21 Sep 2026
Holland & Knight Adds Retired Admiral Eric T. Olson as Senior Advisor to National Security & Defense Industry Group
"Holland & Knight adds retired U.S. Navy Admiral Eric T. Olson as senior advisor to its National Security & Defense Industry Group, focusing on national security and defense industry matters."
Admiral Olson is a retired U.S. Navy admiral and former commander of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He retired from the U.S. Navy in 2011 after more than 38 years of military service. From 2007 to 2011 he served as commander of USSOCOM, where he was responsible for the readiness and deployment of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps special operations forces. He was the first Navy SEAL officer to attain three-star and four-star rank and to command USSOCOM. He joins Holland & Knight in the senior advisor role and comes from a military career culminating in four-star rank.
Since retiring from the military, Admiral Olson has advised a range of private and public sector organizations. His post-retirement roles include serving as an adjunct professor in the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University; director of Iridium Communications Inc., Palladyne AI Corp. and Under Armour Inc.; senior advisor to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and director of the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, Spirit of America and the National Navy UDT‑SEAL Museum. His military decorations include the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star and Bronze Star Medal with Valor.
Admiral Olson will work with Holland & Knight lawyers and professionals to support clients across the national security and defense sectors, providing strategic insight on U.S. national security matters, identifying emerging business opportunities and advising on trends, challenges and developments affecting the defense and national security marketplace. He joins an international group of senior advisors supporting the firm’s National Security & Defense Industry Group, which also includes retired German Admiral Joachim Rühle and retired German Colonel Dieter Korten.