Arnall Golden Gregory Adds Miami Office, Expands Capabilities to Serve the Logistics Industry

ATLANTA, Feb. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Arnall Golden Gregory LLP is pleased to announce the opening of an office in Miami focused on serving clients in the global logistics and supply chain industry, including third-party logistics providers (3PLs), such as freight forwarders, customs brokers and warehouse operators; airlines and other carriers; and insurers, sureties, banks and other capital providers involved in the logistics and transportation industry.  With the move, Arnall Golden Gregory becomes the only top 10 Atlanta law firm with a Miami office.  The firm plans over time to expand the office's capabilities to include healthcare, government investigations, real estate, commercial litigation, international arbitration, and private wealth, all of which are traditional areas of strength.

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The office will be led by Andrew R. Spector, a respected litigator formerly with Hyman, Spector & Mars in Miami, who has spent a quarter century guiding global logistics companies through the intricate system of rules and laws that affect the complex business of moving cargo around the world.  He and his team have handled a number of precedent-setting cases establishing critical boundaries and conditions on 3PL liability.

The logistics industry has seen a wave of consolidation, and as 3PLs expand globally, they require more sophisticated legal services.  At the same time, shippers served by 3PLs have become increasingly discerning purchasers of logistics services, and the allocation of risk between logistics providers and their clientele – a high stakes equation in the world of international trade -- is increasingly a matter of serious negotiation. 

The opening of the Miami office will broaden Arnall Golden Gregory's existing capabilities to uniquely offer a "one-stop shop" to global logistics businesses.  The firm's Logistics and Transportation Practice Team merges the talents the Miami attorneys are known for – global logistics and transport law, litigation, contract law, international trade and customs, and risk management – with the broad expertise on which Arnall Golden Gregory has built its reputation over six decades. 

Arnall Golden Gregory has considerable experience in a range of areas relevant to the logistics and supply chain industry, including complex insurance matters, the structuring of global business operations from a corporate and international tax perspective, mergers and acquisitions (both domestically and across borders), the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), immigration and employment law, export controls, government investigations, antitrust, and international commercial arbitration and litigation.   

Stephen Savarese, general counsel at Kuehne+Nagel Inc., says: "I have worked with Andrew for over 20 years, and I trust his judgment and knowledge of the law in the area of logistics and transportation.  Andy is one of the few attorneys I know who has a thorough understanding of our industry, per se, and is a true extension of the in-house counsel's position.  He seeks to come to a solution that protects legally while supporting growth in business."

Bruce Jackson, general counsel and chief compliance officer at JAS Worldwide Management, Inc., cites the advantage of one law firm offering multiple legal solutions: "The merger of Arnall Golden Gregory's broad range of global business expertise with Andrew Spector's in-depth understanding of all areas relevant to shipping, logistics and global supply chain services makes great sense.  Andrew has for years been the go-to lawyer for this company's multinational supply chain contracting risk management and dispute resolution issues, while Arnall Golden Gregory has handled our corporate matters.  There is a need in the shipping and global supply chain industry for a law firm that can offer integrated solutions across various legal disciplines, integrating supply chain, corporate, finance, litigation and other legal services into one firm as opposed to having to engage multiple firms on different matters.  It really makes a difference to us that Arnall Golden Gregory understands our industry and this company across the board."

Arnall Golden Gregory's managing partner, Glenn Hendrix, states:  "Arnall Golden Gregory has been working with Andrew Spector and his team for almost 20 years on matters involving the global transportation logistics industry.  Combining his practice with ours was a natural evolution of the relationship.  The logistics industry faces increasingly complex challenges, and the combination of our practices will allow us to better meet the needs of our clients.  Andrew has built a strong reputation as a trusted advisor to logistics providers, and as a litigator has established many of the landmark precedents benefiting the industry.  We're delighted to get him and his team on board."

Joining Mr. Spector in Miami are three other experienced logistics attorneys:  Marc A. Rubin, Robert M. Borak and Beverly Greenberg, all formerly of Hyman, Spector & Mars.

Arnall Golden Gregory is now strategically positioned in three global entry points.  Atlanta is home to the world's busiest airport, a large number of major logistics companies, including UPS, and the Supply Chain and Logistics Institute at Georgia Tech.  Twenty-four of the top 25 3PLs operate in Atlanta.  Miami boasts a bustling port and is the air cargo link to Latin America.  Arnall Golden Gregory's Washington DC office opened in January 2011, strengthening the firm's capabilities in the areas of export controls, FCPA compliance and international commercial arbitration.

Arnall Golden Gregory has represented freight forwarders; carriers; customs brokers; third party logistics providers (3PLs); warehouse operators; airlines; shippers; insurers; sureties, banks and additional capital providers; and others involved in the logistics and transportation industry in a wide range of matters, including the following representative transactions:

• A large-scale global corporate reorganization of a leading freight forwarding company
• The sale of 17 refrigerated and dry warehouses located in five metropolitan areas in China, along with the associated truck fleet
• The negotiation and documentation of a revolving credit facility secured by transportation receivables and other collateral
• Assisting a national warehousing and distribution company with the acquisition of multiple warehouse facilities
• The preparation of IPO disclosure documents for a warehouse REIT
• The negotiation and drafting of national customer contracts for a 3PL and warehousing company
• The preparation of a standard form storage and handling agreement and warehouse receipt
• The sale of fleet assets by one transportation company to another
• The acquisition of a regional transportation company
• The sale of a majority equity interest in the largest national temperature-controlled warehousing and logistics services company

About Arnall Golden Gregory

Arnall Golden Gregory LLP is a law firm with offices in Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C., that serves the business needs of growing public and private companies.  Its areas of focus include corporate, litigation, healthcare, international, employment, real estate, life sciences, global logistics, privacy and intellectual property law.  With the help of Arnall Golden Gregory's experienced attorneys, clients across a broad range of industries and around the globe turn legal challenges into business opportunities.

Media Contact: Kevin Duffy, 404-873-8131

SOURCE Arnall Golden Gregory LLP