Before returning to Barnes & Thornburg, Adey served as an Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the District of Maryland. During his tenure with the Department of Justice (DOJ), he directed expansive investigations and prosecuted a wide array of sophisticated financial crimes, including securities fraud, public corruption, healthcare fraud, criminal tax evasion, mortgage fraud, and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) schemes.

An accomplished and relentless trial lawyer, Adey has anchored high-profile federal prosecutions against premier corporate defense teams. His courtroom experience spans every critical phase of federal litigation, from pre-trial motions and sensitive grand jury proceedings through to oral arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Adey pairs his government pedigree with private practice experience managing high-exposure corporate crises and compliance minefields. He previously spent many years at Barnes & Thornburg, where he assisted in creating complex, cross-border compliance programs alongside former FBI agents and forensic accountants. His experience includes serving on the Special Compliance Coordinator team monitoring a massive Chinese multinational telecommunications company’s compliance with U.S. export laws, defending C-suite executives in sensitive bribery prosecutions, and representing government contractors in high-risk federal inquiries.

Adey is also a former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer who spent two years teaching English and developing community programs in Cape Verde.