Adams and Reese LLP, New Orleans, has announced the expansion of its construction practice by merging with Tampa, Fla.-based Cotney Construction Law LLP, a full-service legal and consulting firm serving the U.S. construction and infrastructure industries.
Cotney Construction Law’s 16 attorneys and professionals will join Adams and Reese’s current roster of 58 construction attorneys, taking the group to 75 and making it one of the largest construction practices in the U.S. The combined practice now has eight Florida Bar board-certified construction lawyers and two Florida-certified general contractors.
The complete list of attorneys from Cotney Construction Law includes Trent Cotney, the firm’s CEO and NRCA’s general counsel, who now becomes a partner at Adams and Reese.
“Our construction practice is a driver for the firm, and client needs are fueling its growth,” said Gif Thornton, managing partner of Adams and Reese. “Our strategic plan calls for doubling down on existing areas of strength. Trent and the Cotney team are national leaders in the construction law space, and their capabilities complement ours. This combination moves us toward dominance nationally and in the Southeast in particular, coinciding with the economic growth in the region.”
The team joining Adams and Reese brings knowledge and experience in serving publicly traded companies, private businesses and individuals in transactions and disputes nationally and internationally. Their singular focus is meeting legal, business and consulting needs in the construction space.
“We are excited about this opportunity to add our already deep bench to a national firm like Adams and Reese, whose resources and platform will take us to the next level,” Cotney said. “As advocates for construction clients in the U.S. and around the world, our combined team has a deep understanding of what we must bring to bear when providing the most comprehensive counsel to our clients, and we can better meet their needs through our collective strengths. Our team shares Adams and Reese’s forward-thinking vision and commitment to diversity, which will exponentially grow our combined capabilities.”
The new team of attorneys will relocate to Adams and Reese’s downtown Tampa office.
