Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. (Ogletree Deakins), one of the nation’s largest labor and employment law firms, is pleased to welcome Paul Lancaster Adams as a shareholder to the firm’s Philadelphia office. Adams has nearly two decades of experience in litigation, counseling, corporate investigations, whistleblower matters, class action litigation, issues arising under the Fair Labor Standards Act, risk assessment, governmental affairs, corporate investigations, and “bet-the-farm” legal strategic work. Ogletree Deakins’ Philadelphia office has experienced significant and recent growth with the additions of Richard Harris and Zachary Glaser as shareholders.
Adams joins Ogletree Deakins from Microsoft Corp. where he served as Senior Director, U.S. Government Affairs, based in Washington, D.C., and was responsible for the setting, execution and management of the legal department’s affairs, strategies and operations. Specifically in his role, Adams managed issues and crises at the intersection of law and investigations, media and public policy. He also advised on labor and employment and government ethics laws as well as regulatory and legislative changes. As the company’s chief employment litigator and advisor, Adams investigated, managed and directed both the strategic and tactical handling of industry-driven U.S. and international class actions and provided daily counsel on personnel issues to executives and managers. He also led the company’s 25-member Diversity Outreach Committee.
Earlier in his career, Adams was a partner at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoades, based in Philadelphia, where he practiced in the Labor and Employment and Commercial Litigation practice groups.
“We continue to build our Philadelphia office and having Paul join the firm is a tremendous opportunity to add a seasoned litigator with demonstrated leadership skills, and an attractive number of high-level in-house legal accomplishments,” said Christopher Moran, the managing shareholder of Ogletree Deakins’ Philadelphia office.
Throughout his career, Adams has been lauded by his peers and colleagues for his legal work. He is the recipient of the 2009 National Bar Association’s Clyde E. Bailey Award for Corporate Leadership and has been named a 40 Under 40 by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Adams is active in several legal associations including the Minority Corporate Counsel Association and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association. Adams is an Adjunct Professor at Temple University and at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has also served as a National Legal Course Instructor at The Center For Legal Studies in Boulder, Colorado. Adams earned his J.D. from the Wake Forest School of Law where he was a James A. Martin Merit Scholarship recipient. Earlier, Adams received his undergraduate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, with Honors.
