Practice Contacts
Attorneys
- Christine Anto
- Michael Barnes
- Francisco Espinosa
- Isabelle Faust
- Margaret Firnstein
- Anne Fishbeck
- Khadija Ghani
- Erin Kuhfuss
- Jamie Lane
- Patrick Lubenow
- Thomas Lyman, III
- Rich McNelley
- Matt Pikor
- Amy Sandhu
- Larry Schechtman
- Emily Schroeder
- Andrew Seiber
- David Sethi
- Paul Struebing
- Joe Trevino
- Michael Wojciak
SmithAmundsen knows trucks. And buses and boats, and everything else that moves freight and people. We have been in the trenches with the transportation industry for more than 30 years handling everything from transactions to litigation, regulatory compliance to labor and employment, class actions to risk management, accident rapid response to insurance services and so much more. We partner with the transportation industry on local, regional and national legal needs, we educate business owners and operators and we lead groups dedicated to the field.
Litigation: We offer experienced, skilled and practical counsel to the commercial transportation industry. Our attorneys represent transportation and logistics businesses in personal injury, property loss, cargo loss and damage, subrogation, workers’ compensation, discrimination and harassment, wage and hour, Jones Act, FELA, insurance coverage and commercial claims in the fields of trucking, logistics services, motor coach (specialized passenger transport), maritime, bus, railroad and aviation. Our attorneys have tried hundreds of cases to verdict in multiple jurisdictions.
Business and Transactions: Our team understands business. We are actively involved in sophisticated mergers and acquisitions transactions for both publicly traded and private transportation companies. We routinely draft, analyze and revise commercial contracts involving the issues that face our clients daily including: independent contractors, brokers, vendor partners, equipment leases, real estate and union agreements to name a few. We counsel and partner with our clients on best business practices, corporate governance and operational structures.
Insurance Services and Consulting: We provide risk avoidance and transference counseling and advice on day-to-day issues and practices, handle regulatory compliance issues and represent you during agency. Our consulting services are not only comprehensive, but cost-effective and structured to meet each client’s individual needs. Our attorneys understand the insurance and financial responsibility requirements and needs of transportation and logistics companies and their insurers in today’s complex business environment.
Rapid Response: SmithAmundsen’s Rapid Response Team responds to incidents and crises 24/7 throughout the Midwest. We know that incidents do not always occur during the business day and our clients receive immediate attention when the unwanted occurs. Our team includes experienced transportation, OSHA, labor and employment and insurance attorneys as well as investigators and expert specialists.
Areas of Practice
We advise professionals on issues which include:
Trucking
- Broker and Logistics Provider Liability
- Cargo and Freight Loss and Damage
- Consumer Fraud Class Action Lawsuits
- Corporate Services and Commercial Transactions (Corporate Finance; Venture Capital and Private Equity; Business Organization and Design and Formation; Independent Contractor; Corporate Governance and Compliance; Mergers and Acquisitions; IP Protection and Licensing; Commercial Contracts; Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliance Agreements; and Insurance Matters)
- Commercial Transactions
- Data Privacy
- Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) Compliance and Defense of Class Action Lawsuits
- FMCSR and DOT Regulations Compliance and Audits
- Hazardous Materials
- Independent Contractor/Employee Status
- Insurance Coverage and Regulations
- Intermodal Activities
- Labor & Employment Issues and Human Resources Services (Wage and Hour; Employment Liability Claims; Immigration; Labor Union Disputes; Owner Operators; Independent Contractors/Employee Status Reviews; Misclassification Issues; Discrimination and Harassment; Drug Testing; Medical Cannabis; Employee Benefits/ERISA; Employee Handbooks; Policies and Procedures; Hiring; Firing; Discipline; and HR Consulting)
- Logo/Placard Liability
- State and Federal Agency Compliance and Audits
- OSHA Compliance and Audits
- Personal Injury
- Real Estate
- Risk Mitigation, Subrogation and Risk Transfer Review
- Safety Procedures
- Workers’ Compensation
Motor Coach/Bus/SPECIALIZED – passenger carriers
- Corporate Services and Commercial Transactions (Corporate Finance; Venture Capital and Private Equity; Business Organization and Design and Formation; Independent Contractor; Corporate Governance and Compliance; Mergers and Acquisitions; IP Protection and Licensing; Commercial Contracts; Insurance; and Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliance Agreements)
- Data Privacy
- FMCSR and DOT Regulations Compliance and Audits
- Independent Contractor/Employee Status
- Insurance Coverage
- Labor & Employment (Wage and Hour; Employment Liability Claims; Immigration; Labor Union Disputes; Independent Contractors/Employee Status Reviews; Misclassification Issues; Discrimination and Harassment; Drug Testing; Medical Cannabis; Employee Benefits/ERISA; Employee Handbooks; Policies and Procedures; Hiring; Firing; Discipline; and HR Consulting)
- State and Federal Agency Compliance and Audits
- OSHA Compliance and Audits
- Personal Injury
- Product Liability
- Real Estate
- Risk Mitigation, Subrogation and Risk Transfer Reviews
- Safety Procedures
- Workers' Compensation
FELA/Railroad
- Allegations of Hearing Loss
- Cargo Loss and Damage
- Contamination of Groundwater and Property
- Insurance Coverage
- Intermodal Activities
- Personal Injuries to Employees and Third Parties
- Property Damage
- Repetitive Stress
- Toxic Exposure to Chemicals
Marine
- Cargo Loss and Damage
- Insurance Coverage
- Intermodal Activities
- Jones Act
- Multi-Modal Coverage
- Ocean Carriage
AVIATION AND AEROSPACE
For a detailed description of our aerospace and aviation services please visit: http://www.salawus.com/industries-Aerospace-Industry.html.
News & Press Releases
- March 22, 2021
- Law360, March 12, 2021
- February 15, 2021
- January 29, 2021
- November 30, 2020
- SmithAmundsen, November 17, 2020
- November 3, 2020
- August 20, 2020
- February 24, 2020
- January 29, 2020
- Law360, May 28, 2019
- January 24, 2019
- Cook County Record, November 16, 2018
- Crain's Chicago Business, October 25, 2018
- Law360, May 28, 2018
- SmithAmundsen, February 20, 2018
- November 21, 2017
- October 27, 2017
- Crain's Chicago Business, September 15, 2017
- Equality Illinois, August 1, 2017
- USLAW, May 2017
- Indiana Lawyer, February 8, 2017
- SmithAmundsen, January 13, 2017
- USLAW NETWORK, INC, September 23, 2016
- September 2016
- Crain's Chicago Business, September 10, 2016
- The American Lawyer, August 2016
- Equality Illinois, July 8, 2016
- USLAW, April 2016
- Above the Law, April 18, 2016
- Above the Law, April 13, 2016
- USLAW, April 2015
- January 10, 2013
Alerts
- April 2, 2021
- March 2, 2021
- February 8, 2021
- January 5, 2021
- April 6, 2020
- April 6, 2020
- December 30, 2019
- March 26, 2019
- February 25, 2019
- February 6, 2019
- January 29, 2019
- January 15, 2019
- December 21, 2018
- December 7, 2018
- November 5, 2018
- November 5, 2018
- August 3, 2018
- August 3, 2018
- June 13, 2018
- June 13, 2018
- April 6, 2018
- February 9, 2018
- February 2, 2018
- September 9, 2016
- September 9, 2016
- September 9, 2016
- September 9, 2016
- July 15, 2016
- July 15, 2016
- January 15, 2016
- January 15, 2016
- January 15, 2016
Publications
- The Transportation Lawyer, April 2019
- USLAW DigiKnow, July 19, 2016
- USLAW DigiKnow, January 15, 2016
Presentations & Events
- USLAW Network, Webcast, September 30, 2020 - October 9, 2020
- USLAW, October 1, 2020
- 2020 American Trucking Association Litigation Center Trucking Legal Forum, Webcast, July 23, 2020
- Stafford; Webinar, July 12, 2017
- American Trucking Associations; Seminar, Bellevue, Washington, July 19, 2016
- Strafford, Webinar, July 8, 2016
- Stafford; Webinar, June 8, 2016