Practice Areas

Surface Transportation

GKG Law attorneys concentrating in surface transportation matters are routinely involved in every commercial aspect of the transportation needs and services of our clients in any mode they utilize. We offer comprehensive counsel in dealing with an array of transportation-related issues to individual shippers, freight forwarders, shipper’s associations, brokers, short line railroads, and motor carriers. Our services on regulated matters span a wide range of issues, from regulatory licensing and rate matters to mergers and acquisitions, to customs and export controls. We have a long, well established history of representing transportation clients on matters before the Department of Transportation, the Surface Transportation Board, the Transportation Security Administration and other Federal transportation agencies.

GKG Law attorneys in the Surface Transportation Law Group have a keen understanding of the commercial and operational aspects of the surface transportation industry and our clients’ particular business needs. We therefore, can blend commercial counseling with the litigation skills that are an essential component of this unique field. Drawing on the talents of the firm’s litigation, antitrust, lobbying, and transportation lawyers, we handle all of our clients’ problems. Our attorneys regularly handle cases for clients before the Surface Transportation Board, Federal and state courts, and arbitration panels nationwide. We are experienced in all types of surface transportation litigation, including rate cases, technical tariff interpretation disputes, loss and damage claims, and breach of contract actions. We are especially active in dealing with the antitrust issues that have become the focus of a more deregulated environment.

We negotiate shipper/carrier transportation agreements, land, track and equipment leases, operating agreements, corporate and equipment acquisitions and financings, bills of lading and negotiable instruments, and bankruptcy or similar workouts. Our attorneys are involved in structuring and negotiating arrangements for our short line railroad clients in connection with all of their industry needs. We assist our shipper clients in obtaining the benefit of competitively-based transportation services by adding new rail service, where possible, or by negotiating appropriate rate and service arrangements utilizing our regulatory and commercial skills.

We also assist our individual clients in matters before other governmental entities such as Congress and state regulatory agencies. We are often called upon to develop and/or represent coalitions involving shippers and carriers to address common problems. In representing these groups before Congress, regulatory agencies, Executive Branch departments, or in a litigation context, we strive to balance the parties’ individual goals with real world circumstances so as to facilitate results that maximize our clients’ overall objectives.