs in 2025:
2L summer candidates interested in applying to our summer program must complete the following online application: https://lawcruit.micronapps.com/sup/ApplicationForm.aspx?lawfirm=17&id=2

Summer associate profile 
Holland & Knight seeks students of substance with superior academics, leadership skills, involvement in extracurricular activities and demonstrated commitment to their communities. We look for candidates who have the desire and ethical foundation to be significant lawyers in the firm, in the profession and in the community. We have been very successful in hiring students who meet these criteria, and as a result, our firm as a whole reflects these characteristics.

Culturally, Holland & Knight places a premium on working well together across practices and offices and relies on its summer associate program as an important source of hiring. The firm strives to give summer associates an accurate sense of what it is like to work as an entry-level associate at the firm and hires each summer associate with the expectation that an offer for a full-time position will be extended at the end of the summer.

The firm provides each summer associate with a minimum of two mentors – typically one partner and one associate – who will guide the summer associate through the summer program experience. Mentors are available to answer questions, from how the firm operates and the stylistic preferences of various partners to the best place to go for coffee or lunch near the office. Mentors help summer associates create and reach their career goals, connect with colleagues, provide guidance about work assignments and teach substantive and practical legal skills through direct experience and observational opportunities.

Assignments are intended to help summer associates further develop their analytical and advocacy skills and strengthen their writing capabilities. Feedback is provided after each assignment and from mid and end-of-summer reviews. There is also a Summer Associate Training Program (SATP) which focuses on providing summer associates with skills training. In addition, summer associates are given opportunities to work on pro bono projects to help individuals who may not otherwise have access to legal services.

Summer associates will get to know attorneys personally through numerous planned social events throughout the summer. Past events have included paint and cooking classes, designing your own sneakers with a well-known athletic vendor, golf excursions, boating excursions, family friendly events at the aquarium, trivia, themed partner home events such as Havana Nights, farm day picnics, bowling, trivia nights, escape the room, baseball games, wine tastings, attorney hosted happy hours and more. These events are intended for summer associates to really get to know our attorneys and our firm’s inclusive culture.

Social media 
Recruitment website: www.hklaw.com
Linkedin: holland‐&‐knight‐llp
Twitter: @Holland_Knight
Facebook: HollandKnightLLP

This Firm's Rankings in
USA Guide, 2024

Ranked Departments

    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 2)
    • Healthcare (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Environment (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 2)
    • Construction (Band 2)
    • Environment (Band 4)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 5)
    • Antitrust (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Construction (Band 3)
    • Energy & Natural Resources (Band 1)
    • Environment (Band 3)
    • Healthcare (Band 2)
    • Litigation: Appellate (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial: The Elite (Band 1)
    • Litigation: Securities (Band 1)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2)
    • Tax (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 4)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 2)
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Band 1)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 3)
    • Energy & Natural Resources (Band 3)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 5)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Technology & Outsourcing (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 4)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 3)
    • Construction (Band 1)
    • Energy & Natural Resources (Band 1)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 5)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 3)
    • Construction (Band 3)
    • Healthcare (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Real Estate: Mainly Dirt (Band 5)
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Band 2)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 4)
    • Real Estate: Finance (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 2)
    • Employee Benefits & Executive Compensation (Band 2)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Corporate/M&A & Private Equity (Band 4)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 4)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 1)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 1)
    • Construction (Band 1)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
    • Environment (Band 1)
    • Healthcare (Band 1)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 1)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 1)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 1)
    • Media & Entertainment (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Antitrust (Band 3)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 4)
    • Bankruptcy/Restructuring (Band 4)
    • Corporate/M&A: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Energy: State Regulatory & Litigation (Electricity) (Band 3)
    • Environment (Band 3)
    • Healthcare (Band 4)
    • Intellectual Property (Band 3)
    • Labor & Employment (Band 4)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2)
    • Real Estate (Band 1)
    • Tax (Band 3)
    • Tax: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Litigation: General Commercial (Band 3)
    • Banking & Finance (Band 5)
    • Construction (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A: Highly Regarded (Band 5)
    • Energy Transition (Band 2)
    • Energy: Oil & Gas (Transactional) (Band 3)
    • Environment (Band 4)
    • Food & Beverages: Alcohol (Band 2)
    • Government Contracts: The Elite (Band 4)
    • Government Relations: Federal (Band 2)
    • Healthcare: The Elite (Band 3)
    • Higher Education (Band 2)
    • Leisure & Hospitality (Band 3)
    • Native American Law (Band 2)
    • Occupational Safety and Health (Band 3)
    • Offshore Energy (Band 1)
    • Oil & Gas Litigation (Band 2)
    • Political Law (Band 4)
    • Privacy & Data Security: Highly Regarded (Band 2)
    • Privacy & Data Security: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Product Liability & Mass Torts: Highly Regarded (Band 3)
    • Real Estate (Band 4)
    • Retail (Band 3)
    • Sports Law (Band 4)
    • Tax: Controversy (Band 5)
    • Transportation: Aviation: Finance (Band 2)
    • Transportation: Aviation: Litigation (Band 2)
    • Transportation: Aviation: Regulatory (Band 2)
    • Transportation: NTSB Specialists (Band 1)
    • Transportation: Rail (for Railroads) (Band 3)
    • Transportation: Road (Carriage/Logistics) (Band 1)
    • Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance (Band 3)
    • Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Litigation (New York) (Band 2)
    • Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Regulatory (Band 2)
    • Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (Band 2)
    • Corporate/M&A (Band 1)
    • Real Estate (Band 2)
    • Real Estate: Zoning/Land Use (Band 2)

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