Nashville used to be a "local" legal market. If you needed a deal done twenty years ago, you called a handful of homegrown firms that had been around since the days of grand ole opry radio stars. Then everything changed. The cranes arrived, the tech companies followed, and suddenly, the "Big Law" invasion was in full swing. One of the most interesting players in this shift is Holland and Knight Nashville. They didn't just open a satellite office to plant a flag; they fundamentally shifted how high-stakes legal work gets done in Middle Tennessee.
It’s about the scale.
When Holland & Knight merged with Waller Lansden Dortch & Davis in early 2023, it wasn't just another corporate press release. It was a massive tectonic shift. Waller was a Nashville institution. They were the "healthcare firm." By folding that deep, local expertise into a global machine with over 2,000 attorneys, Holland & Knight basically created a legal superpower in the Southeast. If you're looking at the Nashville legal landscape today, you’re looking at a pre-Waller merger era and a post-Waller merger era. There’s no in-between.
The Waller Merger and Why it Changed Everything
Let’s be real: mergers usually suck for the clients. Most of the time, it’s just about overhead and bigger billable rates. But the Holland and Knight Nashville story is different because of the specific chemistry between the two firms. Before the merger, Waller was already a titan in healthcare law. Nashville is the healthcare capital of the world—think HCA Healthcare, Community Health Systems, and Brookdale Senior Living.
Waller had the keys to the city. Holland & Knight had the global reach.
By combining, they bridged a gap that had been widening for years. Local firms were struggling to handle the massive, multi-jurisdictional litigation and international M&A that Nashville's growing companies required. Meanwhile, national firms moving into Nashville often lacked the "boots on the ground" relationships. This merger solved both. It gave Nashville-based companies a local phone number with access to a lawyer in London, Mexico City, or New York.
It’s a massive operation now. We're talking about roughly 280 attorneys in the Nashville office alone. That makes it one of the largest legal offices in the entire state of Tennessee. You can’t throw a rock in the Gulch without hitting a legal matter they’ve touched.
Healthcare is the North Star
You cannot talk about this office without talking about healthcare. It’s the heartbeat. The Nashville office serves as a hub for the firm’s national Healthcare Section. They aren't just filing paperwork; they are navigating the insanely complex regulatory environment of the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, and the ever-evolving world of HIPAA.
Consider the sheer volume of Private Equity (PE) involvement in healthcare lately.
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PE firms are buying up physician practices, dental groups, and behavioral health clinics at a breakneck pace. Holland and Knight Nashville sits right at the intersection of that money and the law. They handle the "roll-ups"—where a PE firm buys ten small clinics and turns them into one giant entity. This requires a level of due diligence that would break a smaller firm. They have teams that do nothing but look at Medicare billing audits for months on end.
Beyond the Hospital: Real Estate and Financial Services
Nashville is basically a giant construction site. You’ve seen the skyline. It looks different every six months. Because of this, the real estate practice at Holland & Knight’s Nashville outpost is slammed. They handle the "dirt law"—zoning, land use, and development incentives. But they also handle the financing behind it.
The complexity of these deals has skyrocketed.
- Multi-use developments that mix retail, residential, and office space.
- Public-private partnerships (P3) that involve city government.
- Tax increment financing (TIF) deals that make your head spin.
They represent lenders and developers alike. Honestly, if you see a new glass tower going up near Broadway, there is a very high probability that an attorney in the Nashville office of Holland & Knight reviewed the loan documents. They’ve been deeply involved in the transformation of the North Capitol area and the massive expansions happening in Williamson County.
The Mid-Market M&A Engine
While the "mega-deals" get the headlines, the bread and butter of the Nashville legal scene is the middle-market M&A. These are the $50 million to $500 million sales. A family-owned logistics company in Lebanon decides to sell to a national competitor. A tech startup in Franklin gets a Series C round of funding.
Holland and Knight Nashville thrives here.
They have this specific "Nashville flavor" of corporate law. It’s less aggressive than Wall Street, but just as sophisticated. They know how to talk to a founder who started their business in a garage, while also satisfying the rigid requirements of a New York venture capital firm. That’s a hard balance to strike. Most firms are either too "small town" or too "corporate."
What This Means for Local Talent and Innovation
The presence of a firm this size has changed the talent war in Tennessee. They are recruiting from Vanderbilt, UT, and Belmont, but they’re also pulling experienced partners away from other "Big Law" firms in D.C. and Atlanta.
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Why? Because Nashville is a lifestyle play.
Attorneys want to live here. The city is vibrant. But they don't want to take a pay cut or work on boring local slip-and-fall cases. Working at Holland and Knight Nashville allows them to work on "Am Law 100" level cases while being able to catch a show at the Ryman on a Tuesday night. This concentration of talent creates a virtuous cycle. Better lawyers attract better clients, which attracts more talent.
Is Bigger Always Better?
There’s a counter-argument, of course. Some local business owners miss the days when they could call a partner at a boutique firm and get a flat fee for a contract. When you move into the world of Holland & Knight, the billable rates reflect the global overhead. You aren't just paying for the lawyer; you're paying for the research database, the cybersecurity, and the prestige.
However, for most companies in modern Nashville, that trade-off is worth it. The risk of getting a regulatory filing wrong in the healthcare space is so high that you want the "big guns." You want the firm that has a former DOJ prosecutor on speed dial.
The Impact on Nashville’s Culture
The firm isn't just a legal factory. They are deeply embedded in the Nashville community. We're talking board seats at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, sponsorships for the Nashville Symphony, and pro bono work for local nonprofits.
They’ve managed to keep the "Waller" soul alive.
That was the biggest fear when the merger happened—that the local culture would be erased by a Florida-based giant. But the leadership in the Nashville office has stayed largely intact. They still value the "Nashville way" of doing business, which usually involves a lot of handshakes and a genuine interest in the person across the table. It’s "Big Law" with a Southern accent.
Specific Legal Expertise in the Nashville Office
To understand what they actually do all day, you have to look at their practice groups. It's not just "general law." It's highly specialized.
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- Government Relations: They have a lobbying arm that works with the Tennessee General Assembly. If a law is being debated that affects how hospitals operate or how taxes are levied, they are in the room.
- Intellectual Property: With the tech boom in Nashville (think Amazon and Oracle), protecting software and patents has become huge.
- Labor and Employment: As companies move their headquarters to Tennessee to take advantage of the tax climate, they need help navigating state labor laws.
- Financial Services: Nashville is a quietly massive hub for banking. Holland & Knight represents some of the biggest regional banks in the Southeast.
Strategic Steps for Engaging with a Firm of This Scale
If you're a business owner or an executive considering working with Holland and Knight Nashville, you shouldn't just walk in the front door. You need a strategy to get the most value out of a firm this size.
Identify your "Lead" Partner carefully. Don't just pick the first person who returns your call. Look for someone who has specifically handled your niche. If you’re in senior living, find the person who has closed 50 senior living deals. In a firm with 280 lawyers in one building, that specialist exists.
Leverage the "Global" network. If you’re doing a deal in Nashville but your supplier is in Germany, ask your Nashville lawyer to pull in their European counterparts. You are paying for the network—use it.
Demand transparency on "Shadow" billing. In large firms, you often see multiple associates on a call. Ask for a clear breakdown of who is doing what. The Nashville office is known for being more efficient than their New York counterparts, but you still need to be a savvy consumer of legal services.
Utilize their non-legal resources. Large firms like Holland & Knight often host seminars on new SEC regulations or healthcare compliance updates. These are often free for clients. It’s basically free consulting. Take advantage of their internal knowledge base.
Check their "Conflicts" early. Because they represent so many people, "conflicts of interest" are a real thing. If you're planning to sue a major bank or a massive healthcare provider, they might already represent them. Get a conflict check done before you share any sensitive information.
Nashville is no longer a "small" legal market. It’s a major league player. The growth of Holland and Knight Nashville is perhaps the clearest evidence of that reality. They’ve managed to scale without losing the local nuance that makes Nashville business unique. Whether you’re a startup looking for an exit or a multinational corporation looking to move your headquarters to the Mid-South, this office is likely going to be a part of your story. The city is growing up, and its legal giants are growing right alongside it.
Practical Next Steps for Businesses
- Review Your Current Legal Spend: Compare your local boutique rates with the value of a national platform like Holland & Knight, especially if you are operating across state lines.
- Audit Your Regulatory Compliance: If you are in healthcare or finance, ensure your current counsel has the "bench strength" to handle a surprise federal audit.
- Schedule a "Capabilities Presentation": Most large firms will provide a detailed look at their recent deal history in your specific industry to show they have the "grease for the wheels" in your sector.
- Engage with the Nashville Chamber: Use local business networks to vet the reputation of specific partners within the firm before signing an engagement letter.