There is good reason to celebrate at Adams Leclair LLP.  With an expanding staff, a satellite office in Albany, ongoing investments in technology, and new options for work/life balance in place, the boutique law firm is ready to take on its fourth year since merging.

“When we started Adams Leclair three years ago, no one ever anticipated a worldwide pandemic could change the way law firms operate, but Covid did and our resilience showed,” said founding partner Paul Leclair. “We made significant investment in technology for internal operations and case management, as well as electronic discovery, to serve our clients better and help our remote staff members perform their jobs. Now, with all these enhancements, we are truly poised for more advanced growth.” 

Adams Leclair LLP opened in September 2019 by combining experience from the three construction lawyers at Adams Bell Adams PC with the lead commercial litigators from Leclair Korona Cole LLP. Thanks to additional associates and joint staffs, the firm elevated customer service, expanded practice areas, and featured alternative dispute resolution for clients interested in resolution while staying out of the courtroom.

Recently, the partners named a former Simon Business School assistant dean as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer. Carin Cole’s first objective was to streamline operations and prioritize efficiency.

“My goal is to help the organization run efficiently and to provide the tools for service excellence,” said Cole. “By giving everyone the tools to do their best, we let the attorneys focus on their clients and cases—and make sure everything else supports that goal.”

In March of 2021, the firm opened a satellite office in Albany to expand service in the Capital Region and feature Erin Casey.  This commercial litigator has served both in private practice and as a clerk for the US Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. She brings years of experience litigating a wide range of cases in federal and state courts and before governmental agencies. She also represented clients on behalf of the Worker Justice Center of New York, a state-wide non-profit agency.

“We knew Erin could provide a different level of expertise with her niche background and it made sense to open a second office so she could remain there where she and her family are based,” said founding partner Tony Adams. “Now, Erin provides our clients with the advantage of having local counsel in the Capital region and, when our local attorneys have cases in Albany, we can take advantage of the technology, staffing and conference space afforded by our local office.”

Casey was recently recognized by The Best Lawyers of America© in 2023 editions, sharing this distinction with seven other attorneys from Adams Leclair.  Stacey Trien, who in 2022 was named a finalist for the ATHENA International Young Professional Award and named to the Power 20 List for Labor & Employment Lawyers, also served as President of the Greater Rochester Association of Women Attorneys until May of 2022.  Managing Partner Steven Cole was named to the Power 20 Litigation List by the Western New York Daily Record and recognized as “Lawyer of the Year 2022” by The Best Lawyers of America©.

In year four, Adams Leclair seeks to highlight the benefits of the firm’s atmosphere and culture for its team members. “We will continue to emphasize professional development of our people, while at the same time maintaining a balance between work and lifestyle that we believe is pretty unique. We work hard but focus on quality of work rather than quantities of billable hours by team members,” said Steve Cole.

The founding partners of Adams Leclair LLP include Anthony Adams, Paul Leclair, Daniel Adams, Steven Cole, Richard Bell, and Stacey Trien. Mary Jo Korona serves as Senior Counsel. Erin Casey, of Counsel, is based in Albany, N.Y. while associates Robert Yawman and Emily Uhlig work in the Rochester office. The Honorable Thomas Stander (Ret.) leads the alternative dispute resolution department providing mediation and arbitration.