Press Release
Adams & Reese Construction Practice Group Welcomes New Counsel to its Nashville Team
Published: Apr 14, 2026
With more than two decades of trial and courtroom experience, O’Dell has built a reputation for combining deep industry knowledge with strategic, business-minded guidance that drives practical results. His practice focuses on construction litigation, large-loss property damage claims, insurance coverage disputes, and general liability defense. Clients turn to O’Dell for his extensive experience and wide-ranging perspective, which allows him to anticipate risk, manage exposure, and provide efficient client-focused representation.
“At Adams & Reese, we hire top-level talent whose skills and knowledge strengthen our ability to deliver outstanding results for the diverse range of clients and companies we represent,” said Gif Thornton, Managing Partner at Adams & Reese. "Darrick’s seasoned experience in construction law and in high-stakes litigation makes him a tremendous asset to our Construction Practice Group. We are pleased to welcome him to the team, where he will provide trusted legal guidance to our clients in Nashville, across Tennessee, and beyond.”
Prior to joining Adams & Reese, O'Dell served as primary counsel on numerous multi-million-dollar cases, representing insurance carriers, self-insured businesses, and contractors in high-exposure litigation matters in both jury trials and binding arbitrations. His comprehensive construction law experience spans complex defect claims, large-loss property damage, coverage analysis, and contractor liability. O’Dell also served as outside general counsel for a national roofing and remodeling contractor, overseeing contract negotiation and drafting, employment compliance, and litigation management across multiple jurisdictions nationwide.
Among his notable career achievements, O'Dell obtained the dismissal of a two-million-dollar lawsuit against a general contractor through summary judgment by invoking the workers' compensation exclusive remedy defense. He also secured complete defense judgments in two consecutive jury trials, occurring within two weeks of each other, regarding a products liability case and a commercial vehicle collision matter. Additionally, he obtained the dismissal of a five-million-dollar defamation case and, in doing so, secured a significant judgment for attorney fees under the Tennessee Public Participation Act.
"Adams & Reese shares my commitment to delivering both practical and strategic counsel to clients, and I am truly excited to join this great Nashville team," said Darrick O'Dell. "The firm's depth of resources and collaborative culture will allow me to continue providing the hands-on, client-focused representation that has been the hallmark of my practice.”
O'Dell has lived in Nashville since 1993 and is a member of the Nashville Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the DRI Association of Lawyers Defending Businesses. He received his J.D. from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and earned his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. He is admitted to practice in the Tennessee State Courts and before the United States District Courts throughout Tennessee.
