Adams & Reese Advances Six to Partnership

Adams & Reese has elected six new partners, effective Jan. 1, 2026. They include Erica Sensenbrenner Bergeron, Coleman J. Braun, Danielle Douglas, Christopher W. Earle, Lauren Baio Pultro, and W. Taylor Stanley.

Erica Sensenbrenner Bergeron, member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group in New Orleans, advises and represents clients in complex litigation and board governance matters. She counsels local boards on compliance at every level. Her litigation experience, which includes briefing and arguing motions in state, federal, and appellate courts, covers commercial disputes, transportation, medical malpractice, maritime matters, and labor and employment. Deeply engaged in her community, Bergeron is President and former Secretary and General Counsel of the Young Leadership Council, and she served on the NextGen Council of Greater New Orleans, Inc. She has been recognized for Leadership in Law by New Orleans CityBusiness, and as a Louisiana Super Lawyers® “Rising Star” in Civil Litigation, Schools & Education, and Government Relations.

Cole Braun, financial services attorney in the firm’s Nashville office, is licensed to practice in Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, and admitted to numerous federal district courts and the United States Courts of Appeals for the Seventh and Eleventh Circuits. He represents business clients in commercial litigation, consumer credit litigation, financial services matters, and insurance recovery and advisory services. Braun is active in both the American Bar Association and the Mortgage Bankers Association, as he believes professional engagement informs his ability to keep his commercial clients abreast of financial services issues impacting their businesses. With the same objective, Braun has published finance-related articles in the Conference on Consumer Finance Law Quarterly Report and various Adams & Reese client alerts.

In addition to advancing to partnership, Cole has been appointed as the Adams & Reese Mortgage Servicing Team Leader by Managing Partner Gif Thornton.

Danielle Douglas, representing clients of all sizes in financial services matters from the firm’s Birmingham office, assists clients with general commercial litigation, commercial restructuring and bankruptcy, lender liability, business torts, contract disputes, fraud, insurance disputes, and issues arising from the intersection of business and government. She is admitted to practice in both Alabama and Georgia and numerous U.S. District Courts in Alabama. Before joining Adams & Reese, Douglas was an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where she served as Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General and Acting Public & Intergovernmental Liaison concurrently. She is a graduate of the prestigious Project Corporate Leadership, Class of 2024, Birmingham’s professional development program for emerging leaders from across private and public sectors, including legal.

Christopher Earle, litigator in the firm’s Jacksonville office, assists a varied client base in complex litigation. He regularly counsels and represents manufacturers, liability insurers, insurance brokers, retailers, charities, construction companies, and banks. A former public defender in Tallahassee, Earle found a natural home in the courtroom defending clients against serious criminal charges. In private practice, he has litigated before all 20 Florida circuit courts and U.S. district courts, obtaining numerous favorable judgments and verdicts. Best Lawyers® selected Earle for “Ones to Watch” – Commercial Litigation and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants.

Lauren Baio Pultro, financial services attorney in Washington, D.C., focuses mainly on commercial bankruptcy, restructuring, and litigation. Licensed to practice in multiple states and U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts, Pultro is highly experienced in debt workout, consumer protection, and litigation matters on behalf of financial institutions, businesses, and governmental entities. She is dedicated to advancing the practice of law and serving the legal profession and community through numerous professional affiliations, including The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division Board of Governors; the D.C. Network Secretary for IWIRC; and by mentoring Stetson students, judging Duberstein teams, and providing pro bono services through Three Rivers Legal Services. An author on bankruptcy-related issues, Pultro has been published in the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI) Bankruptcy Litigation Committee newsletter, and contributed insights for Adams & Reese.

Taylor Stanley, litigator in the firm’s Columbia office, brings deep experience to Adams & Reese corporate clients in business disputes and commercial litigation across a wide array of industries and issues, including construction, real estate, title defects, mergers and acquisitions, trade secret misappropriation, and professional negligence. Stanley’s experience also includes corporate governance, shareholder disputes, and creditor-debtor rights. He is admitted to practice in both South Carolina and North Carolina, along with numerous U.S. District Courts, the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the U.S. Supreme Court. Stanley has been recognized by clients and peers as one of the top litigators in South Carolina and North Carolina by his selection for Best Lawyers® “Ones to Watch,” both South Carolina and North Carolina Super Lawyers® “Rising Stars,” and Columbia Business Monthly's "Legal Elite of the Midlands." Helping to keep clients informed of current issues, Stanley has authored and co-authored multiple litigation-related articles for publication by Adams & Reese.