Sam represents for-hire and private trucking companies (including truckload carriers, LTL carriers, tanker carriers, hazardous materials transporters, flatbed carriers, carriers that provide refrigeration and temperature control for cargo, household goods carriers, drayage carriers, hotshot carriers, and end dump carriers), courier companies, freight forwarders, bus lines and other passenger carriers, transportation network providers, freight transportation brokers, logistics providers, warehouses and shippers in connection with surface, air and maritime transportation matters.
Sam regularly drafts and revises transportation and logistics contracts, independent contractor owner-operator agreements, and truck and trailer lease agreements. He regularly handles disputes involving freight charges and cargo loss and damage. Sam also represents transportation companies before state and federal agencies including registration and safety matters before the U.S. Department Of Transportation/Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Texas Department Of Motor Vehicles, and the Texas Department Of Public Safety.
He represents transportation companies in tax planning, issues and disputes involving the Texas franchise/margin tax, the International Fuel Tax Agreement or “IFTA”, the Texas business personal property tax (taxation of trucks/tractors and trailers, vessels/ships, tugboats and barges), and other state and local taxes before the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and before local tax appraisal districts. He has extensive experience in truck and trailer registration issues and taxation issues pertaining to the International Registration Plan or IRP. He is a trained transportation arbitrator and mediator and has been admitted by the American Arbitration Association as an arbitrator to its transportation arbitration panel and by the Transportation Lawyers Association as an arbitrator and mediator to its Transportation ADR Council’s panel of transportation arbitrators and mediators.
In addition, Sam represents clients in connection with business entity formation, acquisitions, mergers and divestitures, workers’ compensation/non-subscriber matters, and drafting of real estate purchase/sale contracts, real estate leases, employment agreements, non-compete agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and confidentiality agreements.