The Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network recently developed a partnership with the legal firm Adams and Reese LLP, which happens to be the home of Trent Cotney, a partner at the firm who heads its Construction practice and is a leading voice in roofing — and Roofing Contractor magazine. 

OC’s Roofing Contractor Network is providing free contract audits to roofing contractors through Adams and Reese LLP, and which will be spearheaded by Cotney, the company said in a July 19 news release. The service Cotney’s firm has been tagged to offer will evaluate contracts to identify potential areas needing improvement, helping mitigate unknown risks and comply with local, state, and federal laws. 

Cotney is recognized by his peers — and throughout the construction industry — as one of the leading attorneys in the country in his field of practice. In addition to contract audits, Cotney is available to help OCCN contractors mitigate risk, avoid litigation, and protect virtually every area of their business. 

Jon Gardner, senior leader of strategic partnerships, Learning & Development at Owens Corning, said providing contractors with access to Cotney’s expertise and extensive legal resources is another example of OC’s commitment to “… help contractors solve problems and add capabilities” in virtually all aspects of their business. 

“Trent’s 25-plus years of experience within the roofing industry provides our contractors with access to one of the industry’s leading attorneys,” Gardner said. “Trent serves as General Counsel to NRCA, Western States, and numerous other associations; he has his fingers on the pulse of the industry and can be a big help to our network members.” 

Through this arrangement with Adams and Reese, OC is making a wide array of legal services available to contractors, adding value to the manufacturer-contractor relationship. Core services Cotney provides include contract review and drafting, advisory services for managing employee issues, OSHA defense, collections, licensing, permit issues, building code analysis, merger and acquisition transactions, trademarks, immigration, and intellectual property.

“Working 25 years in the construction space, I’ve seen that the majority of problems in a contactors’ business originate because of weaknesses in contracts spanning different parts of the business,” Cotney said. “An audit can uncover potential weaknesses before they become problems that can expose a contractor’s business to potential loss.”

The agreement with Owens Corning allows OCCN members to visit the preferred legal vendor page and secure special pricing, including a 10% discount off standard legal rates as well as the free “Contract Audit.”

“Trent’s experience in the construction sector, day-to-day involvement serving associations and task groups, and expertise in advising contractors on complex issues is a valuable addition to the Business Services portfolio Owens Corning provides to contractors,” Gardner added.  

For more information, visit owenscorning.com.