Adams and Reese is pleased to announce the following nine attorneys who have been elected to Partner, effective January 1, 2014: Victoria Baudier – New Orleans; Shaun Blake – Columbia; Phil Buffington – Jackson; Ben Fox – Memphis; Stephen Lewis – Houston; Tricia Olson – Nashville; Ryan Owen – Sarasota; Collin Warren – Houston; and Laura Whitmore – Tampa.
Victoria Baudier joined Adams and Reese in 2010 in the Transactions and Corporate Advisory Services Practice Group. Her experience includes general business counseling, commercial litigation, bankruptcy transactions and litigation, asset acquisitions, franchise transactions and litigation, intellectual property litigation, commercial financial transactions, and both real estate and asset foreclosure. Baudier received her J.D. from Loyola University College of Law, summa cum laude, in 2007, and earned her B.A. in Philosophy with honors from the University of New Orleans in 2002.
Shaun Blake joined Adams and Reese in 2013 following the firm’s expansion into Columbia. Practicing law since 2006, Blake focuses his practice in the areas of business litigation, fiduciary litigation, and appeals. He also works as coordinating counsel for a national, A-rated P&C insurer in connection with a wide range of regulatory, transactional, and reinsurance matters. Blake received his J.D. from University of South Carolina School of Law, in 2006, and earned his B.S. from College of Charleston, in 2003.
Phil Buffington, a former managing member and shareholder of a Mississippi-based law firm, joined Adams and Reese in 2011 in the Transactions Practice Group. He represents financial institutions, including representation in regulatory matters, creditor bankruptcy, corporate, commercial law, mergers and acquisitions and securities law. He also has experience in insurance regulatory law, real estate and nonprofit and charitable organizations. In addition, he has experience in general commercial litigation, in particular mediation and arbitration, in state and federal courts and federal agencies. Buffington was previously Special Counsel with Adams and Reese. He received his J.D. from Mississippi College School of Law, in 1984, and he earned his B.B.A. in 1981 from the University of Mississippi.
Ben Fox joined Adams and Reese in 2008 in Memphis after practicing for almost three years with a law firm in New Orleans. Fox’s practice includes civil litigation, media law and legal ethics. His general civil litigation practice is focused on transportation and logistics related litigation, commercial and personal injury litigation, and constitutional law issues. In his legal ethics practice, he assists with the representation and advisement of attorneys, law firms, their clients and businesses who deal with lawyers about all aspects of the law. His media law practice includes representation of media outlets in a variety of matters, including claims and lawsuits for defamation or invasion of privacy. Fox received his J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law, in 2005, and he earned his B.S.M. in 1997 from Tulane University.
Stephen Lewis joined Adams and Reese in 2007. His practice includes trademark law, corporate law, and SEC reporting and compliance matters for clients located in the Gulf Coast region. He represents companies in domestic and international intellectual property protection and prosecution, with emphases on trademark counseling, clearance reports, registration, enforcement and portfolio management. His clients consist of companies within the oil and gas, engineering, chemical and entertainment industries. His representative clients include start-up ventures, private companies and public companies listed on NYSE, NASDAQ and NYSE Amex. Lewis earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from South Texas College of Law, in 2007, and he received his B.B.A. from Baylor University, in 2002.
Tricia Olson joined Adams and Reese in 2006 with the Casualty and Coverage and Health Care Litigation teams in the Litigation Practice Group. She has experience in civil and business litigation and health care law. Olson is also actively involved in the firm’s efforts to expand its representation of leading transportation and logistics providers headquartered in the Memphis market. Olson earned her J.D. from the University of Memphis, in 2005, and earned her B.S/B.A., in 2000, from the University of Tennessee.
Ryan Owen joined Adams and Reese in 2010 in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. He has been practicing law since 2006 and is experienced in creditor’s rights practice, including complex commercial loan workouts and collections for regional and national banks. His experience also includes construction, commercial, and real estate litigation, including matters involving contract disputes, real estate litigation, mortgage foreclosure landlord/tenant, creditor's rights/bankruptcy litigation and corporate partnership disputes. Owen earned his J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law, in 2006, and he received his B.A. from Washington and Lee University, in 2002.
Collin Warren joined Adams and Reese in 2011. He has more than 10 years of experience of defending clients in cases alleging OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) safety violations, as well as general civil defense litigation. His practice also includes providing clients with assistance during OSHA investigations and pre-litigation investigations arising out of catastrophic injuries, deaths, property loss claims, construction defects and equipment failures. He routinely advises and aids clients in regulatory compliance before governmental agencies, such as OSHA and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Warren was previously Special Counsel with Adams and Reese. Warren received his J.D. from South Texas College of Law, in 2001, and earned his B.S. from Texas A&M University, in 1998.
Laura Whitmore joined Adams and Reese in 2012 following the firm’s expansion into Tampa. She is a member of the firm’s Pharmaceutical/Medical Device, Appellate, and Litigation practice groups. Practicing law since 2004, Whitmore has experience in insurance coverage and insurance bad faith, banking and finance law, medical negligence, and products liability. Whitmore earned her J.D. from Maurer School of Law: Indiana University, in 2004, and she received her B.A. from Trinity University, in 2001.