David C. Whitestone

David Whitestone is the executive partner of the Washington, D.C., office of Holland & Knight. Mr. Whitestone's practice focuses on the representation of corporations, nonprofits and municipalities whose business practices are impacted by governmental regulation and legislative activity. He counsels organizations interested in partnering with federal agencies in the Department of Transportation (Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Transit Administration and Federal Highway Administration), Department of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection), Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and the National Transportation Safety Board as well as various independent agencies.

Mr. Whitestone regularly advises clients on significant matters facing scrutiny, including all types of Congressional investigations and coordinates with colleagues from multiple practices to advise on white collar, government contracts, shareholder interests and public relations matters. He counsels clients in responding effectively and efficiently to Congressional reviews, while protecting their legal rights and reputations. In many cases, Congressional investigations are closely related to U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Election Commission or Inspector General investigations, requiring coordinated responses to the government.

Additionally, Mr. Whitestone has led multidiscipline teams in conducting due diligence for clients engaged in the acquisition of entities holding government contracts as well as those in highly regulated industries.

Mr. Whitestone previously launched and chaired the firm's Transportation Industry Team, which has been recognized by Chambers USA and by U.S. News – Best Lawyers as the "Transportation Law Firm of the Year." This firmwide initiative coordinates the legal, regulatory and public policy efforts of the firm's many aviation, rail, trucking, transit, intermodal, maritime and asset-based finance clients.

Prior to joining private practice, Mr. Whitestone worked in the U.S. House of Representatives where he was an associate staff member on the House Appropriations Committee and principal staffer for a Virginia congressman. During his time on Capitol Hill, he assisted in the development and review of high-level federal agency budgets and served as a press secretary, working with media outlets in large, medium and small markets. By leveraging his knowledge of the congressional process, he has built a reputation as an effective advocate in the development and implementation of congressional and budgetary strategies, legislative drafting, appropriations and multiyear authorization matters.

He serves on the Washington Airports Task Force Board of Directors, previously as its chairperson, and is a member of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, the Economic Club of Washington, DC, and the Washington Aero Club. He has been recognized as a top Washington, D.C., lawyer by the Washington Business Journal and has been acknowledged as a top advocate by The Hill. Recently, Mr. Whitestone served on the dean search committee at his alma mater, the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University. Mr. Whitestone was elected to several terms on Holland & Knight's Directors Committee, was the firm's lateral hiring partner and was one of the firm's four Section Leaders.