Adams and Reese is proud to announce the firm’s Managing Partner, Gif Thornton, has appointed the following attorneys Practice Group Leaders within the firm, effective January 1, 2019:
• William P. McElveen Jr., Columbia, Transactions
• Jeffery S. DeArman, Birmingham, Transactions
• Christopher Derden, Houston, Litigation
• James T. Rogers III, New Orleans/Houston, Litigation
Additionally, the firm has announced Lee C. Reid, a Partner in the firm’s New Orleans office, and Timothy W. Volpe, a Partner in the firm’s Jacksonville office, have been named to Adams and Reese’s Executive Committee, effective January 1, 2019.
The firm’s Executive Committee is the management body of the firm and consists of six Partners, each elected by their fellow Partners to serve a three-year term.
Bios for newly named leaders in the firm follow. Photos are available for download on the firm’s website.
McElveen has a diverse real estate development and banking and finance practice, serving clients throughout the Southeast. With more than 30 years of experience, McElveen advises private equity firms, REITs and local real estate developers on a variety of projects including office, hotel and retail development, industrial projects, historic rehabilitation projects, brownfield developments, healthcare facilities, student housing projects, educational facilities, and condominium projects. He also counsels clients on commercial lending matters. He received his J.D. from the University of South Carolina School of Law in 1984 and his B.S. from the University of South Carolina in 1980. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
DeArman represents regional and national owners, users, investors and other clients in all aspects of commercial real estate, including the disposition, acquisition, financing, leasing, construction, development and operation of commercial properties. He has a particular focus on representing financial institutions and other owners and users whose primary business is not commercial real estate, but who own, lease and/or otherwise operate a large amount of commercial real estate over all or portions of the United States. He represents clients in a variety of industries including financial services, industrial, retail, multi-family and hospitality. DeArman received his J.D., cum laude, from the Cumberland School of Law, Samford University, in 1999, and his B.A., cum laude, from Williams Jennings Bryan College in 1996. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
Derden has a national litigation practice focusing particularly on the defense of mass tort, environmental, toxic tort and product liability matters. He also defends clients in commercial and class actions involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death, including related insurance issues. Derden serves as national coordinating counsel to various oil, gas and petrochemical companies, and he directs clients’ nationwide dockets of mass-tort litigation matters. In the course of handling these dockets across multiple jurisdictions, Derden has coordinated numerous administrative resolutions and settlements for large claimant inventories. He graduated from the South Texas College of Law in 1994 and Baylor University in 1990. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
Rogers’ practice encompasses transactions and litigation arising out of the exploration, development, production, transportation and regulation of oil and gas operations worldwide. He litigates matters ranging from personal injury and property damage claims to collisions, limitation of liability, reservoir and pipeline damage claims, contract disputes and marine and energy insurance coverage issues. Rogers is a 1992 graduate of Tulane University Law school and received his B.S.M. from Tulane University in 1989. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
Reid, who practices in the firm’s New Orleans office, served as a leader of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group prior to being named to the firm’s Executive Committee. A lawyer practicing in the field of Louisiana charter school law during its early stages of development, he continues to play a pivotal role in the charter school movement. He counsels clients in education, economic development and government relations matters. Reid guides institutions through a complicated regulatory environment and advises clients in a spectrum of matters, including the formation of charter organizations, the application process, operational issues and drafting policy and legislation at both the local and state level. Reid has been recognized with such awards as New Orleans CityBusiness’ Leadership in Law, Louisiana Appleseed’s Good Apple Award, the Silver Snoopy (NASA’s Personal Achievement Award) and New Orleans CityBusiness’ Power Generation. He is an active member of numerous professional, civic and charitable organizations in New Orleans and throughout the country. Reid is a 1999 graduate of the Loyola University New Orleans College of Law and a 1996 graduate of Loyola University New Orleans. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
Volpe, based in the firm’s Jacksonville office, advises clients in commercial litigation, insurance litigation, and insurance industry matters, including the formation, reorganization, purchase and sale of insurance companies and agencies. Florida Trend magazine has named Volpe as one of Florida’s “Legal Elite” each year since 2007 and he has been recognized by Florida Super Lawyers in business litigation and insurance coverage law each year since 2007. His other recognitions include American Lawyer Media 2015; Best Lawyers® – Arbitration, Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation – Insurance; Best Lawyers® Lawyer of the Year – Insurance, 2016; Jacksonville Magazine Lawyer of the Year 2017; and Jacksonville Business Journal Ultimate Lawyer Award – Business Litigation 2017. Volpe is a member of the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and Chair, Federal Policy Advocacy Committee, 2017 and 2018. He received his J.D., with honors, from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 1982, his M.A. in Political Science in Public Administration, with high honors, in 1982 and his B.A. in Interdisciplinary Studies, certificate in Eastern European Area Studies, with high honors, from the University of Florida in 1979. Full bio and photo available on firm’s website.
ABOUT ADAMS AND REESE LLP
Adams and Reese (http://www.adamsandreese.com) is a multidisciplinary law firm with nearly 300 attorneys and advisors strategically located throughout the southern United States and Washington, D.C. The American Lawyer includes Adams and Reese on its distinguished list of the nation’s top law firms, the Am Law 200. The National Law Journal also includes the firm among the top 200 on the NLJ 500 list of the nation’s largest law firms.