Firm Reports Strong Financial Performance and Welcomes Rob Adam as COO to Drive Client Success and Continued Growth
One year following the successful vote to approve the merger between Troutman Pepper and Locke Lord, Troutman Pepper Locke is proud to announce significant achievements in integration, client service, and strategic growth. The firm, which finalized its merger on Jan. 1, 2025, has demonstrated remarkable progress and is poised for a strong financial performance throughout the remainder of the year.
In an interview with The American Lawyer, Troutman Pepper Locke’s Tom Cole, chair, and David Taylor, vice chair, shared insights into the firm’s successful integration, positive outcomes, and what’s ahead for the firm. “We are, knock on wood, having a really strong year,” Cole said. “2025 will be a year-over-year improvement consistent with where the market is trending.”
The merger has facilitated seamless collaboration across the firm, with 86 percent of the top 100 clients now being served by attorneys from both legacy firms, spanning 11 different practice groups. “Only eight plus months into the merger, [those statistics] are really affirming to us,” Cole noted. “It signals that people are treating this as [one] firm, rather than combined pieces of what used to be two different firms.”
The firm has also made strides in talent attraction and retention, onboarding 19 lateral partner hires and receiving numerous inquiries from top candidates. “At 1,600 attorneys, we’re not trying to be everything to everybody,” Cole stated. “It’s validation for us that the lateral market out there is viewing us as maybe a more favorable destination than even a year ago for either firm.”
Taylor highlighted the combined firm’s advancements in technology, particularly through its proprietary AI platform, Athena, as a key driver of success. “One of the really positive things from Locke Lord’s side is the firm’s AI. … We were hitting infield singles in AI, and now Troutman Pepper Locke is hitting triples on the ball,” Taylor remarked. Athena was instrumental in streamlining the merger process and continues to enhance client service by providing efficient legal research, document analysis, and strategic insights. With 62 percent of the firm utilizing Athena, the platform has significantly improved workflow efficiency and decision-making, positioning Troutman Pepper Locke at the forefront of legal innovation.
As the firm continues to grow, it remains committed to fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration. “Now at our size we can be a little more experimental and make sure we’re trying to stay up with our peers,” Cole emphasized. “We’re not looking at just efficiency but also effectiveness.”
Building on this foundation of innovation and strategic growth, Troutman Pepper Locke is marking this one-year milestone by enhancing its operational capabilities. The appointment of Rob Adam as the firm’s first chief operating officer is “the next step of Troutman Pepper Locke’s growing sophistication,” according to the publication. Adam’s extensive experience in financial management and strategic planning aligns with the firm’s commitment to future growth and success. “We’re excited to get Rob Adam on board,” Cole remarked. “His leadership will be instrumental in executing our strategic plan and ensuring we continue to deliver exceptional value to our clients.”
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
RICHMOND and VIRGINIA BEACH – Troutman Pepper Locke’s Richmond and Virginia Beach office managing partners, Brooks Smith and Robert Beaman, respectively, have once again been named to the Virginia 500: Power List. The annual list, published by Virginia Business, recognizes the state’s “most powerful and impactful leaders in business, government, politics, and education.”
Smith manages Troutman Pepper Locke’s Richmond office and is a member of the firm’s Environmental and Natural Resources Practice Group. His practice focuses on environmental litigation, enforcement defense, project development, and compliance counseling.
Beaman manages Troutman Pepper Locke’s Virginia Beach office and is a member of the firm’s Real Estate Practice Group. His practice focuses on commercial real estate development, commercial leasing, real estate transactions, and real estate litigation.
Now in its sixth year, the Virginia 500 showcases the commonwealth’s leading business executives across 20 key sectors, such as law, banking, government contracting, health care, and real estate. The prestigious list highlights Virginia’s most influential figures in various industries and offers a personal glimpse into the state’s most powerful leaders.
Troutman Pepper Locke Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
ATLANTA – Troutman Pepper Locke’s Brett Mason, Frederick King, and Noah Mason have been awarded the G. Duffield Smith Outstanding Publication Award by DRI as members and co-authors of a white paper “Artificial Intelligence in Legal Practice: Benefits, Considerations, and Best Practices,” issued by DRI’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force. The honorees will be recognized at the 2025 DRI annual meeting on Friday, Oct. 17.
The award recognizes attorneys for their professional contributions to the defense bar and the civil justice system, or their involvement in community and public service activities that have a positive impact on society at large.
Brett Mason, a partner in the firm’s Health Care and Life Sciences Litigation Practice Group, is a trial attorney and litigator who defends clients facing complex tort litigation. Her approach bridges the gap between the law and science, helping to protect companies at all stages of litigation.
King, an associate in the firm’s Health Care and Life Sciences Litigation Practice Group, focuses on defending clients in complex product liability actions across the U.S. In addition to his pharmaceutical and medical device practice, he is committed to pro bono work and actively represents clients in complex civil rights litigation.
Noah Mason, Business Litigation associate, defends Fortune 500 companies and privately owned enterprises in both state and federal courts. His extensive experience covers a wide spectrum of issues, including consumer protection, data security, trade secrets, and information technology.
DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of businesses and individuals in civil litigation.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
ATLANTA – Troutman Pepper Locke partners Mary Weeks and Tim Mast have been recognized by BTI Consulting Group as 2025 Client Service All-Stars. Honorees were selected based on interviews with more than 350 top legal decision makers at companies with more than $700 million in revenue. Client Service All-Stars are described by clients as savvy, fully invested, practical, always finding a way to get things done no matter the obstacles, possessing a deep working understanding of a client’s business and culture, and knowing clients better than they know themselves.
Weeks is leader of the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice Group, where she manages a core team of securities litigators who have refined an efficient, time-tested process for handling all aspects of clients’ matters. She and her team have handled the full range of complex securities litigation, shareholder derivative litigation, dissenters’ rights actions and appraisal proceedings, as well as stockholder disputes before the Delaware Court of Chancery. Clients benefit from Weeks’ leadership and hands-on management of every matter, drawing from deep experience defending market leaders in sectors such as automotive, manufacturing, health care, life sciences, and early-stage biopharmaceuticals. She also leads and manages board of directors special committee and internal investigations, as well as regulatory investigations, including with the SEC, DOJ, and other government agencies.
Mast, a partner in the firm’s Business Litigation Practice Group, has more than 30 years of experience litigating complex business disputes in state and federal courts across the U.S. He regularly represents companies and their officers and directors in litigation arising out of public disclosures, securities offerings, financing transactions and mergers and acquisitions, including securities class actions, shareholder derivative litigation, ERISA class actions, and post-closing disputes related to working capital adjustments, earn-outs, and breaches of representations and warranties. Mast also has substantial experience planning and performing internal investigations into alleged corporate misconduct, including investigations into complex financial and accounting fraud, and he regularly advises boards of directors, as well as special committees and individual directors and officers, in corporate governance issues, risk management, and other related matters.
In 2022, the firm launched its standard-setting client value program, Troutman Plus. The program combines the services of attorneys and skilled professionals across the firm to provide clients with tailored solutions in areas like innovation, pricing, legal project management, pro bono, and more. Clients of all sizes and across industries have benefited from the program.
Troutman Pepper Locke Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
BOSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke’s premier, nationally recognized Public Finance Practice Group has again ranked among the leading public finance practices in the nation, ranking No. 8 on The Bond Buyer’s list of top bond counsel in the nation for competitive issues during the first half of 2025, with 60 issues totaling approximately $1.5 billion. The firm also secured several impressive regional top bond counsel rankings, including ranking No. 1 in Massachusetts, No. 2 in the Northeast Region, and No. 4 in Rhode Island.
Just a few of Troutman Pepper Locke’s recent notable public finance matters include representing the:
- Commonwealth of Massachusetts in connection with its issuance of $700 million general obligation bonds, consolidated loan, 2025 Series A, and $395.35 million general obligation refunding bonds, 2025 Series A.
- City of Boston, Massachusetts, in its public offering of $464 million general obligation bonds, 2025 Series A.
- Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency in connection with the issuance of $199.73 million single-family housing revenue bonds, Series 241-244.
- City of Cambridge’s annual capital improvement program financing valued at $165.86 million.
- State of New Hampshire as bond counsel in the competitive sale of its $60 million general obligation capital improvement bonds, 2025 Series A, and $51.14 million general obligation refunding bonds, 2025 Series B.
- Massachusetts Development Finance Agency in connection with its issuance of $300 million revenue bonds, Boston University Issue, 2025 Series A, $284.29 million refunding revenue bonds, Boston University Issue, 2025 Series B-1, and $184.8 million refunding revenue bonds, Boston University Issue, 2025 Series B-2.
- Desoto Independent School District in connection with the issuance of its $193.72 million unlimited tax school building bonds, Series 2025, and $20 million maintenance tax notes, Series 2025.
- Housing Authority of the City of Beaumont, Texas, in connection with its issuance of $42.5 million residential development senior lien revenue bonds, Series 2025 (Cypress Bend and Cypress Bend Village).
- Housing Finance Authority of Miami-Dade County, Florida, for a $25 million multifamily affordable housing transaction.
- Narragansett Bay Commission, consisting of $25 million wastewater system revenue bonds, 2025 Series A (taxable with tax-exempt covenants), and $75 million wastewater system revenue bonds, 2025 Series B (taxable with tax-exempt covenants).
- Rhode Island Health and Educational Building Corporation in facilitating revenue bond financing for various educational institutions in 2025, including: Public Schools, Series 2025 B, for the Town of East Greenwich, valued at $76.15 million; Public Schools Series 2025 for the Town of Lincoln, valued at $25 million; and Higher Education Facility Series 2025 for Salve Regina University, valued at $36 million.
- City of Providence, Rhode Island, water system revenue bonds, 2025 Series A (taxable), in a deal valued at $26.3 million.
Troutman Pepper Locke’s Public Finance Practice Group has one of the largest bond counsel practices in the country. For more than 135 years, the firm has been involved in the law of public borrowing and the federal tax and securities aspects of public debt obligations. The firm’s public finance lawyers have extensive experience nationwide serving as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriters’ counsel, issuer’s counsel, borrower’s counsel, bank counsel, special tax counsel, and trustee’s counsel for governmental and quasi-governmental issuers, special purpose entities, tax-exempt organizations, and other entities and financial institutions.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
BERWYN – Troutman Pepper Locke advised the buyer of Dumond, Inc., a long-standing leader in environmentally responsible paint removal and surface preparation solutions. For more information, see the press release.
The company’s current management team, alongside a group of experienced investors from Revel Street Partners, LLC, led the acquisition of the company from its founder. The transaction closed on Monday, July 28, 2025.
The Troutman Pepper Locke team that advised Dumond’s management team was led by Dan McDonough, Amy Gilbert, Reuben Dacher-Shapiro, and Valentina Rivera, and included Deborah Enea, Mike Crumbock, Paul Kennedy, Sarah Introna, and Tom Phelan.
Consistently recognized as a top-tier practice, Troutman Pepper Locke’s corporate attorneys regularly handle middle market transactions for private equity clients alongside strategic deals for Fortune 100 corporations. Core areas of service include mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, capital markets transactions, and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as general corporate counseling. The firm has a strong focus in the private equity and private fund services space, advising clients on matters including fund formation, growth equity investments, leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, and exit transactions.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
BOSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke advised Electra Battery Materials Corporation (Electra) (NASDAQ: ELBM; TSX-V: ELBM), a leader in advancing North America’s critical minerals supply chain for lithium-ion batteries, in its term sheet and transaction support agreement with its lenders. Within the transaction and agreement, Electra will launch a $30 million financing and debt-to-equity conversion that will reduce its outstanding convertible debt by 60 percent as part of a comprehensive financial restructuring. For more information, see the press release.
Electra’s $30 million financing will include a $10 million conditional commitment from the lenders. Together, the transaction and equity financing are designed to strengthen Electra’s capital structure and provide the funding required to advance the commissioning of North America’s first cobalt sulfate refinery.
The Troutman Pepper Locke team that advised Electra was led by Tom Rose, Shona Smith, Jason Langford, Deborah Enea, Dave Meyers, and Matthew Divis.
Consistently recognized as a top-tier practice, Troutman Pepper Locke’s corporate attorneys regularly handle strategic deals for clients ranging from industry-leading, Fortune 100 corporations to emerging companies. Core areas of service include mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, capital markets transactions, and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as general corporate counseling.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
BOSTON – Glenn Pudelka, a partner in Troutman Pepper Locke’s Intellectual Property Practice Group, was once again named to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly’s “Go To Lawyers” for intellectual property in the 2025 edition. The program recognizes the top lawyers in a given practice area based on nominations and an independent selection process.
According to Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, those recognized as “Go To Lawyers” are regarded as experts in their field and well-versed in the nuances of related case law, statutes, and regulations clients will encounter. Honorees also have a demonstrated record of success, receive regular referrals, and think creatively.
Pudelka regularly counsels clients on intellectual property matters, including artificial intelligence and generative AI. He also handles content licensing, distribution, supply, and commercial agreements, as well as website terms and privacy policies, including state privacy law compliance. He represents individuals and companies in the publishing, entertainment, media, software, internet, content, and biotechnology fields, and numerous colleges and universities. He also assists clients with copyright litigations, trademarks, general corporate, privacy, and publicity law issues.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
NEW YORK – Troutman Pepper Locke is pleased to announce that 386 attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, and 196 attorneys were recognized in the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America. In addition, 26 of the firm’s attorneys were recognized under the special designation of “Lawyer of the Year,” an honor earned by just one lawyer in each practice area and metropolitan area.
Find the full lists of Troutman Pepper Locke attorneys recognized in the 2026 editions of The Best Lawyers in America® and the Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America.
Lawyers of the Year
Atlanta
Keith J. Barnett (FinTech Practice)
Michael D. Hobbs, Jr. (Trademark Law)
Hallie M. Meushaw (Energy Regulatory Law)
James W. Stevens (Financial Services Regulation Law)
Austin
Brian L. O’Reilly (Administrative / Regulatory Law)
Boston
Neal R. Pandozzi (Commercial Finance Law)
Charlotte
Paul A. Steffens (Corporate Law, Venture Capital Law)
Chicago
Ann C. Taylor (Aviation Law)
Dallas
Susan M. Rainey (Environmental Law)
Houston
Michael Rose (Employment Law – Management)
Philadelphia
Barry H. Boise (Product Liability Litigation – Defendants)
Jay A. Dubow (Litigation – Securities)
Barbara T. Sicalides (Antitrust Law)
Pittsburgh
Albert Bates Jr. (Litigation – Construction)
Providence
Karen S. D. Grande (Public Finance Law)
Douglas G. Gray (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Susan Kiernan (Banking and Finance Law)
Richmond
Robert A. Angle (Patent Law)
Lynda M. Crouse (Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law)
John Owen Gwathmey (Mergers and Acquisitions Law)
Michael E. Lacy (Consumer Law, Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants)
Brooks M. Smith (Environmental Law)
Andrea W. Wortzel (Litigation – Environmental)
Rochester
Andrew P. Zappia (Litigation – Intellectual Property)
Virginia Beach
Ethan G. Ostroff (Litigation – Banking and Finance)
Wilmington
Christopher J. Lamb (Real Estate Law)
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.
BOSTON – Troutman Pepper Locke advised Velo3D, Inc., a leading provider of additive manufacturing and 3D printed technologies for mission-critical metal parts, in its firm commitment underwritten public offering of 5,833,333 shares of its common stock at $3.00 per share for aggregate gross proceeds of approximately $17.5 million and its NASDAQ uplisting. Lake Street Capital Markets, LLC, acted as the sole book-running manager for the offering. Velo3D intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working capital, capital expenditures, and general corporate purposes. For more information, see the press release.
The Troutman Pepper Locke team that advised Velo3D was led by Tom Rose, Alex Yarbrough, Nicole Edmonds, Shona Smith, Jack Taylor, Joe Cataldo, and Mark Goldsmith.
Consistently recognized as a top-tier practice, Troutman Pepper Locke’s corporate attorneys regularly handle strategic deals for clients ranging from industry-leading, Fortune 100 corporations to emerging companies. Core areas of service include mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, securities laws compliance, capital markets transactions, and other significant domestic and cross-border transactions, as well as general corporate counseling.
Troutman Pepper Locke
Troutman Pepper Locke helps clients solve complex legal challenges and achieve their business goals in an ever-changing global economy. With more than 1,600 attorneys in 30+ offices, the firm serves clients in all major industry sectors, with particular depth in energy, financial services, health care and life sciences, insurance and reinsurance, private equity, and real estate. Learn more at troutman.com.