Trent Cotney: Lawyer, educator, advocate and leader

By Emma Peterson. 

How Trent Cotney supports the roofing industry from the courtroom and beyond.  

Just last year, Trent Cotney was recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2025 edition for his construction law and litigation work. This recognition places Trent in the top 5% of lawyers in the U.S., but Trent is far more than “just” a lawyer. He is a writer, educator, expert and invaluable leader in the roofing industry! To learn more about the work Trent does, we interviewed him at the 2026 International Roofing Expo (IRE). 

We started by focusing on his role as an educator as we caught him up with just after his IRE education session. He shared a bit about it, saying, “I spoke on immigration today along with Ben Briggs, another one of the lawyers at Adams and Reese. It was a good session, well attended and we got to answer a ton of questions about ice raids, I9 audits and all that kind of stuff.”  

In addition to his role as an educator, Trent shares his extensive expertise with the industry as general counsel for a variety of trade associations, including but not limited to the National Roofing Contractors Association, Western States Roofing Association and Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Association. He elaborated on what he does as a general counsel to these organizations, explaining, “In that role, not only do I make sure the association stays on the straight and narrow, but I also to provide them and their members with targeted, real world legal advice on regulatory issues.” 

But wait, there’s more! Trent is also a prolific writer, sharing insights and advice in multiple Amazon best-selling books and across industry publications (including on RoofersCoffeeShop®!). His schedule might seem busy (because it is), but Trent wouldn’t have it any other way. He explained, “I really want to take the knowledge that I've learned over the years and apply it for the good of the industry.”  

Watch the whole interview to hear more about Trent and his work to support the industry.