Representing stakeholders in all areas of the forest products industry, Adams and Reese's Forestry Team offers a cross-section of practices that support your business, environmental, regulatory and labor concerns. One of our strongest areas of practice is representation and ongoing counsel for Timberland Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) across the United States, with an emphasis upon southern forestry.
We help you protect and recover your assets and avoid claims and liabilities. We have handled multi-million dollar land and timber acquisitions and sales as well as the acquisitions and sales of mills and other facilities. We also are involved in wind and biofuel energy development, green certifications and green products. One of our key roles includes advocacy and defense before regulatory and legislative bodies on behalf of our clients' most critical conservation, environmental, safety and administrative issues.
Our Attorneys
Adams and Reese attorneys have practiced extensively before state and federal administrative agencies, including the EPA, state DEQs, OSHA, DOL, EEOC, the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture (including the United States Forest Service), United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Department of Commerce and many related state agencies and affiliates.
Our team was involved in title due diligence in the largest sale of United States public lands since the Louisiana Purchase, which brought to bear our related experience in public finance, governmental relations, corporate and environmental laws, tax, real estate and other areas of law. Our ability to mobilize a team quickly from various offices for time-sensitive transactions is a major component of our success.
Core Practice and Clients
The Forestry Team represents industrial forestry companies, TIMOs, REITS, timber investors, large private landowners, loggers, state forestry associations, forest products trade groups, conservation entities, forest equipment manufacturers and retailers, consulting foresters and others. Our Forestry practice includes:
Transactions: providing ongoing counsel for land and timber acquisitions and sales, acquisition and sales of mills and other facilities, financing of forestry transactions, long and short-term fiber supply agreements, real estate development, options and leases and title insurance services.
Green Forestry: interpreting current law and policy trends for wind energy, green certifications and green products, carbon sequestration, biomass facilities and contracts, BCAP advice, conservation easements and water resources. This includes advocacy, drafting of model laws and defense against potentially damaging legislation to the goals of sustainable forestry.
Business Advisory: providing counsel concerning forest land management such as contracts with vendors and suppliers and consultants; endangered species consultation, wetlands consultation, tax, oil and gas development and surface use agreements; wildlife management issues, endangered species consultation and real and personal property tax assessment advice.
Dispute Resolution: using all tools in negotiation, arbitration, mediation or litigation for conflicts in transactions, green forestry, and management and business services. We also represent clients in traditional forestry disputes involving eminent domain, labor and employment, wrongful cutting, interpretation of mill contracts and specifications, good forestry practices and long term leases, among others.
Representative Projects:
- Negotiated and drafted wind leases for several TIMOs and their clients concerning properties in Pennsylvania and New York.
- Assisted International Paper Company in providing due diligence services, including title review and preparation of closing documents, for the sale of approximately 3 million acres in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee as a part of the sale of approximately 6 million acres in 17 states.
- Assisted a TIMO and its client in negotiating and structuring a transaction based upon tax considerations that resulted in the acquisition of approximately 91,360 acres of mature pine sawtimber timberland and related timber cutting rights.
Partnering with attorneys in other states, Adams and Reese's Forestry Team offers a collaborative national approach to current and emerging forestry and environmental issues. Utilizing innovative technology, we seek prompt, efficient and cost-effective solutions for your business interests.
