Arizona Horse Connection
Adam Trenk, Esq., has been the choice attorney for Arizona’s horse community for more than six years. He and his colleagues at Scottsdale’s Rose Law Group pc provide a full spectrum of business and legal services assisting clients across a wide range of industries. Adam takes pride in delivering results when he assists his clients with an equine law matter, a real estate transaction, dispute resolution or strategic development. But his commitment to adding value and advancing your cause, no matter what it is, is not the only thing that sets him apart from others in his field.dam Trenk, Esq. has been the choice attorney for Arizona’s horse community for more than six years. He and his colleagues at Scottsdale’s Rose Law Group pc provide a full
Trenk is the go-to lawyer for local equestrians because he is a lifelong horseman, he understands the mechanics of the horse business about as well as one can, and he is dedicated to the advancement of the equestrian way of life.
“When you work with a young horse you have to be patient. You have to approach problems with a kind of ease that keeps things from spiraling out of control. You have to have confidence in your abilities. The same is really true in the practice of law, particularly when you are involved in adversarial situations,” Trenk said when we asked him how his experience with horses relates to his career.
Adam Trenk grew up in the Northeast, within a family of equestrian enthusiasts, and has worked with horses throughout the country since he was child. He started working as a stable hand in the rural parts of New Jersey as a freshman in high school, then went on to start colts as an apprentice to renowned reining cow horse trainer Zane Davis in Montana and Idaho through his early twenties. This experience helped prepare him for life as an attorney, teaching him about patience, persistence and the value of hard work.
Trenk settled in Cave Creek, Arizona in 2008 after moving to the state in 2001 to go to college. He has horses of his own in his backyard, and when he is not working at his Scottsdale office, those horses are the focal point of his free time.
Adam started Rose Law Group pc’s Equine Law Department shortly after going to work for the firm in 2010. After six years, he has seen all kinds of issues servicing the men and women who share his passion for the ponies. “Disputes arise between buyers and sellers, haulers and horse owners, trainers and their clients, and amongst neighbors… I may not have seen it all, in fact I know I haven’t, but I promise there is very little you can fire at me that will surprise me anymore,” he said when we asked him about the types of legal problems he helps his clients with.
“I guess that’s another way lawyering is like riding, once you’ve done enough of it, you learn you have to anticipate the unforeseeable. But, my personal preference is to help people do business before they are involved in a dispute, by negotiating and defining deal terms and properly papering the transaction.”
Adam believes that everyone who has a horse, or who otherwise participates in the equine industry as a hobbyist or professional, has legal needs, even if it’s only what he deems the “basics.” Trenk states, “Anyone who owns a horse likely has had or will have a need for liability waivers, purchase and sale agreements or boarding contracts to be drafted or reviewed.” And he cautioned that “using boiler plate documents handed to you by other parties to a transaction or down- loaded off the internet generally will not help you in the event a conflict arises, or worse, could be the impetus for a conflict.”
Trenk tells us that so many of his equine law clients first come to him to resolve problems. “In the majority of these cases, those problems could have been easily avoided had they consulted with someone who had the knowledge and skills to assess the situation and advise them accordingly beforehand” he said. “My objectives as a practitioner go beyond prevailing on the prosecution or defense of a claim.
I aim to minimize the frustration and the legal cost associated with resolving issues and aspire to educate my clients so they may avoid future problems. I am a firm believer that everyone can take steps to mitigate risk and protect their interests. It often starts with defining the rights and obligations of the parties to a transaction or merely understanding the legal parameters of a given situation.”
While Trenk’s equine law practice includes contract drafting and resolving disputes arising out of injury or breaches of contract, he also handles regulatory and government relations matters, including obtaining the zoning approval and building permits necessary to develop equestrian facilities. However, his practice of law is not limited to servicing the needs of his fellow horsemen. He has a robust transactional and strategic development practice.
“I enjoy deploying the work ethic and the creative problem-solving skills that being around horses has taught me to add value in other arenas,” Trenk says. “I have put together countless private transactions and a number of agreements with government entities, and I have worked to strategize for the advancement of corporate objectives for a diverse group of clients.”
Among Trenk’s more public professional accomplishments was the renegotiation of a contract with the City of Scottsdale, Arizona for the use of WestWorld on behalf of the producers of Arizona Bike Week, a motorcycle rally that is one of the largest events hosted at the multipurpose convention center. Last year, he successfully negotiated the resolution of a conflict between New York City’s Mayor and the helicopter air tour industry’s operators in the Big Apple.
“As a strategist and negotiator, my practice is virtually limitless,” Trenk told us proudly, “and if my clients have needs outside my wheel house, I have about twenty of Arizona’s finest lawyers standing behind me at my firm, Rose Law Group pc. We are a full service shop, ready to assist with everything from complex civil litigation to family law and estate planning matters. Serving our clients’ needs is our primary objective.”
When he is not working as an attorney, Trenk finds time to volunteer in the community, helping horses and horsemen alike. One of the attorney’s volunteer causes, CANTER Arizona (The Communication Alliance to Network Thoroughbred Ex-Racehorses), functions as a network to connect buyers and sellers for Thoroughbred ex-racehorses.
Trenk served as a past Executive Director for CANTER Arizona and now sits on the board. “I proudly call an off track Thoroughbred rescued through my contacts in CANTER my own. Bred and refined over centuries for their athleticism and disposition, I think they make excellent horses” Trenk told us.
Trenk is also a staunch advocate for the rural lifestyle, and he dedicated years to advancing that cause in his capacity as an elected member of Cave Creek’s Town Council where he served from 2009-2011 and again as Vice Mayor from 2013-2015. “The town’s government had taken actions that were detrimental to the rural lifestyle, and particularly to the horse community. When I saw that happening, I decided it was my duty to get involved and protect the property rights that attracted me to the area in the first place.”
Trenk worked in the past to lead the Council on a number of initiatives to improve and preserve the equestrian way of life in and around Cave Creek. Of note, Trenk proposed an ordinance abolishing arbitrary restrictions on equestrian privileges and private ranch uses in Desert Rural Residential zones. After approval by the Council, it resulted in the restoration of horse privileges, a valuable private property right, to 240 lots in the town. He continues to be active in Arizona’s political circles.
Adam also gives back to the equestrian community by volunteering his time to give guest lectures to the Scottsdale Community College Equine Sciences program. For the last several years, he has gone each semester to talk to students in the Equine Business and Law class about what liability in the equine industry means and how they can protect themselves. “I really enjoy giving those presentations. It’s good to see firsthand that there is a continuing interest in the horse industry, and it’s nice to help up and coming equine professionals find their way.”
Adam currently owns five horses, which he cares for himself. “If I am not out there each day cleaning the pens and laying hands on them, how am I going to really know how they are doing? I only ride a couple times a week, so that time tending to them is important to both me and my horses.” Trenk says that these days he trail rides mostly but also enjoys team sorting, team roping and even the odd gymkhana game.
For Adam Trenk, working as an Attorney is clearly rewarding. His passion for serving his clients is universal, and it shines through, but the spark is magnified when the phone rings and he finds another horseman on the other end of the line. “I like practicing equine law because there is a certain satisfaction in dealing with a subject matter that is personally interesting. But even on matters that are not necessarily horse related, I especially enjoy helping ensure the success of others with whom I share something in common.
“Even though the bulk of my experience has been with ranch horses and racehorses, the great part about my job is that I am exposed to almost every equine demographic. I work with three day eventers, halter horse breeders, Arabian horse trainers, and everything in between. As an attorney, I get to work with folks I might not otherwise meet, and I cannot help but learn some new things about horses along the way. What could be better?”
Trenk wants Arizona’s horse community to know that he is available to help with their legal needs, even if they are not horse related. “As long as I am around, the horse community will always have someone in their corner, promoting their causes and helping them navigate the sometimes perplexing business and legal issues they may face.” It is obvious that Trenk loves what he does in providing legal services to his fellow horsemen and women in Arizona’s equine community!
You can reach Adam Trenk by phone at 602.402.3335 or by email ATrenk@RoseLawGroup.com. Like his firm’s equine law page on Facebook: www.facebook.com/equineattorneys and follow him on Instagram@theLawHorse.
