Adams and Reese Announces Appointment of Four New Practice Group Leaders

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

McElveen has a diverse real estate development and banking and finance practice, serving clients throughout the Southeast. With more than 30 years 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.

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.

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.

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.