Adam joined the firm as a lateral Partner in 2004. Drawing upon years of experience in senior legal and legislative positions on Capitol Hill, he has successfully lobbied and provided policy and administrative law support on behalf of a number of well-known clients at local, state and federal levels of government. Noteworthy past or current clients include Lockton, Sprint, AMC Theatres, Aon, ThyssenKrupp Elevators, Accenture and CVS/pharmacy.
During the 111th Congress, Adam played a principal role in securing favorable legislative language for clients in the two biggest legislative priorities of President Obama's first term: healthcare and financial services reform. In the healthcare bill, due to a prolonged educational effort on Capitol Hill, Adam helped prevent a $150 million, full-service community hospital in Nebraska from being effectively legislated out of existence. During final negotiations over Financial Services Reform legislation, Adam helped convince negotiators to modify language that would have otherwise gutted the highly successful Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan program. The program, which veterans earned the right to participate in through their service to our country, had never been subject to the types of abuses found elsewhere in the industry. Yet without Adam's involvement, and without his client's business interest in preserving the program, Congress would have effectively, and unintentionally, ended this highly successful program.
Adam is a frequent speaker and faculty member for Continuing Legal Education programs. He has become a regular guest on 980 KMBZ-AM radio's "Week in Review" political roundtable and a frequent political commentator on WSTX-AM 970. In addition to his six years of public sector legal and legislative experience on Capitol Hill, Adam has 15 years of private sector legal and/or government relations experience.
Before joining the firm in 2004, Adam held positions including:
· Vice President and General Counsel, Wheat Government Relations, 2002-2004
· Vice President, Aon Corporation, 1999-2002
· General Counsel and Staff Director, U.S. Congressman Jim Clyburn's Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, U.S. House of Representatives, 1997-1998
· Associate, Shughart, Thomson & Kilroy law firm, 1992-1996
· Chief Counsel, former U.S. Congressman Alan Wheat's 1994 campaign for the U.S. Senate
· Associate Counsel, U.S. Sen. Paul Simon's Education & Labor Subcommittee on Employment and Productivity, 1992
· Legislative Assistant, U.S. Congressman Lane Evans, 1986-1989
Professional Associations & Memberships
· American Bar Association
· Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association
· The Missouri Bar
Civic Involvement
· First Tee of Greater Kansas City, Advisory Board, 2009-present
· Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Exchange, 2005 and 2007
· Jewish Community Relations Bureau/American Jewish Committee, Executive Committee, 2009-present; Board Member, 2006-2008
· Legal Aid of Western Missouri, Justice for All Campaign Committee, 2009-present
· Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Board of Directors, 2006-present
· Park University School of Business, Advisory Board, 2009-present
· Pembroke Hill School Alumni Association, Executive Committee, 2010-present
· Port Authority of Kansas City/Isle of Capri/Ameristar Foundation for Economic Advancement, Advisory Board, 2004-present
· University of Virginia Kansas City Area Alumni Association, 2009-present
· Urban League of Greater Kansas City, Board of Governors, 2009-present; Chair Emeritus, 2008; Chair, Board of Directors, 2004-2007; Board Member, 1999-2004
Experience
· Successfully represented publicly traded commercial insurance broker seeking major contract to revamp the "Assigned Risk Pool" for workers compensation insurance in Missouri.
· Represented major motion picture theater chain in protracted settlement negotiations with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over high profile Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) litigation brought against the company
· Served as principal federal government relations consultant for largest drug store chain in America. Worked with independent pharmacists and various state and federal trade associations to ensure continued access to competitively priced prescription drugs in rural areas and in underserved urban communities.
· Provided administrative law and government affairs support on behalf of publicly traded health care company, successfully resolving politically charged disputes over the licensing of certain Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASCs) in Missouri and Georgia
· Provided project management support, including oversight of legal, governmental affairs, engineering and marketing activities for $980 million development project in Wyandotte Country, Kansas
· Managed legal team which successfully obtained regulatory approval of certain employer-developed training standards for elevator maintenance personnel in the State of Washington
· Helped prevent a $150 million, full-service community hospital in Nebraska from being effectively legislated out of existence through a prolonged education effort on Capitol Hill
· Helped convince negotiators to modify language that would have otherwise gutted the highly successful Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan program during final negotiations over Financial Services Reform legislation
· Provided political advice and federal/state election law services, including federal and state lobbying registration and PAC management services, to numerous private and publicly traded entities
· Served as principal federal government relations consultant to one of the largest casino companies in the world
News & Publications
News
3.15.11, KMBZ 980 News Radio: Kansas City's Morning News, Week in Review
1.28.11, KMBZ 980 News Radio: Week In Review
11.5.10, Husch Blackwell Governmental Affairs Pros Provide Election Analysis
Publications
8.12.11, Congressional Leaders Finalize Super Committee Appointments
1.1.96, Labor & Employment Law Chapter, Treatise on Construction Law, Missouri Bar Association
1.1.92, Arbitration Clauses in Employment Agreements; Greener Pastures for Employers? Kansas Bar Journal
Events
2009-present, Regular Guest, AM 980 KMBZ News Radio
Speaking Engagement
9.1.11, The State of American Politics, Veiled Prophet Organization, St. Louis, MO
Speaking Engagement
7.29.11, Straight Talk with Redfield, discussing the debate over the Federal Debt Ceiling, AM 970WSTX Radio
Speaking Engagement
7.22.11, Discussing the debate over the Federal Debt Ceiling, AM 980 KMBZ News Radio
Speaking Engagement
6.1.10, Relationships Matter in a Smaller-Than-You-Think World, Park University Summer Youth Academy
Speaking Engagement
3.1.10, Urban League of Greater Kansas City Youth Leadership Academy, The Power of Difference: Impact of Community Leadership
Speaking Engagement
4.1.09, The Bill Press Show, discussing President Obama's Executive Order on Stem Cell Research, Sirius XM Radio
Speaking Engagement
11.1.08, U.S. Post-Election Analysis, International Corporate Compliance Conference with Addleshaw Goddard LLP, London, England
Speaking Engagement
2007-present, Straight Talk with Redfield, AM 970 WSTX Radio, U.S. Virgin Islands
Speaking Engagement