Current association: Ramaco Resources, Inc. – SVP – Law and Assistant Secretary

Past associations: Blackhawk Mining, ArcelorMittal Princeton Coal, and Steptoe & Johnson

Law School: Salmon P. Chase College of Law at NKU

Undergraduate: Northern Kentucky University (undergrad), Morehead State University (MBA)

Spouse: Courtney Adkins

Children: 2 boys, ages 5 and 1

Current home town: Union, KY

Favorite bar or restaurant in current home city? I just moved to the area, so I will say the grill at Triple Crown Country Club because I haven’t been able to go many other places, yet. In Lexington, where I moved from, I would say Malone’s.

EMLF Involvement: Board of Trustees, Co-Chair EMLF Annual Institute 2024, spoken on in-house attorney panels

Do you have a favorite anecdote or war story regarding your time as a lawyer? Generally, and this has happened multiple times, being thrust into a situation dealing with an unfamiliar area of the law that required cross-functional teamwork between legal and the business teams has been some of the most rewarding times of my career. Any time you work closely with the business team on a project you gain new perspectives and insights regarding how the company views situations and it is very beneficial to becoming a better in-house attorney. Not to mention learning new areas of the law is always something I enjoy because if you only know one area, it is hard to add much value to your company.

Where did you grow up? Paintsville, KY

What is your area of practice? Corporate, Securities, Commercial, Litigation, and MSHA. I wear many hats as do most in-house attorneys.

How did you get involved in that area of law? I practiced litigation, MSHA work, and some commercial contract work while in private practice. The corporate and securities work has mostly been by necessity requiring on the job training while utilizing our excellent outside counsel. I now thoroughly enjoy those areas of the law because it gives much greater insight into the operations of the business through working closely with the business teams.

You have spoken at a couple of EMLF events and have been involved in EMLF committees. Has that involvement benefited you? It has been very beneficial. The knowledge I have gained through conferences and committee work has been tremendous but the relationships I made are the most beneficial. I am never afraid to ask advice, and I utilize these relationships whenever I need help or guidance on an issue. This has undoubtedly helped in my career growth and knowledge of the law and industry.

Looking back, what two or three things have been most helpful to you in developing as a lawyer and as an attorney at your company? 1. The most important item for me is understanding I do not know everything and saying “I don’t know” is often a great answer; I then focus on finding the answer and reporting back. The key point is that by not pretending I know the answer when I don’t, and potentially giving bad advice, I am able to gain trust such that when I give an answer, the team knows it is correct and legally sound.

2. The next is utilizing connections to broaden my knowledge base and also my network – this helps me know who to reach out to with any problems to which I do not know the answer and get the answer in a more efficient manner.

3. A crucial piece of advice I was given early on by a mentor has been very important to me understanding my role as in-house counsel: “The in-house counsel’s role isn’t to make the decision for the company, it is to provide advice soundly based in law with alternatives to each approach along with the associated risks. It is up to the business team, and most often the CEO, to make the decision.”

Is there any advice you would give to new lawyers and law students who are about to become lawyers? You should never stop learning. The moment you believe that you know every answer to every question, or want to pretend that you do, is when you will very likely make a mistake. Always remember, if you make mistakes on the small issues you will eventually make a mistake on a big issue.

Finally, focus on being the hardest working person in your firm, company, or field. It doesn’t mean spending all of your time in your office, but you should work hard to understand everything surrounding your clients’ business and not just the legal side. Whether you can bill for it or not, it will be incredibly beneficial in the long run.