Frost Brown Todd (FBT) has reelected Chairman Robert Sartin and Chief Executive Officer Adam Hall for another three-year term, effective January 1, 2024. Since they were originally voted into their leadership positions in 2018, the firm has grown significantly and added offices in Houston, Texas, and Washington, D.C. It also completed a merger with California-based AlvaradoSmith, adding three new offices and giving FBT a national footprint.
Under Sartin and Hall’s leadership, FBT strengthened its strategy of creating value for clients through a deep understanding of the industries within which those clients operate, with an emphasis on the energy, financial services, health care innovation, manufacturing, and technology sectors. FBT’s cross-disciplinary industry teams understand the legal impact of broader trends on their client’s industries and what actions businesses can take to maintain or enhance their positions in the marketplace.
In 2021, the firm launched a new centralized, persona-based intranet and experience database as part of its push toward more data-driven service—both initiatives being spearheaded by a newly formed Data and Innovation Department at the behest of Sartin. The firm’s successful rollout of a new data governance platform on an accelerated timeline was recently given national recognition within the legal industry. These tools yield insights that enhance client service and help the firm identify its prior experience to serve clients, price its services, and budget more efficiently.
In addition, Sartin and Hall oversaw an expansion of the firm’s approach to diversity and inclusion to more fully incorporate the concepts of equity and belonging. Facilitated by Hall, who has been a long-time member of FBT’s Women’s Initiative and Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Belonging committees, the initiatives further reinforce the firm’s commitment to maintaining a culture of inclusivity, responsiveness, and teamwork.
They also led the firm through the pandemic, and despite the challenges, made strategic decisions that continued the firm’s growth, opening offices in Houston and Washington D.C., and growing firm revenue each year during the pandemic.
“The challenges of leading a law firm in the past six years have been extremely difficult, and we could not have asked for a better team than Robert and Adam to guide us,” said Indianapolis Partner and former Executive Committee member Heather L. Wilson. “They have been able to pivot during the unforeseen challenges of the COVID-19 shutdown while holding steady to the firm’s long-term strategy. Under their leadership, we are transforming into a national firm that embraces the changing legal landscape and provides the excellent services businesses need.”
A native of Texas who works out of the firm’s Nashville office, Sartin has experience advising clients in heavily regulated industries, including businesses in the energy and automotive space.
Based in the firm’s Cincinnati office, Hall is the previous chair of FBT’s Litigation Department. He has represented manufacturing, financial services, and energy companies in business disputes in state and federal trial and appellate courts and private arbitration proceedings.