TSL Express Daily News

NEW YORK (April 7, 2025) – Holland & Knight has significantly strengthened its leading Asset Finance Group with the addition of Mike Timpone, Kurt Plankl and Sophia Agathis as partners and Nicholas Kaasik as senior counsel in New York. They are joined by four associates.

All previously practiced at Seward & Kissel, where Mr. Timpone served as head of the Maritime and Transportation Finance practice. Mr. Timpone will serve as co-chair of Holland & Knight's Maritime Industry Team.

"Mike and his team have built one of the largest and most highly regarded maritime finance practices in the country and we are thrilled to welcome them to the Firm,” said Bob Grammig, Holland & Knight's chair and CEO. “Their outstanding skills and leadership in this sophisticated and global practice area greatly enhance our capabilities and reinforce our commitment to providing top-tier legal counsel and service to our clients in the transportation industry.”

The team, which has received the highest rankings from Chambers and Partners and Legal 500, focuses on the representation of U.S. and international lenders and borrowers in connection with secured loans and other financing transactions. They also regularly advise on the formation of joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions, asset finance transactions, securities transactions and restructurings. Several transactions that the team has handled have won industry honors, including the Lloyd’s List Americas “Deal of the Year” Award.

“When coupled with our leading Aircraft Finance and Maritime Finance teams, the addition of this group to Holland & Knight creates the strongest transportation finance team in the country, and one of the strongest in the world," said Phil Durham, leader of the Firm’s Asset Finance Group. “This move aligns perfectly with our strategy to reinforce our core competencies and deliver exceptional value to our clients."

“My team and I are eager to join Holland & Knight and contribute to its esteemed finance and transportation practices. Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of advising major industry players on significant financings and transactions in the maritime space, and I look forward to continuing that work at the Firm with my team and our new colleagues,” said Mr. Timpone.

"This group’s addition reflects our dedication to offering comprehensive and innovative solutions to our clients in the transportation and infrastructure industries,” said Christopher Nolan, co-chair of Holland & Knight's Transportation & Infrastructure Industry Group. “Mike’s international and domestic maritime client relationships fit seamlessly with our Firm and we will benefit from Mike’s leadership as he joins the Maritime Industry Team as co-chair.”

Mr. Timpone is a licensed member of the bar of the State of New York and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He is the past chair of the Marine Financing Committee for the Maritime Law Association of the United States. Chambers USA has ranked Mr. Timpone Band 1 in the Transportation: Shipping/Maritime: Finance category for 16 years and Chambers Global has ranked him Band 1 in the Shipping: Finance category for five years. He is also ranked in the Marshall Islands in the General Business Law category and in Liberia in the Shipping category. Mr. Timpone received a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Rutgers University.

Mr. Plankl is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and the Maritime Law Association of the United States. Prior to joining Seward & Kissel, he worked in the maritime industry, holding several leadership positions at International Registries, Inc., which administers the maritime and corporate programs for the Republic of the Marshall Islands. He received a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law, and M.S. and B.S. degrees from SUNY Maritime College.

Ms. Agathis was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers in the Business & Corporate practice area in 2023-2024 and recognized as a “Rising Star” by Private Debt Investor in 2024. She is also recognized in the Shipping: Finance category of Legal 500. Ms. Agathis received a J.D. degree from Fordham University School of Law and a B.A. degree from Swarthmore College.

Mr. Kaasik regularly represents banks and other financial institutions as lenders and agents, as well as ship owners as borrowers, in connection with secured financings in the shipping and international trade industries. He received a J.D. degree from Cornell Law School and a B.A. degree from SUNY College at Geneseo.

About Holland & Knight LLP: Founded in 1889, Holland & Knight is a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 35 offices worldwide. The Firm's lawyers and advisors provide representation in litigation, corporate and finance, real estate, healthcare and governmental matters. Interdisciplinary practice groups and industry-based teams provide clients with efficient access to attorneys throughout the Firm. www.hklaw.com.