Adam Hall, left, and Terrence Reeves, right, with Frost Brown Todd.

In its centenary year, Frost Brown Todd is looking to double down on its mobility and transportation-sector clients by opening a new office in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The new office will be initially staffed by three lawyers, two of whom joined Frost Brown Todd from Pepper Hamilton: Terrence Reeves, a venture capital attorney who will be the member-in-charge of the Ann Arbor office, and Brittany Bradshaw, an associate who worked in her prior firm's automotive practice group.

They'll be joined by John Gaviglio, a senior associate who had been on a secondment with Toyota for more than four years, according to his LinkedIn page. Frost Brown Todd CEO Adam Hall said Reeves and Bradshaw have brought their clients with them.

"One of our strategic priorities is to expand our ability to serve clients in the mobility and transportation industry with the types of expertise and knowledge that will continue to add value to those clients," Hall said. "The Ann Arbor office aligns with that priority."

The firm's predecessor, Frost & Jacobs, opened in 1919 in Cincinnati. The firm now has 13 offices in nine states, with its largest in Cincinnati and Louisville, Kentucky, where it merged with Brown Todd & Heyburn in 2000.

Hall brushed off any concerns about the firm taking a hit if the auto industry also has a rough year, saying that's never been Frost Brown Todd's experience. He noted their practice includes representing distressed suppliers and bankruptcies. He added that Ann Arbor has a burgeoning technology sector that includes firm clients, as well as a health care industry presence.

Hall traced the firm's new Ann Arbor office to its decision "to rededicate itself to growing in the industry sectors where we have historical strength."

"We have launched that plan within the last year. We're looking at opportunities in places with people we believe will grow those strengths in those industry sectors," Hall said. "An opportunity presented itself that aligns with those priorities in Ann Arbor. We went ahead and pulled the trigger."

According to ALM data, Frost Brown Todd has seen its overall revenue mostly grown in recent years, though it dropped by 1.4% in 2018. But the firm's head count continued to grow last year, as it has grown every since 2011. The firm had 453 lawyers in 2018.