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In honor of Veterans Day this month, we are excited to bring you a special “Vets to Ventures” article as we interview our Adams and Reese employees who have served our country.

Adams and Reese has 18 employees who have served and are serving in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Merchant Marines, and National Guard:

Our employees’ service and sacrifice are an inspiration to us all, and we are honored to have them as a part of our team. For this Veterans Day, we asked them the following questions:

  • What Does Veterans Day Mean to You, and How Do You Celebrate It?
  • What Inspired You to Serve Our Country?
  • How Did Your Experience in the Military Shape Your Corporate Career?

“Veterans Day is a day of reflection. I look back on my time in service, the lessons learned, the friendships I have formed with other vets and those still serving, and what it means to have honorably served this great nation,” said Lance Felicien, a financial services attorney in our Houston office who served for 10 years in the U.S. Army. Felicien earned the Bronze Star Medal for his service during the war in Afghanistan.

It’s stories and reflections like Lance’s that we are excited to share this month in a special “Vets to Ventures” tribute to Adams and Reese employees.

What Does Veterans Day Mean to You, and How Do You Celebrate It?

“Veterans Day is a day to look back and be thankful for the opportunity I had to serve in the U.S. Navy,” said Sean Buckley, corporate services attorney in our Houston office. “It is time to thank my brother (currently in the U.S. Navy) and many of my friends for their service. I also enjoy teaching my kids what it means to be a veteran and the concept of service to this great nation.”

From speaking at a local school, to attending Veterans Day parades, to sharing old war stories, or to just simply spending time with family, here are some ways our employees celebrate Veterans Day.

“My wife and kids typically make me breakfast (which is usually my job) on the weekend before Veterans Day,” said Ken Curtin, Litigation and Construction Partner in our Tampa office and who served in the United States Marines Corps. “Veterans Day is a day of thanks for those who served, and I make it a special point to thank those veterans I see when doing errands for their service or to give a “semper fi” to my fellow marines I see on that day when out and about.”

For Environmental Team Leader Rob Fowler, Counsel in Birmingham, Veterans Day holds a profound significance for him, as it not only honors his service in the Air Force, but also the sacrifices of his family members, including his father, two grandfathers, and two uncles.

“I typically commemorate this day by attending one of the largest and the longest-running Veterans Day parades in the country in Birmingham, Alabama, where I reflect on the sacrifices of so many,” said Fowler. “It’s a meaningful way to connect with my military heritage and show appreciation for those who have served.”

Paralegal Alisyn Bukowski, who served in the U.S. Army, typically spends Veterans Day at her children’s school. “I have invited veteran friends, and we will engage in the assembly at the school as speakers and guests,” said Bukowski. “We talk about things that we did in the miliary for jobs, and how we have a calling to the military.”

Felicien and his wife (also a veteran) commemorate Veterans Day by inundating their children with “old war stories” about their Army adventures.

Adams and Reese Financial Services Counsel Richard Carmody attends a special breakfast in which veterans are honored. “We bring photos and tell actual war stories. During Veterans Week, we also put a green light in the window in memory of our veterans.”  

Carmody served eight years in the Army Field Artillery, including two Vietnam tours. He has enjoyed a more than 45-year career in commercial restructuring/bankruptcy law. Carmody works with the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Task Force on Veterans and Servicemembers Affairs to clarify and improve the treatment of military personnel under the Bankruptcy Code.

“Veterans Day is a day of recollection about my eight years of military service and all of the soldiers with whom I served and all of the events that we experienced together,” said Carmody. “It is also a day of gratitude for the mentoring that I received that helped me become a better person and more understanding leader.”

What Inspired You to Serve Our Country?

“Not a green thing in Greenland,” joked Raymond Baker’s grandfather when he would tell stories from his service in the Army during World War II. Our Desktop Support Specialist in Nashville, Baker followed in his grandfather’s footsteps by also serving in the Army National Guard.

“He passed away during my sophomore year of college, and I’ve wanted to make him proud by following in his footsteps ever since,” said Baker.

Buckley also grew up listening to stories from both of his grandfathers who served in World War II, and those stories instilled in him a sense of patriotism and a desire to serve the country. “Then as a junior in high school, a time when many are trying to figure out their next steps in life, the attacks of 9/11 occurred, which pushed me (and many in my generation) to want to do our part to stand up for the United States of America in its time of need,” said Buckley.

A deep sense of duty and respect for his family’s military legacy also influenced Fowler’s service. “Growing up with a father who served during the Vietnam War and grandfathers who fought in both World Wars instilled in me a profound appreciation for the sacrifices made by those in uniform,” said Fowler. “Knowing their stories and commitment to our country motivated me to follow in their footsteps.”

For Curtin and Felicien, their inspiration to serve the United States drew from their families’ history. “As an immigrant to America, I felt a duty to serve this nation that had welcomed me and my family with open arms,” said Felicien. “It provided us with a plethora of opportunities and a chance for a better life.”

Curtin added: “My grandfather and grandmother were immigrants to this country whose families fought against the United States in World War II, and they always commented that they could never repay this country for giving them a home after the war,” said Curtin. “My uncles both volunteered to serve during the Vietnam War and when it came my time, I heard the call and decided to forgo college for a time and join the Marine Corps.”

How Did Your Experience in the Military Shape Your Corporate Career?

“The military helped shape my career by influencing how important it is to be on time, look great, be prepared each day, work hard, and finish goals,” said Bukowski.

In our “Vets to Ventures” series, we have discussed how skills learned in the military translate to the business world. We asked our employees to reflect on how their service experience has shaped their corporate careers and set them up for their success.  

“The Marine Corps taught me discipline and confidence,” said Curtin. “They took a scrawny, bullied kid with little confidence right out of high school and instilled in me the will and motivation to do whatever I set my mind to. In the end, I learned that there may always be someone better than me at something, but as long as I gave it my all, I will succeed.”    

“Hooah!” says Felicien who echoes confidence, discipline, and resilience have carried over from his service to his career as an attorney. “Those attributes, as well as the leadership skills I learned during my time in service have had a tremendously positive impact in my corporate career.”

Carmody said, in many ways, a healthy law firm culture can replicate the esprit de corps found in high functioning military units.

“There is a focus on the mission of providing first class service to our clients through reliance on your comrades who contribute their special talents to the mission,” said Carmody. “I especially enjoy assembling and managing a team of lawyers because it reminds me of many of my military experiences. The atmosphere is collaborative and not competitive.”

Fowler added that the leadership skills and discipline he developed while serving in the Air Force have been invaluable in navigating the complexities of the legal field.

“Additionally, the teamwork and strategic thinking I honed during my time in the military translate directly to collaborating with colleagues and clients in a corporate environment,” said Fowler. “Moreover, my family’s legacy of service instilled a strong sense of ethics and commitment to justice, which guides my practice and interactions with clients.”

Please join us again in thanking our Adams and Reese employees for their service. We wish all military members a Happy Veterans Day!

Adams and Reese Vets to Ventures Series

For Our Veterans, by Our Veterans - Adams and Reese is proud to feature a monthly series of informative articles addressing hot topics of legal interest for service members
transitioning back to the private sector.

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