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Adams and Reese LLP
Who We Are
At Adams and Reese, we take things personally. Our people are connected — to each other, to our clients, our families and our communities. We care deeply about the people around us.
As lawyers, it’s our business to know and understand our clients, their businesses, their current needs and their future plans. As neighbors, our commitment to volunteerism has become a deep-rooted characteristic of our firm's personality.
Adams and Reese LIVE From IRE 2024!
Meet Trent Cotney
As an attorney, I make it my job to provide clients the resources they need to succeed in the construction industry. By combining legal acumen and business know-how, I’m able to offer them a proactive legal approach that aims to resolve their problems and eliminate risks.
Primary Practice:
Trent Cotney is a board-certified construction lawyer by the Florida Bar and is licensed in Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and D.C. He focuses his practice on all aspects of construction litigation and arbitration, including OSHA defense, lien law, bond law, bid protests and construction document review and drafting. He routinely represents construction and infrastructure clients, including general contractors, subcontractors, suppliers, manufacturers, architects, engineers, roofers, developers and others in various matters.
Trent is recognized by his peers throughout the construction industry as one of the leading attorneys in his field of practice. He has received numerous honors and distinctions because of his dedication to the legal profession and his expertise in construction and infrastructure law.
Before joining Adams and Reese, Trent founded and served as the CEO of Cotney Attorneys & Consultants, named a Top 50 Construction Law Firm by Construction Executive Magazine. With over 20 offices, Cotney Attorneys & Consultants serviced the needs of business, infrastructure and construction clients throughout the United States, Canada and internationally.
In addition to nearly 25 years of assisting his clients in their legal matters, Trent is a zealous advocate for the international commercial roofing industry. He serves as general counsel for more than 10 trade associations and organizations, including the National Roofing Contractors Association, Florida Roofing & Sheet Metal Association, National Slate Association, Roofing Technology Think Tank, Western States Roofing Contractors Association and several other industry associations.
Trent has published more than 1,000 articles in 100 different local, regional and national publications on such topics as construction mediation, arbitration, negligent design, delay damages, contract provisions and defective workmanship. He is the editor and primary author of two Amazon best-selling books, OSHA Defense for the Construction Industry and OSHA Defense: Know Your Rights. The books provide contractors, trades, design professionals, suppliers, manufacturers and others in the industry with an understanding of their rights during an OSHA inspection as well as critical defenses to use after an OSHA citation has been issued.
Trent is a frequent guest on nationally and regionally broadcast podcasts and regularly speaks at events across the globe on topics related to construction and infrastructure law.
Meet Ben Briggs
I view my role as equal parts counselor and advocate. As counselor, I advise clients regarding the law and their strategic options, and as advocate, I aggressively defend or prosecute their legal positions. But in either role, my focus remains the ‘big picture’ and the client’s underlying objectives.
Primary Practice:
Benjamin S. Briggs counsels and represents clients in all aspects of labor and employment law, including matters pertaining to wage and hour, discrimination and retaliation claims, risk mitigation, human resources training and internal audits, drafting and enforcing employment contracts, restrictive covenants, separation agreements and workplace rules and policies.
Ben has received several accolades in labor and employment law, including Top Lawyers, Employment Law: Management by Tampa Magazine, and Legal Elite Up & Comer by Florida Trend. He is recognized by his peers among Florida Super Lawyers® Rising Stars.
Latest Promotions and Rebates
Attorney Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese LLP Offers Free Contract Audit Services to Members of Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network
Trent Cotney and the Adams and Reese LLP team set the standard for providing high-quality legal expertise within the roofing industry. As a global leader in advocacy for construction professionals, his knowledge and experience protect the best interests of roofing contractors nationwide.
Whether you require project-specific advice or need a broader ...
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Latest Podcasts
Navigating the Legal Side of Subcrews
In this Read Listen Watch®, Karen Edwards meets with Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese L.L.P. and Justin Bedwell of Camouflage Roofing & Construction, LLC to talk about the current impact of subcrews in the roofing industry. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of navigating subcontractor relationships and the ...
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Mary Kate Fernandez - The Ins and Outs of H-1B Visas
S6:E39
In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi sits down with Mary Kate Fernandez of Adams and Reese to talk about the H-1B Visa program. Introduced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), which serves as a gateway for skilled foreign workers to contribute their expertise to American ...
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Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions in the Roofing Industry
Join us for a dynamic Coffee Conversation, sponsored by Adams & Reese, where we delve into the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the roofing industry. This in-depth session is designed for roofing company owners, executives and financial stakeholders aiming to expand their market presence, diversify their services and ...
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Latest Webinars
Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions in the Roofing Industry
Join us for a dynamic Coffee Conversation, sponsored by Adams & Reese, where we delve into the world of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the roofing industry. This in-depth session is designed for roofing company owners, executives and financial stakeholders aiming to expand their market presence, diversify their services and ...
Watch the Webinar
Shining a Light on the Dark Side of the Labor Shortage Sponsored by IB Roof Systems
Sub Crews, Child Labor and Safety on the Roof
Join us for an eye-opening Coffee Conversations, sponsored by IB Roof Systems, where we delve into the critical issues surrounding the roofing industry's labor shortage. In this thought-provoking webinar, we aim to shed light on the darker aspects of the challenges ...
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Adams and Reese LLP - “2023 NLRB Year in Review” - Labor and Employment Webinar
Adams and Reese Partner Michael MacHarg will lead a one hour CLE webinar to discuss important updates from the National Labor Relations Board over the past year.
Registration is free. The webinar will take place Tuesday, Dec. 19, from Noon to 1 p.m. central. The webinar has been submitted for one ...
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Read Listen Watch - Educational Content
Navigating the Legal Side of Subcrews
In this Read Listen Watch®, Karen Edwards meets with Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese L.L.P. and Justin Bedwell of Camouflage Roofing & Construction, LLC to talk about the current impact of subcrews in the roofing industry. They discuss the challenges and opportunities of navigating subcontractor relationships and the ...
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Scaling up With BI: Business Strategies for Roofing Companies
In this RoofersCoffeeShop RLW, Heidi J. Ellsworth meets with experts in customer service, estimating, service, safety, regulations and legal issues. Eugene Zukowski of Jobba, John Kenney of Cotney Consulting Group and Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese join the conversation to share their 2023 insights on how business intelligence ...
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Being Prepared for OSHA
As the roofing industry heads into Stand Down for Safety Week, Kyle Rea of Adams & Reese provides insight into the current OSHA inspection and citation process on this important RLW. With a deep dive into the key issues of OSHA inspections and processes, Kyle shares with Heidi J. Ellsworth ...
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Buy Online
The second biggest threat to the construction industry, behind the lack of skilled labor, is the unchecked expansion of regulatory agencies. Recent government expansion has granted the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) the authority it needs to single-handedly put contractors out of business through targeting, and repeat or excessive ...
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Get your copy of Trent Cotney's latest book, OSHA Defense: Know Your Rights! This book is designed to be an overview of common issues frequently encountered by companies when dealing with OSHA. The goal is for employers to gain a better understanding of the basic processes and procedures that take ...
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Latest Videos
Episode 108 - SRS & Home Depot, new CoffeeConversations on mergers & acquisitions, Akzonobel sponsors newsroom!
Join Heidi and Karen every Friday to learn about the latest roofing industry news.
The 108th episode of The Weekly Blend is here! Join the Coffee Shops’ President Heidi J. Ellsworth and COO Karen L. Edwards every week for the newest episode of our original web series.
This week, Heidi and ...
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Adams and Reese Tradeshow Video Playlist
Adams and Reese LIVE From IRE 2024!
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Episode 92 - Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday promo codes, matching donations to roofing industry foundations!
Join Heidi and Karen every Friday to learn about what's going on in the roofing industry.
The 92nd episode of The Weekly Blend is here! Join the Coffee Shops’ President Heidi J. Ellsworth and COO Karen L. Edwards for the latest episode of this Coffee Shop original web series.
This week, Heidi ...
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