Atlas

Why they matter

As Benesch's freight-brokerage practice co-chair and TIA's outside GC, Blubaugh sits at the center of nearly every major U.S. broker/3PL deal, dispute, and liability shift.

Background

Marc S. Blubaugh is a Columbus, Ohio-based partner and co-chair of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP's Transportation & Logistics Practice Group, with nearly 30 years advising carriers, freight brokers, 3PLs, and shippers on M&A due diligence, regulatory compliance, and high-stakes litigation. He serves as outside general counsel to the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA), and is a Past President of the Transportation Lawyers Association. He is currently one of the most frequently cited legal voices on freight broker liability following the Supreme Court's 2026 Montgomery v. Caribe Transport ruling.

Notable deals

2023
Lead outside counsel to Yusen Logistics Americas on its acquisition of Taylored Services, a multichannel 3PL fulfillment organization, from private equity firm Saybrook
2025
Appointed Lead National Coordinating Counsel by Falvey Insurance Group to oversee its nationwide freight broker liability defense panel
2025
Quoted by Law360 as the Supreme Court granted cert in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport, the case that reshaped freight-broker negligence liability
2026
Authored the widely circulated client alert analyzing the Supreme Court's Montgomery v. Caribe Transport decision expanding freight broker liability nationwide

Call-prep brief

Marc S. Blubaugh — Call Prep

Background

Partner and Co-Chair, Transportation & Logistics Practice Group, Benesch (Columbus, OH); ~30 years in the industry
Outside General Counsel to the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) and the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA)
Past President, Transportation Lawyers Association

Current focus

Freight broker liability post-*Montgomery v. Caribe Transport* (SCOTUS, May 2026), which opened brokers to state-law negligence claims
Advising brokers/3PLs on carrier-vetting policies, insurance structuring, and litigation exposure in the new liability landscape
M&A due diligence for PE-backed freight brokerage and logistics deals

What he cares about

Protecting the freight-brokerage business model from being treated like a carrier for liability purposes
Educating clients and trade groups on regulatory/compliance shifts (FAAAA preemption, safety-vetting standards)

Recent moves

Nov 2025: Named Lead National Coordinating Counsel for Falvey Insurance Group's broker liability defense panel — signals insurers see broker litigation as a growing loss category
2023: Advised Yusen Logistics on the Taylored Services acquisition, showing active PE-adjacent 3PL M&A experience

Sensitivities

He represents trade associations (TIA, IANA) and insurers simultaneously — be mindful of confidentiality/conflict boundaries when discussing specific portfolio companies
Deep litigation orientation; may frame diligence questions around liability risk rather than pure commercial upside

Questions to ask

How is the *Montgomery* decision changing valuation or deal structuring for brokerage targets you're seeing?
What carrier-vetting/compliance red flags should we diligence in a brokerage acquisition post-*Montgomery*?
Which brokers or 3PLs are best positioned (documentation, insurance) to withstand the new liability regime?

Outreach draft

Subject

Freight broker liability diligence — quick call?

Hi Marc, I lead deal work at a PE firm focused on freight brokerage and 3PL platforms. Given your role co-chairing Benesch's Transportation & Logistics practice and as outside counsel to TIA, you're one of the sharpest reads on how Montgomery v. Caribe Transport is reshaping broker liability and diligence standards. We're evaluating a handful of brokerage targets and want to make sure our carrier-vetting and insurance diligence checklist reflects the current legal landscape, not the pre-Montgomery one. Would you have 20 minutes in the next week or two for a paid advisory call? Happy to work around your schedule. Best, [Placeholder Name]

Linked companies

Sources

Strongest evidenceStructured data6 public sourcesVerified2026-08-09How the grades work