A&R Denver Partner in Charge Named Governing Board Member of Cottonwood Institute

Colorado Nonprofit Launched by Grandson of Adams & Reese Founder

Adams & Reese Partner Gabe Pinilla has joined the Cottonwood Institute as a Governing Board Member. The nonprofit, which connects middle and high school students to nature and inspires them to protect the environment, was founded by Ford Church, the grandson of Ford Reese, who co-founded Adams & Reese with St. Clair Adams Jr. in 1951.

The Cottonwood Institute, based in Denver, partners with schools and community organizations to bring transformative programs into the classroom and beyond by delivering a blend of outreach programs in environmental education, outdoor adventure, leadership development, and service learning. During the 2024-25 programming year, CI served more than 450 participants throughout Aurora, Denver, and Boulder County.

“It’s an honor to be working with Ford Church and his team and to have the opportunity to be of service in support of Cottonwood Institute’s cause of growing outdoors education for young people,” said Pinilla, who serves as Partner in Charge of the Adams & Reese Denver office and as a member of the firm’s Construction Practice Group.

At Adams & Reese, Pinilla focuses his practice on construction law and commercial litigation, representing clients across a broad range of business sectors and disciplines, including litigation and compliance efforts around the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). He also handles business tort matters, including fiduciary breaches by former officers or employees, and related claims, unfair competition, and restrictive covenant enforcement matters, and a variety of strategic planning matters.

Pinilla is admitted to practice in Florida, Colorado, Texas, and Maryland, and he represents clients before federal district courts in several states and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.