Adams & Reese, an AmLaw 200 firm, has added Richard “Ric” Asfar as a Partner in its Tampa office, further strengthening its nationally ranked construction practice. Asfar brings nearly two decades of experience as a civil litigator and appellate advocate, representing individuals, government entities, interest groups, and businesses in construction litigation, insurance coverage, employment litigation, appellate advocacy, and commercial disputes.
Asfar has been recognized with an “AV-Preeminent” rating by Martindale-Hubbell since 2016 and is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Florida Super Lawyers, Florida Trend’s “Legal Elite,” and Tampa Magazine’s “Top Lawyers.” He is licensed in Florida and California, having begun his career in California in 2006 before moving to Florida in 2009. He previously practiced at Cotney Attorneys & Consultants, formerly owned by Adams & Reese Tampa Partner and Construction Team Leader Trent Cotney.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Ric for years, and it is an honor and long overdue to work with him again,” said Cotney. “Ric has a well-deserved reputation as an exceptionally detail-oriented litigator who stays ahead of the curve on litigation trends and legislative changes in construction law. Ric’s unparalleled familiarity with the local construction industry and the unique litigation landscape of Tampa makes him a tremendous addition.”
The addition of Asfar continues the growth of Adams & Reese’s Construction Practice, which expanded significantly after Cotney’s former firm merged with Adams & Reese in 2022. Under the leadership of Construction Practice Group Leader Chris Derden and Construction Team Leaders David Toney and Cotney, the group now includes close to 100 construction attorneys licensed in more than 35 states. Construction Executive has ranked Adams & Reese among the Top 20 construction law firms for the past three years.
Asfar joins a Tampa office with close to 30 construction attorneys, including Florida Bar board-certified construction law specialists, AAA and Florida-certified arbitrators and mediators, general counsels of roofing associations, and former general contractors. “Why would any lawyer not want to join this team? They are an exceptional group, and I’m excited to join Adams & Reese,” said Asfar. “The Tampa office is unique in its construction focus with people at the forefront of thought leadership on the intersection of construction and law. I have worked with many of these lawyers for years and know not just how talented they are, but what great people they are in working with clients and with one another.”
Asfar’s construction law experience includes complex construction defect cases, construction delay, insurance disputes, catastrophic personal injury and property damage claims, bond claims, lien claims, contracting, and employment matters. He has developed a reputation as “a lawyer’s lawyer,” often sought out by other attorneys to handle difficult legal issues. Asfar earned his J.D. from the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law (2006) and his B.A. from Baruch College (2002). In the Tampa community, he is a former big brother with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay and a graduate of The Tampa Connection.
