Press Release
Adams & Reese Promotes HR Leader as Chief Human Resources Officer
Published: May 27, 2026
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Soileau has spent more than 25 years at Adams & Reese, building a distinguished career in human resources leadership. With more than two and a half decades of HR experience, she has developed deep expertise in employee recruitment and retention, performance management, compensation strategy, HR policy development, conflict resolution, training and development, change management, and legal compliance. In her role as Chief Human Resources Officer, she oversees more than 600 attorneys, government relations advisors, legal staff, and employees across the firm's 20 regional offices.
"Linda Soileau's promotion to Chief Human Resources Officer reflects her extraordinary dedication to Adams & Reese and the pivotal role she has played in shaping the firm's culture and guiding our people through periods of tremendous growth and challenge," said Gif Thornton, Managing Partner at Adams & Reese. "Her leadership has been instrumental in making this firm what it is today, and we are proud to recognize her contributions with this well-deserved promotion."
Linda's career in human resources began in 1990 at TDC Energy, a former oil and gas firm, where she managed day-to-day operations and quickly recognized the critical importance of employer compliance with state and federal regulations. After honing her skills at TDC Energy and later Southern Abstracts and Columbus Properties, she joined Adams & Reese in June 2001 as Human Resources Manager, during which time the firm oversaw 5 regional offices. She ascended to the position of Human Resources Director in January 2003 and has been integral to the firm's continued expansion efforts across the U.S.
Throughout her tenure, Soileau has demonstrated exceptional resilience and leadership in the face of extraordinary challenges, including relocating a 150-person New Orleans office to temporary space in Baton Rouge following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and guiding the firm's workforce through the global pandemic by collaborating with labor and employment attorneys to develop policies that kept employees healthy and safe.
Soileau is also highly recognized for her contributions to the firm's culture, most notably her collaboration with Managing Partner Gif Thornton on "The A&R Way," a set of five traits that define what makes an attorney and employee successful at Adams & Reese: integrity, team spirit, requisite intelligence, a positive attitude, and an engine. This framework serves as a compass for success, highlighting how shared values drive collaboration and shape how attorneys, advisors, and employees show up each day in pursuit of client excellence.
"I am honored and grateful to step into this role at a firm that has been my professional home for more than two decades," said Linda Soileau. "Adams & Reese's commitment to its people has always set it apart, and I look forward to continuing to build on that foundation as we grow and evolve together."
Beyond the firm, Soileau is actively involved in various professional organizations. She served as President of the New Orleans Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators from 2017 to 2018 and continues to serve on its Salary Survey and Professional Development Committees. She is also a member of the Society for Human Resources Management and holds the Senior Certified Professional designation (SHRM-SCP).
