Trent Cotney - RCS Influencer
Partner, Adams and Reese
Since 1999, Trent Cotney of Adams & Reese LLP, has dedicated himself to serving the roofing industry. Trent specializes in roofing litigation and arbitration, including defending roofers on construction defect claims, prosecuting lien and bond law claims, defending OSHA citations, contractor licensing defense, and bid protests. In addition, Trent Cotney reviews and drafts hundreds of roofing-related contracts a year for roofing contractors, suppliers, manufacturers, and others in the industry.
Trent Cotney is a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) as well as ten other local roofing associations across the United States. He is a director, Treasurer and General Counsel to the West Coast Roofing Contractors Association (“WCRCA”); the General Counsel, a director, and co-chair of the public relations committee for FRSA; and the General Counsel and member of the Governance Committee for the National Women in Roofing (NWIR). In addition to donating his time to a variety of roofing organizations, he is also a Governor-level contributor to the FRSA Educational & Research Foundation endowment program.
He has received the Byron Curry Memorial Achievement Award given by the WCRCA for excellence and service to the roofing industry (2009). He has also received the FRSA’s President’s Award (2008) and the Earl Blank “Heart” Award (2010) for his commitment and dedication to the roofing industry. In 2014, he received the NRCA’s Gold Circle Award for Service to the Industry during the International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. He frequently lectures on a variety of legal topics and has spoken at multiple Best of Success conferences and the International Roofing Expo and is the editor and primary author of the Amazon best-selling book OSHA Defense for the Construction Industry.
The premier Coffee Conversation featured Trent Cotney and John Kenney of Cotney Construction Law and Cotney Consulting Group. It was a Q&A conversation about strategies for protecting your companies the right way during the current pandemic and economic instability. Valuable information and thought provoking advice. Click below to watch now!
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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NRCA Legal Conference "Decks to Dockets" Webinar Recordings Available Now!
Did you miss NRCA’s Virtual Legal Conference, Roofing Issues: Decks to Dockets? You are in luck! All nine conference session recordings now are available for purchase in NRCA's bookstore for only $49/session ($69/session for nonmembers). This is a great opportunity to learn the latest legal, business and technical information from ...
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eBooks
Top Ten Coffee Conversations from Season Two
The Coffee Conversations podcast from RoofersCoffeeShop® invites you to pour a cup of coffee and sit with experts for conversations about what is top of mind for roofing contractors and the overall roofing industry right now. Held every other Thursday morning (6 a.m. PT), the team at RCS video chats ...
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Latest Spanish Content
Día 3: Sesiones y eventos esenciales en IRE 2025
Por Anna Lockhart, traducido por Jessica Bravo.
¡No te pierdas estas sesiones que tendrán lugar el viernes en IRE 2025!
International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2025 está a la vuelta de la esquina y los participantes están haciendo planes para asistir a sesiones y eventos interesantes. ¿Ya has echado un ...
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Día 1: Sesiones clave en IRE 2025
Por Jesse Sanchez, traducido por Jessica Bravo.
El primer día de IRE está lleno de experiencia e innovación en la industria.
Profesionales del sector de techado de todo el país se reúnen para un día completo de conocimientos, networking y estrategias visionarias en International Roofing Expo (IRE) 2025. Con ...
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Línea de Ayuda para el Aumento de Precios activada para proteger a las víctimas del huracán
Por Trent Cotney, Adams and Reese.
A medida que Florida continúa limpiando y comenzando a reconstruir tras la devastación del huracán Helene, ahora enfrenta la amenaza aún mayor del huracán Milton.
Es importante saber que la Fiscal General Ashley Moody ha activado la Línea de Ayuda para el Aumento de ...
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Latest International Content
How President Trump’s proposed tariffs could affect the construction industry
By Trent Cotney, Adams and Reese.
While the full impact of the tariffs remains to be seen, proactive measures can help mitigate risks and ensure continued operational resilience.
If you have read the news lately, you know that President Trump plans to reintroduce tariffs on goods imported from key trading partners. These ...
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Latest Canada Content
How President Trump’s proposed tariffs could affect the construction industry
By Trent Cotney, Adams and Reese.
While the full impact of the tariffs remains to be seen, proactive measures can help mitigate risks and ensure continued operational resilience.
If you have read the news lately, you know that President Trump plans to reintroduce tariffs on goods imported from key trading partners. These ...
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S2:E41 Jeremy Power and Samuel St-Jean – Cotney in Canada
By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter.
Translating legal language, starting careers in the pandemic and Cotney’s expansion into Canada.
In this episode of Roofing Road Trips, RoofersCoffeeShop® (RCS) partner, Heidi J. Ellsworth chatted with two friends from the north, Jeremy Power and Samuel St-Jean, the newest associate attorneys of Cotney ...
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Latest Podcasts
Roofing's Take on Tariffs
Join us for this important Coffee Conversations where experts, including Trent Cotney from Adams & Reese and Will Lorenz from General Coatings, will break down the policies, prices and pressures shaping the roofing world in light of the new administration's tariff policies. With changes happening every day, the industry is ...
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Trent Cotney - Roofing and the New Presidential Administration
In this Roofing Road Trips® episode, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese to discuss the legal changes impacting contractors and businesses as the new presidential administration takes shape. Trent shares his history in roofing and advocacy, and how he’s working to shape policies that ...
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Preparing for ICE on the Jobsite
In today’s construction industry, immigration enforcement actions can create uncertainty and fear on jobsites. Contractors and business owners must be prepared to protect their employees while staying compliant with the law. Join us for a critical Coffee Conversations, made possible by supporters like Central States Manufacturing, featuring legal and industry ...
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Latest Webinars
Roofing's Take on Tariffs
Join us for this important Coffee Conversations where experts, including Trent Cotney from Adams & Reese and Will Lorenz from General Coatings, will break down the policies, prices and pressures shaping the roofing world in light of the new administration's tariff policies. With changes happening every day, the industry is ...
Watch the Webinar
Preparing for ICE on the Jobsite
In today’s construction industry, immigration enforcement actions can create uncertainty and fear on jobsites. Contractors and business owners must be prepared to protect their employees while staying compliant with the law. Join us for a critical Coffee Conversations, made possible by supporters like Central States Manufacturing, featuring legal and industry ...
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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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 inherent ...
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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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OSHA: Know Your Rights
Trent Cotney joins Heidi J. Ellsworth for a timely and highly relevant RLW on OSHA and how contractors need to know their rights around risk mitigation and defense. With the National Safety Stand-Down starting out the month of May, this RLW will wrap up all the conversations and information ...
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Latest Classifieds
Stay ahead of the curve with insights from Trent Cotney
Every year brings new challenges and changes for the roofing industry as the landscape around us grows and shifts. In 2025, the biggest change affecting contracting operations has been the new presidential administration. In a new episode of Roofing Road Trips®, Heidi J. Ellsworth sits down with Trent Cotney of ...
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Buy Online
Roofing contractors across the country face a number of difficulties, beginning during contract negotiation and often ending with disputes or warranty claims on projects. From coast to coast, I hear common themes when talking to roofing contractors—insurance premiums are too high, there is too much state and Federal regulation, and ...
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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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Latest Videos
Episode 111 - Converge 2024, RCS is a Member of the Roofing Alliance, Sub Crews
Join us every Friday to learn the latest news in the roofing industry.
The 111th episode of The Weekly Blend is here! Join the Coffee Shops’ President Heidi J. Ellsworth and COO Karen Edwards for the latest episode of this Coffee Shop original web series.
This week, Heidi and Karen discuss the ...
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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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Episode 89 w/ special guest Trent Cotney - NRCA's fall meetings coming up, National Women in Roofing Day 2024
Karen Edwards and Trent Cotney discuss the latest roofing industry news in this week's episode of The Weekly Blend.
The 89th episode of The Weekly Blend is here! Join the Coffee Shops’ COO Karen L. Edwards and special guest Trent Cotney, partner at Adams and Reese for the latest episode of ...
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