BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Mich.--James C. Adams, one of the leading real estate attorneys in Michigan, has joined Butzel Long as a shareholder in the firm’s Bloomfield Hills office.

Mr. Adams spent nearly twenty years at the Dykema firm, including as the Managing Director of the Real Estate and Environmental Services Department and Leader of the Real Estate Practice Group. He has most recently been practicing at a Troy-based real estate and business law boutique.

“Jim is one of the most respected leaders in the real estate bar and his experience includes many of the most visible commercial and redevelopment projects in Detroit and Southeast Michigan,” said Philip J. Kessler, Chairman of Butzel Long. “There are few lawyers in the Midwest who have the skills and track record that Jim brings to the table. He is a great fit for our firm and for our very active real estate practice.”

Butzel Long is recognized for having one of the most dynamic and diverse real estate practices in the state, including a lead role in structuring the $175 million redevelopment of the Book Cadillac project in Downtown Detroit.

Mr. Adams’ experience includes representation of developers, lenders, architects, construction contractors and construction managers, public and private corporations, municipalities and public agencies, in connection with all aspects of real estate, including: acquisition; public and private financing; tax incentives and other economic inducements; affordable housing development; condominium structuring and development, land use and zoning; distressed project work-outs; construction of municipal, commercial, and residential projects; selling, leasing, and otherwise disposing of property; and funding, construction, operation, and maintenance of urban transit systems.

He is listed in Best Lawyers in America, Who’s Who in America, Chambers USA, Michigan Super Lawyer and Who’s Who In American Law. He is a 1983 Recipient of the Distinguished Service Award from the Detroit Bar Association.

Mr. Adams is a frequent speaker on real property and construction issues. He has published numerous articles including: “Real Estate Trends Reshaping Legal Needs,” Michigan Real Estate Journal (May 5, 2004) and “Building Win/Win Business/Government Partnerships” (co-authored with Stewart L. Mandell and Kimberly G. Ross), Michigan Forward (October, 2002).

He is a member of the American Bar Association (Real Property and Probate Section), the State Bar of Michigan (Real Property Law Section), the International Council of Shopping Centers, and the Urban Land Institute. He currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Washtenaw Land Trust.

Mr. Adams is a graduate of University of Michigan School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, Order of the Coif, 1974) and Michigan State University (B.A., High Honors, Phi Eta Sigma, Phi Kappa Phi, Honors College, 1971).

Butzel Long was established in 1854 and is headquartered in Detroit. Butzel Long is one of Michigan's oldest and largest law firms, with 215 attorneys and offices in Detroit, Bloomfield Hills, Lansing, Ann Arbor, and Holland, Mich., Washington, D.C. and Boca Raton, Fla., as well as Alliance offices in Beijing and Shanghai, China. The firm represents clients from diverse industries on a regional, national and multi-national level and is the sole Michigan member of Lex Mundi, a global association of 161 independent law firms.

Visit the Butzel Long website at www.butzel.com