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Adams and Reese LLP
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 & Reese to Present at FRSA
Join Adams & Reese at FRSA for a strong lineup of education and industry engagement, where their team will be actively leading conversations on the issues shaping roofing today. From regulatory challenges and labor concerns to emerging risks and technology, they are bringing practical insight contractors can use right now. Make sure to catch them sponsoring the welcome reception at the end of day one!
Adams & Reese led seminars:
- Building an OSHA Inspection SOP / Trent Cotney - 1.0 Hour
- OSHA Heat Illness Prevention / Kyle Rea - 1.0 Hour
- Roofing Legal, Labor and Policy Trends / Trent Cotney - 1.0 Hour
- Artificial Intelligence in Roofing / Trent Cotney - 1.0 Hour
- ICE Raids and I-9 Audit Defense / Trent Cotney and Ben Briggs - 1.0 Hour
The Profit Protection Playbook for Contractors
In this Read Listen Watch®, Megan Ellsworth is joined by Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese to break down how roofing companies should view their legal department not as overhead but as a driver of profitability.
They explore how risk mitigation protects the gap between gross revenue and true take-home profit, along with the core documents every company and jobsite manager should have ready, from contracts to safety and employee manuals.
The session outlines best practices for contract formation, key clauses for pricing and timelines, smart warranty exclusions and strategies to limit subcontractor liability. It also delivers practical guidance on OSHA inspections, including preparation, site manager rights and steps to protect crews while maintaining compliance. Join us for this insightful RLW to learn practical, profit‑driving legal strategies every contractor should be using to protect their business.
IRE 2026!
Contracts, Safety and Compliance: What Contractors Face Today
In this From the Ground Up™ episode, Karol Weyman sits down with Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese to dive into some of the biggest issues shaping today’s contracting businesses. From navigating vegetation and plant management contracts to staying compliant with OSHA heat illness regulations, the conversation covers real challenges contractors face on the ground. We explore the role of PPE in keeping crews safe, the risks and benefits of 1099 versus W2 hiring, and the must-have provisions in customer contracts. Listeners will walk away with practical strategies to strengthen compliance, protect their teams and build more resilient businesses.
Law & Mortar Podcast
The Law & Mortar podcast covers all things legal related to the roofing and construction industries.
Check out these podcasts with Trent Cotney and John Kenney!
Each episode features a discussion on issues relevant to the construction industry.
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 Podcasts
Benjamin Briggs - Employment Law 101
In this episode of Roofing Road Trips®, host Karen Edwards is joined by Benjamin Briggs of Adams and Reese to break down the complexities of employment law in roofing. They explore why worker classification is under increased scrutiny, how contractors can structure crews to stay compliant and where overtime and ...
Listen to the Podcast
Contracts, Safety and Compliance: What Contractors Face Today
In this From the Ground Up™ episode, Karol Weyman sits down with Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese to dive into some of the biggest issues shaping today’s contracting businesses. From navigating vegetation and plant management contracts to staying compliant with OSHA heat illness regulations, the conversation covers real challenges ...
Listen to the Podcast
Law & Mortar Podcast With Trent Cotney and John Kenney
The Law & Mortar podcast covers all things legal related to the roofing and construction industries.
Check out these podcasts with Trent Cotney and John Kenney! Each episode features a discussion on issues relevant to the construction industry. Listen today!
Listen to the Podcast
Latest Classifieds
Contracts, Safety and Compliance: What Contractors Face Today
Tune into the latest episode of From the Ground Up™, where Karol Weyman sits down with Trent Cotney of Adams and Reese to dive into some of the biggest issues shaping today’s contracting businesses. From navigating vegetation and plant management contracts to staying compliant with OSHA heat illness regulations, the ...
View the Classified
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