Lawyers for moving companies who know the rules.
Lawyers for moving companies, not for the people suing them. Ten law firms that say on their own sites that they represent movers, plus the services that handle tariffs, arbitration, and filings.
Lawyers for moving companies: national practices.
Firms that handle federal work for movers across state lines: FMCSA rules, tariffs and paperwork, and cargo claim defense in federal court. Listed alphabetically, not ranked.
- beneschlaw.com
Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff
Transportation and logistics practice · Cleveland, OH
A large firm with a deep transportation group and published work on the federal household goods rules. Partner Jonathan Todd was appointed to the FMCSA Household Goods Consumer Protection Working Group as an industry representative.
- Best for
- Larger carriers and van lines with questions about how the household goods rules apply to their service model.
- Fees
- Not published.
- huschblackwell.com
Husch Blackwell
Carmack and cargo claim defense · Phoenix, AZ
A national litigation practice that lists household goods moving cases among its results, including keeping interstate moving claims in federal court under the Carmack Amendment. Julie Maurer and Andrew Kleiner lead the work.
- Best for
- Movers sued in state court over an interstate move with fraud or consumer-protection claims attached.
- Fees
- Not published.
- mayerbocklaw.com
Mayerbock Law Firm
Outside general counsel for movers · Chicago, IL
Patrick Mayerbock's firm acts as outside general counsel to moving companies in all 50 states. Covers compliance, contracts, risk and insurance matters, employment, intellectual property, and long-term planning. Featured by Moversville on legal compliance for movers.
- Best for
- Owners who want one lawyer for the whole business instead of a litigator for one case.
- Fees
- Not published.
Moving company attorneys by state.
Firms that represent movers in a specific state or region. Listed by state, not ranked.
- bdpblaw.com
Baumann, Doyle, Paytas & Bernstein
Transportation and motor carrier law · Phoenix, AZ
Represents motor carriers and lists household goods loss and damage claims as a service, alongside DOT licensing, audits, freight claims, and workers' compensation defense. Gary Doyle is general counsel for the Arizona Trucking Association.
- Best for
- Arizona movers facing a claim, a DOT audit, or a licensing question.
- Fees
- Not published.
- finchtetzlaff.com
Finch Tetzlaff
Moving and storage litigation · Calabasas, CA
Brent Finch has represented national van lines and their local agents in moving and storage contract claims, false advertising cases, and Carmack defense in California state and federal courts.
- Best for
- California van line agents and independent movers sued over a moving or storage contract.
- Fees
- Not published.
- stonedeanlaw.com
Stone | Dean
Transportation and logistics practice · Woodland Hills, CA
Handles cargo loss and damage claims, PUC and DOT compliance, carrier and warehouse liens, tariff disputes, and van line agency disputes. Gregg Garfinkel leads the practice. Listed in the California Moving and Storage Association supplier directory.
- Best for
- California movers with a damage lawsuit, a lien or storage dispute, or a dispute with their van line.
- Fees
- Not published.
- fandpnet.com
Franklin & Prokopik
Transportation and logistics practice · Baltimore, MD
Cargo loss claims, contractor versus employee issues, owner-operator agreements, leases, and purchase agreements. Patrick Wachter serves as general counsel to the Maryland Movers Conference and grew up in a family moving business.
- Best for
- Maryland and Mid-Atlantic movers with a cargo claim or a driver classification problem.
- Fees
- Not published.
- abmasslaw.com
Andresen & Borovick
Moving and storage industry counsel · Sudbury, MA
A small firm that serves the moving and storage industry directly. Covers state and FMCSA licensing, compliance reviews, penalty notices, loss and damage claims, storage contracts, employment disputes, succession, and sales and mergers.
- Best for
- Massachusetts movers that want one firm for regulation and the business side.
- Fees
- Not published.
- trepanierlaw.com
Trepanier MacGillis Battina
Employment and transportation law · Minneapolis, MN
Represents intrastate and interstate household goods movers on bills of lading, storage and warehouse contracts, owner-operator agreements, driver hiring, and wage and hour issues. Craig Trepanier leads the practice.
- Best for
- Minnesota movers that use owner-operators or contract labor.
- Fees
- Two-hour first consultation for a flat $750.
- hoaf.com
Henry Oddo Austin & Fletcher
Cargo and household goods litigation · Dallas, TX
Defends cargo damage and delay claims, enforces tariff terms and liability limits, and collects freight charges, with stated experience in intrastate, interstate, and international household goods shipments. Vic Henry and Lane Fletcher lead the work.
- Best for
- Texas movers sued over a damaged or delayed shipment.
- Fees
- Not published.
Tariffs, arbitration, and filings.
These are not law firms. They cannot give legal advice or represent you in court, but movers use them for the paperwork the rules require.
- moving.org
ATA Moving & Storage Conference
Arbitration program
The industry association runs an arbitration program that its member movers use to meet the federal arbitration requirement.
- Best for
- Movers that are already association members.
- namadr.com
National Arbitration and Mediation
Arbitration provider · New York, NY
A dispute resolution company with a household goods program that handles loss and damage arbitrations between movers and their customers.
- checkbca.org
Business Consumer Alliance
Arbitration program
A nonprofit that offers movers an arbitration program with a certificate and a customer flyer to hand out.
- csipros.org
CSI (Claims Service International)
Claims, tariffs, and compliance · Coral Springs, FL
An arbitration program, claims handling, operating authority registration, DOT audit preparation, and DOT-compliant tariffs and moving contracts. Staffed by claims adjusters.
- Pricing
- Interstate bundle $1,750. Local bundle $175 to $1,000.
- movingauthority.com
Moving Authority
Tariffs and filings
Publishes custom interstate tariffs and handles arbitration program setup, BOC-3, USDOT and MC filings, and UCR. A private company, not affiliated with USDOT or FMCSA.
- Pricing
- Published tariff $1,599.
Listings checked November 2026. Details change, so confirm pricing and terms with each company before you sign. Spot something wrong or missing? Email info@themovinglab.com.
This list is not legal advice, a ranking, or an endorsement. Firms are grouped by where they practice and listed in alphabetical order. Confirm an attorney’s standing with their state bar before you hire.
When a mover needs a lawyer.
Most owners call a lawyer after the letter arrives. The cheaper call is the one before: paperwork that holds up, a tariff that matches how you price, and a claims process that follows the rules.
Getting or fixing your USDOT and MC operating authority.
Writing estimates, bills of lading, and a tariff that follow the federal household goods rules.
Defending a loss or damage claim on an interstate move.
A dispute over charges at delivery, or a hostage-goods accusation.
An FMCSA audit, notice of claim, or civil penalty.
Employee versus contractor questions, and buying or selling the company.
Common questions
Short answers for owners looking for legal help.
A transportation lawyer who works with household goods carriers. Moving has its own federal rulebook for estimates, bills of lading, tariffs, and claims, and a general business lawyer rarely knows it. Look for a firm that names movers or van lines as clients.
It is the federal law that sets a carrier's liability for loss or damage on interstate shipments. For a mover it matters because it can replace state-law claims like fraud or negligence with a single federal claim, limited by your tariff and bill of lading. Several firms on this list defend movers on exactly that point.
Not always. Tariff publishers and compliance services write interstate tariffs for a flat price, and two are listed on this page. A lawyer is worth it when your pricing is unusual, when you have already had a claim go badly, or when you want the tariff and the bill of lading reviewed together.
Yes. Federal rules require interstate household goods movers to offer customers a neutral arbitration program for loss and damage disputes. Most movers meet the requirement through an association program or a third-party provider rather than building their own.
Most firms on this list do not publish fees. One, Trepanier MacGillis Battina, publishes a two-hour first consultation for a flat $750. Ask every firm for a fee estimate in writing before work starts.
We have no fair way to rank law firms on quality, so we did not try. National practices come first, then firms by state, in alphabetical order. Every firm was included because its own site says it represents movers.
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