(Main Office)

Providing quality counsel on a variety of sophisticated legal matters for over 50 years, the attorneys of Mitchell Williams are known for serving clients with outstanding communication, innovative problem solving, technology-driven practices and a results-oriented focus. As a progressive leader in the legal community, Mitchell Williams continues to customize its practice to fit the evolving needs of its clients through continual education and awareness of emerging trends and issues.

Employing 74 attorneys who serve an impressive roster of local, regional, and national clients from offices in Little Rock and Rogers, Arkansas, and Austin, Texas the firm's lawyers and staff work closely together, sharing ideas, best practices, and industry insight to provide each client the best counsel possible. Many of Mitchell Williams' attorneys joined the firm with already distinguished careers in government, business and law. From working in the public sector as department heads, staff attorneys or general counsel to various state and federal agencies, to serving as in-house counsel for major local and regional corporations, Mitchell Williams attorneys bring the benefit of first-hand experience to their work.

The firm's achievements are evidenced by national recognitions, appointments, awards, and honors of its attorneys, many of whom are consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America and Chambers Partners USA. As speakers, business leaders, mentors, community board members, and counsel to a variety of clients, the attorneys at Mitchell Williams continue the long tradition of knowledge, experience and results that has been at the firm's forefront since 1954.

Statement of Practice

General Civil and Administrative Practice in all State and Federal Courts and Agencies. Antitrust, Banking, Bankruptcy, Business Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Commercial Transactions, Corporate, Employee Benefits/ERISA; Environmental, Estate Planning, Franchising, Governmental Relations/Legislation, Health Care, Licensure, Reimbursement and Regulatory, Insurance Corporate and Regulatory, Information Management and Security, Insurance and Nursing Facility Defense, Intellectual Property, Labor and Employment, Mergers, Acquisitions and Dispositions, Mortgages, Municipal Finance, Petroleum Marketing, Probate, Products Liability, Professional Liability Defense, Real Estate, Risk Management, Securities, Taxation, Transportation, Utility, Worker's Compensation.

Firm Affiliations

TERRALEX

Representative Clients:

A. Tenenbaum Company, Inc.
ALCOA
America's Health Insurance Plans
American International Group
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.
Arcadian Health Plan, Inc.
Arkansas Comprehensive Health Insurance Pool
Arkansas Development Finance Authority
Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corporation
Arkansas Oil Marketers Association
Arkansas Recyclers Association
Arvest Bank
Ash Grove Cement Company
BancorpSouth Bank
Bank of America, N. A.
Bank of the Ozarks
Baptist Health
Beverly Enterprises/Golden Ventures
C N A
Central Arkansas Nursing Centers
Conseco, Inc.
Coulson Oil Company, Inc.
Deltic Timber Corporation
E-Z Mart Stores, Inc.
Farmers Group, Inc.
First Electric Cooperative Corp.
Helena Chemical Company
Home BancShares, Inc.
International Paper Company
J. B. Hunt Transportation Company
Medical Assurance
Merrill Lynch Insurance Group, Inc.
Metropolitan Life Insurance Company
Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing, Co.
Peterson Farms, Inc.
The Prudential Insurance Company of America
State Farm Insurance Companies
State Volunteer Mutual Insurance Company
Wyeth Pharmaceuticals
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated
USAA.

Address

Metropolitan Bank Building
425 West Capitol Avenue, Suite 1800
Little Rock, AR 72201-3525, (Pulaski Co.)

Phone

Phone: 501-688-8800
Fax: 501-688-8807

Website

http://www.mitchellwilliamslaw.com

Firm/Affiliate Offices

MEMBERS OF FIRM

John K. Baker (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, November 24, 1971; admitted to bar, 1997, Arkansas. Education: St. Louis University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1994) University of Arkansas (J.D., Dec., 1996). First Place winner and "Outstanding Oralist" award recipient in University of Arkansas' 1996 Moot Court prize competition arguments before Associate U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Judge Richard Arnold, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Morris Arnold, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. Member, U.S. Supreme Court Historical Society. Treasurer and Board Member, Saint Thomas More Legal Society. Co-Founder, President, and Board Member, Tree Streets, Inc. (non-profit urban forestry organization). Past-President and Current Board Member; Camp Aldersgate, Inc. (non-profit camp serving disabled children and senior adults). Board Member, Camp Aldersgate Foundation, Inc. Member, Member and Past Board Chairman, Quapaw Quarter Association, Inc. (non-profit historic preservation organization). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas, Eighth Circuit and American Bar Associations; William R. Overton Inn of Court. Reported Cases: Appellate cases include: First Union Nat'l Bank v. Benham, _ F.3d _ (8th Cir. 2005); First Fin. Bank v. Western Mazzio's Corp., 2001 U.S. App. LEXIS 3407 (8th Cir. 2001); Land v. Baptist Med. Ctr., 164 F.3d 423 (8th Cir. 1999); Franklin v. Zain, 152 F.3d 783 (8th Cir. 1998); Mittry v. BancorpSouth Bank, _ S.W.3d _, 2005 Ark. LEXIS 6, (Ark. 2005); Weiss v. Am. Honda Fin. Corp., _, S.W.3d _, 2004 Ark. LEXIS 789 (Ark. 2004); DaimlerChrysler Servs. N. Am. v. Weiss, _ S.W.3d _, 2004 Ark. LEXIS 787 (Ark. 2004); Slusser v. Monsanto Company, Inc., _ S.W.3d _, 2004 Ark. LEXIS 687 (Ark. 2004); Doe v. Ark. Dep't of Human Servs., _ S.W.3d _, 2004 Ark. LEXIS 328 (Ark. 2004); Comm. to Establish Sherwood Fire Dep't v. Hillman, 109 S.W.3d 641 (Ark. 2003); In re Estate of Owens, _ S.W.3d _, 2004 Ark. App. LEXIS 602 (Ark. Ct. App. 2004); Ark. Mech. Servs. v. Jarrett, 2004 Ark. App. LEXIS 97 (Ark. Ct. App. 2004); Superior Fed. Bank v. Mackey, 129 S.W.3d 324 (Ark. Ct. App. 2003); Dev. & Constr. Mgmt. v. City of N. Little Rock, 119 S.W.3d 77 (Ark. Ct. App. 2003); Matthews v. Spencer, 2001 Ark. App. LEXIS 669 (Ark. Ct. App. 2001); Kristen Inv. Props., LLC v. Faulkner County Waterworks, 32 S.W.3d 60 (Ark. Ct. App. 2000) Recent class action cases include: Mittry v. BancorpSouth Bank, _ S.W.3d _, 2005 Ark. LEXIS 6, (Ark. 2005) (successfully defeated class certification sought by municipal bondholders); Winkler v. Superior Financial Corp., 4:01-CV-00851 SWW (E.D. Ark.) (successfully defeated class certification sought by home buyers); Richardson v. Chase Manhattan Bank, U.S.A., CV-03-4648, Pulaski County Circuit Court (successfully obtained nominal settlement for national credit card company). Practice Areas: Class Action Defense; Contract Litigation; Real Estate Litigation.Email: John K. Baker

W. Christopher Barrier (Member) born Jacksonville, Florida, November 2, 1942; admitted to bar, 1967, Arkansas. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., 1964); Duke University (LL.B., 1967). Author: "Usury in Arkansas: The 17% Solution," 37 Arkansas Law Review 572, 1984. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America, 1993-2006 editions; Chambers USA Client Guide, Leading Individuals, Real Estate, 2004, 2005, 2006 editions. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, Executive Council, 1999-2000; Chair, Real Estate Law Committee, 1994-1995; Chair, Banking Law Committee, 1985-1986; Chair, Financial Institutions Law Section, 1986-1987, 1992-1993; Outstanding Lawyer-Humanitarian, 2002) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Development; Finance; Banking; Commercial Transactions.Email: W. Christopher Barrier

Sherry P. Bartley (Member) born Paso Robles, California, August 24, 1942; admitted to bar, 1979, Arkansas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1975); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., with honors, 1979). Editor-in-Chief, UALR Law Review, 1979. Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law, 1986-1999. Assistant U.S. Attorney, 1980-1985. Assistant Director, Attorney General's Advocacy Institute, Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1983-1984. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American (Member, Litigation Section) Bar Associations; William R. Overton Inn of Court; American Board of Trial Advocates; International Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Tort and Insurance Defense; Toxic Tort Defense; Products Liability Defense; Commercial Litigation.Email: Sherry P. Bartley

Steve Bauman (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, October 31, 1952; admitted to bar, 1977, Arkansas. Education: Tulane University of Louisiana (B.A., 1974; J.D., 1977); New York University (LL.M., in Taxation, 1978). Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2001-2006 editions. Articles Author: "The Revocable Trust: A Challenge to the Arkansas Legislature," with Leonard L. Scott, The Arkansas Lawyer, Vol. 26, No. 3, July 1992. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chair, Probate and Trust Section, 1994-1996) and American Bar Associations. Fellow: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Practice Areas: Estate Planning and Administration; Taxation; Corporate; Real Estate.Email: Steve Bauman

R. T. Beard, III (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, January 4, 1947; admitted to bar, 1971, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S.B.A., 1968; J.D., 1971). Phi Alpha Delta. Member, Editorial Board, Arkansas Law Review, 1970-1971. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America; Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Litigation. Member: Pulaski County and Arkansas (Member, Executive Council; President, Young Lawyers Division, 1982-1983) Bar Associations; American College of Trial Lawyers; American Board of Trial Advocates; Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel; International Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Tort and Insurance Defense Litigation; Commercial Litigation.Email: R. T. Beard, III

C. Douglas Buford, Jr. (Member) born Memphis, Tennessee, April 15, 1948; admitted to bar, 1973, Arkansas and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S.B.A., 1970; J.D., with honors, 1973). Beta Alpha Psi; Gamma Beta Phi (President). Blue Key. Editor-in-Chief, Arkansas Law Review, 1973. Certified Public Accountant, Arkansas, 1973. Recipient: E. L. Cullum Award. Listed in: Who's Who in Arkansas Universities; Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions. President, Student Union Governing Board. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants; American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Securities; Mergers and Acquisitions.Email: C. Douglas Buford, Jr.

Rick Campbell (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, October 3, 1951; admitted to bar, 1978, Arkansas; 1979, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; 1980, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 2003, District of Columbia. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1974; J.D., 1978). Law Clerk to Hon. Charleton Harris, Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, 1978-1979. Assistant Attorney General, Litigation Division, 1979-1983 and Deputy Attorney General in Charge of Civil Litigation, 1983-1984, State of Arkansas. Special Counsel to the Receiver of National Investors Life Insurance Company, 1984-1988. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, Committee on Group Insurance, 1989-1991) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance; Insurance Regulation; Insurance Insolvency.Email: Rick Campbell

Michelle H. Cauley (Member) born Fort Smith, Arkansas, July 23, 1973; admitted to bar, 1998, Arkansas. Education: University of Mississippi (B.A., cum laude, 1995); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1998). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Products Liability; Medical Device Defense; Information Management and Security.Email: Michelle H. Cauley

Charles B. Cliett, Jr. (Member) born West Point, Mississippi, May, 1960; admitted to bar, 1988, Arizona; 1994, Texas; 2002, Arkansas. Education: Mississippi State University (B.A., cum laude, 1983); University of Texas (J.D., with honors, 1988). Member, Health Policy and Regulatory Affairs Committee, Texas Association of Health Plans, 2001-2003. Member, Medicaid and CHIP Committees, Texas Association of Health Plans, 2001-2003. Member: Arkansas Bar Association; State Bar of Texas; State Bar of Arizona. Practice Areas: Insurance Regulation; Health Regulation; Corporate.Email: Charles B. Cliett, Jr.

J. Kendal Cook (Member) born Wynne, Arkansas, November 10, 1952; admitted to bar, 1978, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S.P.A., 1975; J.D., 1978). Member: American Board of Trial Advocates; International Association of Defense Counsel; American Inns of Court (Judge Henry Woods Chapter); Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Civil Litigation.Email: J. Kendal Cook

Doak Foster (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, May 2, 1950; admitted to bar, 1974, Arkansas; 2003, District of Columbia. Education: Tulane University (B.A., 1972; J.D., 1974). Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Insurance. Chief Counsel, Arkansas Insurance Department, 1977-1979. Deputy Commissioner, Arkansas Insurance Department, 1979-1981. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar; American Society of Chartered Life Underwriters; Federation of Regulatory Counsel. Practice Areas: Insurance Corporate and Regulatory Law.Email: Doak Foster

Byron L. Freeland (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, July 25, 1947; admitted to bar, 1972, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S.B.A., 1969; J.D., 1972). Phi Alpha Delta. Associate Editor, Arkansas Law Review, 1972. Attorney, Racing Commission, 1975—. Listed in Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Employment. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, Litigation Section, 2006) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Litigation and Employment Law.Email: Byron L. Freeland

David Allan Gates (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, November 29, 1946; admitted to bar, 1972, Arkansas; 1976, District of Columbia. Education: Yale University (B.A., 1969); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1972). Special Projects Editor, Vanderbilt Law Review, 1971-1972. Law Clerk: to Chief Judge Pat Mehaffy, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, 1972-1974; to Associate Justice Harry A. Blackmun, U.S. Supreme Court, 1974-1975. Adjunct Professor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law School, Environmental Law, 1981—. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America, 1995— editions; Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Litigation. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, Environmental Law Section, 1988, 1997) and American Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar; American Law Institute; Environmental Law Institute. Practice Areas: Environmental Law; Commercial Litigation; Regulatory Litigation.Email: David Allan Gates

Kathlyn Graves (Member) born Hot Springs, Arkansas, January 18, 1951; admitted to bar, 1976, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: Rhodes College (B.A., 1972); Southern Methodist University (J.D., 1975). Phi Beta Kappa. Order of the Coif. Member, Southwestern Law Journal, 1973-1974. Listed in: Best Lawyers in America (Employment Law); Chamber USA America's Leading Employment Lawyers. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Member, Labor and Employment Law Section) and American Bar Association (Member, Committee for Federal Judiciary, 1989-1991; Member, Sections on: Labor and Employment Law; Litigation); American Arbitration Association Employment Dispute Resolution Panel (Arbitrator). Fellow: College of Labor and Employment Lawyers. Practice Areas: Labor and Employment; Civil Rights.Email: Kathlyn Graves

Harold W. Hamlin (Member) born Wiesbaden, Germany, November 6, 1962; admitted to bar, 1995, Arkansas. Education: United States Air Force Academy (B.S., 1985); University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law (J.D., 1995). Former Assistant Attorney General, State of Arkansas. Assistant Research Editor and Associate Survey/Comments Editor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal. Listed in Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Real Estate. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. [Lt. Col., Arkansas Air National Guard]. Practice Areas: Real Estate; Commercial Law; Corporate Law; Construction Law; Utility Regulation; Administrative Law; Secured Transactions.Email: Harold W. Hamlin

Jeffrey W. Hatfield (Member) born West Memphis, Arkansas, October 3, 1969; admitted to bar, 1996, Arkansas; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western District of Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (B.A., History and Psychology, 1992); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1996). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas Bar and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Nursing Home Litigation; Medical Malpractice; Litigation; Civil Practice; Medical Malpractice Defense; Insurance Defense.Email: Jeffrey W. Hatfield

Donald H. Henry (Member) born El Dorado, Arkansas, November 22, 1945; admitted to bar, 1975, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S., 1967; J.D., 1975). Member: Arkansas (Financial Institutions Section) and American (Member, Sections on: Business Law; Litigation) Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Financial Services Law; Commercial Law; Corporate Reorganization; Bankruptcy; Commercial Litigation.Email: Donald H. Henry

W. Samuel Jones, III (Member) born Memphis, Tennessee, June 30, 1951; admitted to bar, 1976, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., 1973); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 1976). Outstanding Moot Court Oralist, Vanderbilt Law School. Former Class Chair, Vanderbilt Law School. Author, "Avoiding Litigation," Gifted Child Quarterly. Contributor, National Municipal Liability Reporter. Presenter, "Nursing Home Litigation," Annual Meeting, American Trial Lawyers Association. Faculty Member, Hastings College of Trial Advocacy. Member, American School Boards Association. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute. Fellow: Arkansas Bar Foundation. Practice Areas: Products Liability; Drug and Medical Device Litigation; Education Law; Insurance Coverage; Environmental Litigation.Email: W. Samuel Jones, III

Walter E. May (Member) born Hot Springs, Arkansas, May 6, 1951; admitted to bar, 1984, Arkansas. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., with honors, 1973); London School of Economics (M.Sc., 1974); Princeton University (M.P.A., 1978); Columbia University (J.D., 1984). Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Articles Editor, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, 1983-1984. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Securities; Mergers and Acquisitions.Email: Walter E. May

Lance R. Miller (Member) born Jonesboro, Arkansas, January 24, 1960; admitted to bar, 1985, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit and U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. Education: Arkansas State University (B.A., cum laude, 1982); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1985). Member: Arkansas Bar Association (Member, Debtor-Creditor Section); American Bankruptcy Institute; Debtor-Creditor Bar of Central Arkansas. (Chairman of the firm's Business Litigation and Bankruptcy Practice Team). Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Bankruptcy; Creditors Rights; Foreclosure; Personal Property Repossessions; Construction; Arbitration.Email: Lance R. Miller

Stuart P. Miller (Member) born Wellington, Texas, October 31, 1962; admitted to bar, 1988, Arkansas and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; U.S. Court of Appeals, 8th Circuit; U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Texas Tech University (B.A., 1985); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1988). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chair, Public Information Committee, 2004-2006; Chair, Editorial Advisory Board, 2002-2003; Chair, Membership Development, 1999; Chair, Law Practice Management, 1998; Chair, Young Lawyers Division, 1995-1996) and American (Member: Litigation Section) Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute; American Health Care Lawyers Association; International Association of Defense Counsel; Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel; Transportation Lawyers Association. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice; Nursing Home Malpractice; Products Liability Insurance Defense; Bad Faith Defense; Transportation Defense.Email: Stuart P. Miller

Ark Monroe, III (Member) born Haynesville, Louisiana, May 31, 1942; admitted to bar, 1967, Arkansas and U.S. District Court, Western District of Arkansas; 1976, U.S. Supreme Court; 1992, District of Columbia. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., 1964); University of Arkansas (J.D., 1967). Private Practice, Magnolia, Arkansas, 1967-1972. Insurance Commissioner, State of Arkansas, 1972-1976. Legislative Director, Senator Dale Bumpers, Washington, D.C., 1976-1981. Senior Vice President and General Counsel, Union Life Insurance Company, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1981-1989. IMSA Independent Assessor. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; District of Columbia Bar; Association of Life Insurance Counsel; Federation of Regulatory Counsel. Practice Areas: Insurance, Corporate and Regulatory; Health Care; Utility Law; General Federal Regulation and Legislative Practice.Email: Ark Monroe, III

Anne S. Parker (Member) born Jonesboro, Arkansas, May 30, 1943; admitted to bar, 1979, Arkansas. Education: Arkansas State University (B.S., 1965); University of Kentucky (M.A., 1968); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., with high honors, 1979). AAUW Educational Foundation Fellow, 1978-1979. Notes Editor, 1978 and Articles Editor, 1979, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal. Law Clerk to U.S. Circuit Judge Richard S. Arnold, 1979-1981. Chairman, Governor's Constitutional Revision Committee - Finance and Taxation, 1995. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; National Association of Bond Lawyers. Practice Areas: Municipal Finance; Corporate; Secured Lending; Securities.Email: Anne S. Parker

Lyn P. Pruitt (Member) born Gurdon, Arkansas, September 14, 1958; admitted to bar, 1984, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Ouachita Baptist University (B.A., summa cum laude, 1980); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., with honors, 1984). Alpha Chi. Editor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal, 1983-1984. Adjunct Professor, Trial Advocacy, University of Arkansas School of Law, 2002—. Recognized in The International Who's Who of Product Liability Defense Lawyers, The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Member: Tort Law Committee; Civil Procedure Committee; Chair, Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee) and American (Member: Tort Section; Insurance Practice Section) Bar Associations; International Association of Defense Counsel (Faculty, Trial Academy; Member, Board of Directors); American Board of Trial Advocates; Defense Research Institute (Member, Drug and Medical Device Committee). Practice Areas: Products Liability; Drug and Medical Device Defense; Class Actions; Multi-Party Litigation; Medical Malpractice Defense; Tort and Insurance Defense; Insurance Claims Litigation.Email: Lyn P. Pruitt

Jeffrey L. Singleton (Member) born Long Beach, California, March 30, 1971; admitted to bar, 1998, Arkansas; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas. Education: University of Mississippi (B.A., 1995); University of Arkansas (J.D., with honors, 1998). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Medical Malpractice Defense; Appellate Practice; Biomedical Products Liability; Drug and Medical Device Defense.Email: Jeffrey L. Singleton

Derrick W. Smith (Member) born 1975; admitted to bar, 2000, Arkansas. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., with distinction, 1997); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., with honors, 2000). Law Clerk, Honorable Olly Neal, Arkansas Court of Appeals. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas, American and National Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Corporate and Regulatory; Government Relations; Appellate Practice.Email: Derrick W. Smith

Stan D. Smith (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, May 27, 1959; admitted to bar, 1990, Arkansas; U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: University of Arkansas at Little Rock (B.S.B.A., 1981; J.D., with high honors, 1990). Member, 1988-1990 and Managing Editor, 1990, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review. Certified Public Accountant, Arkansas, 1994. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2006. Member: Pulaski County (Member, Sections on: Business Law; Taxation), Arkansas and American Bar Associations; The Arkansas Society of Certified Public Accountants. Practice Areas: Bankruptcy; Closely Held Business Entities; Mergers and Acquisitions; Business Law; Securities; General Corporate Law.Email: Stan D. Smith

Marcella J. Taylor (Member) born Havre, Montana, June 10, 1945; admitted to bar, 1982, Arkansas and U. S. Court of Appeals, Fourth and Eighth circuits.. Education: Willamette University (B.S., 1967); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1982). Case Note Editor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal, 1982. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Member, House of Delegates, Environmental Law Section) and American (Member, Section on Environmental, Energy and Resources) Bar Associations; Defense Research Institute. Practice Areas: Environmental Compliance and Litigation; Toxic Tort Litigation.Email: Marcella J. Taylor

Jeffrey Thomas (Member) born Memphis, Tennessee, July 13, 1960; admitted to bar, 1987, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 1994, District of Columbia. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1984; J.D., 1987). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American (Member, Sections on: Business, Antitrust Law, Tort and Insurance Practice) Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar. Practice Areas: Insurance Corporate and Regulatory Law; Health Law; Corporate Law; Governmental Relations.Email: Jeffrey Thomas

Nicholas Thompson (Member) born Memphis, Tennessee, December 16, 1954; admitted to bar, 1980, Arkansas and U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; 1989, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit; 1991, U.S. Supreme Court; 1993, District of Columbia. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1977; J.D., 1980). Author: "Banks Marketing Insurance - The New Frontier," Arkansas Bar Association, March, 1994. Associate Counsel, Arkansas Insurance Department, 1981-1983. Member: Arkansas (Chairman, 1994-1995 and Co-Chair, 1995-1996, Health Law Committee) and American (Member, Tort and Insurance Practice Section) Bar Associations; The District of Columbia Bar; Federation of Regulatory Counsel. Practice Areas: Insurance Corporate and Regulatory; Health Care; Governmental Relations.Email: Nicholas Thompson

William H. L. Woodyard, III (Member) born Little Rock, Arkansas, October, 27, 1945; admitted to bar, 1971, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1967; J.D., 1971). Law Clerk, Honorable George Rose Smith, Arkansas Supreme Court, 1971-1972. Presidential Appointee, Supplemental Health Insurance Panel, Department of Health and Human Services, 1980-1982. Vice President, 1980 and President, 1981, National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Commissioner, 1976-1982, Deputy Commissioner and Chief Counsel, 1973-1976, Arkansas Insurance Department. Chairman, Insurance Reform Committee of Governor's Health Care Reform Task Force. Member, Commissioner's Insurance Industry Economic Development Task Force. President, Passe' Club International (Former Insurance Commissioners). Member: Pulaski County (Member, Board of Directors, 1978-1980), Arkansas and American (Vice Chair, Public Regulation of Insurance Law Committee, Torts and Insurance Practice Section, 1990) Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Corporate and Regulatory Law.Email: William H. L. Woodyard, III

Walter G. Wright, Jr. (Member) born Hot Springs, Arkansas, October 18, 1957; admitted to bar, 1983, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S., 1980; J.D., 1983); The National Law Center, George Washington University (LL.M., 1985). Author: "In Storage Tank Funds We Trust: An Analysis of Their Role In Protecting the Environment and Small Business," 13 U.Ark. Little Rock L.J. (1991). Co-Author: "The Arkansas Air Pollution Control Program: Past, Present and Future," 51 Ark. L. Rev. 227 (1998); "Environmental Compliance Audits: The Arkansas Experience," 21 UALR L. Rev. 191 (1999); "Arkansas Facility/Real Property Redevelopment in the Year 2000: Tools Available to Resolve Environmental Issues," 52 Ark. L. Rev. 541 (2001); "The Federal/Arkansas Water Pollution Control Programs: Past, Present and Future," 24 UALR L. Rev. 310 (2001); "The Transactional Aspects of Mold-Risk Management and Allocation Issues," 54 Ark. L. Rev. 295 (2003). Adjunct Professor of Law, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law School, 1986—. Assistant Counsel, Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Washington, D.C., 1984-1985. Treasurer, United States Senator Blanche Lincoln Campaign Committee, 2003—. Member, Air and Waste Management Association and Chairman, Arkansas Chapter, 1998. Listed in The Best Lawyers in America, 2005— Editions. Practice Areas: Energy and Environmental Law; Legislative; Regulatory; Transactional Practice; Water Law.Email: Walter G. Wright, Jr.

Leigh Anne Yeargan (Member) born Fayetteville, Arkansas, October 1, 1967; admitted to bar, 1993, Arkansas, U.S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas and U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: Hendrix College (B.A., 1989); Washington University (J.D., 1993). Notes and Comments Editor, Journal of Urban and Contemporary Law. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals Bar Association. Practice Areas: Employment Litigation; ERISA; Insurance Defense; Employment Law; Litigation.Email: Leigh Anne Yeargan

ASSOCIATES

John "Trav" Baxter (Associate) admitted to bar, 2006, Arkansas. Education: Sewanee College (B.A., Political Science, 2003); University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2006); University of Florida School of Law (LL.M., Taxation, 2007). Associate Editor, Journal of Food Law and Policy, 2006. Member: Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Estate and Gift Taxation; State Taxation; Local Taxation; Income Tax; Taxation; Tax Planning.Email: John "Trav" Baxter

Courtney C. Crouch, III (Associate) born Hot Springs, Arkansas, 1975; admitted to bar, 2005, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., Accounting, 1998); Columbus School of Law of The Catholic University of America (J.D., Certificate in Securities and Corporate Law, 2005). Phi Alpha Delta, Member. Executive Board, Securities Law Students Association, 2004-2005. Senior Note & Comment Editor, The Journal of Contemporary Health Law and Policy, 2004-2005. Summer Law Clerk, U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, 2004. Communications Director, U.S. Representative Mike Ross, 2001-2002. Director, Congressional Correspondence, Office of Legislative Affairs, The White House, 1999-2000. Member: Arkansas (Secretary-Treasurer, Young Lawyers Section, 2006-2007) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Securities; Mergers and Acquisitions.Email: Courtney C. Crouch, III

Alex T. Gray (Associate) born 1982; admitted to bar, 2008, Arkansas. Education: University of Tennessee at Knoxville (B.A., Political Science, 2005); University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2008). Recipient, Dean's Certificate of Distinguished Service, St. Andrews Church. Managing Editor, UALR Law Review, 2007-2008. Practice Areas: Business Litigation; Real Estate Litigation; Commercial Transactions; Debtor and Creditor; Bankruptcy.Email: Alex T. Gray

John K. Harriman (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S., Business Administration, 2003); University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., 2007). Member, Arkansas Law Review. Member, Arkansas Student Bar Association President. Member: Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Insurance Regulation; Corporate Law; Administrative Law; Government Relations.Email: John K. Harriman

Delena C. Hurst (Associate) born Houston, Texas, May 15, 1979; admitted to bar, 2005, Texas; 2006, Colorado; 2007, Arkansas. Education: University of Texas at Austin (B.S., Advertising, 2000); Southern Methodist University (J.D., 2004). Order of Barristers. Staff Editor, 2002-2003 and Senior Note/Comment Editor, 2003-2004, Computer Law Review. Member: Arkansas and Colorado Bar Associations; State Bar of Texas. Languages: Mandarin Chinese. Practice Areas: Toxic Tort Defense; Civil Litigation; Insurance Defense; Products Liability; Medical Malpractice.Email: Delena C. Hurst

Benjamin D. Jackson (Associate) born 1981; admitted to bar, 2006, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 2003); University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., magna cum laude, 2006). Practice Areas: Litigation; Health Care Litigation.Email: Benjamin D. Jackson

Margaret A. Johnston (Associate) born Fayetteville, Arkansas, June 20, 1970; admitted to bar, 2003, Arkansas. Education: Georgetown University (B.S.F.S., 1993); University of Arkansas, William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., with honors, 2003). Symposium Editor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, 2002-2003. Author: Note, "Environmental Law—Clean Water Act," 24 U. Ark. Little Rock L. Rev. 329, Winter 2002; "The Supreme Court Scales Back the Army Corps of Engineers' Jurisdiction over 'Navigable Waters' Under the Clean Water Act," Solid Waste Agency v. United States Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159, 2001. Member, Alumni Board, University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Business Law; Corporate Law; Real Estate; Banking Law; Banking Regulation; Intellectual Property Licensing; Mergers and Acquisitions; Commercial Loans.Email: Margaret A. Johnston

Cristina S. Monterrey (Associate) born 1981; admitted to bar, 2006, Arkansas. Education: Columbia University (B.A., 2003); University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., 2006). Counsel to lenders, developers, retailers and investors in real estate and asset-based financing transactions. Represents real estate developers, retailers, investors and petroleum marketers in the purchase, sale, lease and finance of real property. Advises business and individual clients regarding the formation, restructuring, merger, acquisition and sale of businesses. Member: Arkansas and American Bar Associations; Hispanic National Bar Association. Languages: Spanish. Practice Areas: Corporate Law; Real Estate; Securities.Email: Cristina S. Monterrey

Jeffrey L. Spillyards (Associate) born Fayetteville, Arkansas, September 30, 1978; admitted to bar, 2004, Arkansas and U. S. District Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas; 2005, U.S. Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. Education: University of Arkansas at Fayetteville (B.S.B.A., in Financial Management, magna cum laude, 2001); University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., with high honors, 2004). Phi Alpha Delta. William H. Bowen Scholar. Justice, William H. Bowen Honor Council, 2003-2004. Assistant Managing Editor, University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, 2003-2004. Practice Areas: Employment Litigation; Business Litigation; Products Liability; ERISA Litigation.Email: Jeffrey L. Spillyards

Zachary T. Steadman (Associate) admitted to bar, 2007, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S., B.A., Accounting, 2002); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 2007). Practice Areas: Civil Practice; Medical Malpractice Defense; Insurance Defense; Nursing Home Litigation.Email: Zachary T. Steadman

OF COUNSEL

Joseph W. Gelzine (Of Counsel) born Easton, Pennsylvania, January 21, 1941; admitted to bar, 1965, Arkansas. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S., 1963; LL.B., 1965). Law Clerk, Chief Justice, Arkansas Supreme Court, 1965. Estate Tax Examiner, Internal Revenue Service, 1966-1967. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Estate Planning(50%); Taxation(30%); Real Estate(10%); Construction Law(10%).Email: Joseph W. Gelzine

Hermann Ivester (Of Counsel) born New Orleans, Louisiana, July 15, 1941; admitted to bar, 1972, Arkansas; registered to practice before U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Education: University of Arkansas-Fayetteville (B.S.E.E., with high honors, 1964); Southern Methodist University (M.S.E.E., 1968); University of Arkansas (J.D., with high honors, 1972). Phi Alpha Delta. Lecturer, University of Arkansas School of Law, 1977-1980. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Banking Law; Banking Regulation; Corporate Law; Public Utilities Law; Patent and Trademark Law.Email: Hermann Ivester

H. Maurice Mitchell (Of Counsel) born Clarendon, Arkansas, October 23, 1925; admitted to bar, 1949, Arkansas; 1978, U.S. Supreme Court; 1991, District of Columbia. Education: University of Arkansas (B.A., 1946); Washington & Lee University (J.D., 1948). Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America, 1993— editions; Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Real Estate. Member: Pulaski County (President, 1990-1991), Arkansas (Member, Executive Committee; Secretary-Treasurer, 1952-1959) and American Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Corporate; Finance; Real Estate.Email: H. Maurice Mitchell

John S. Selig (Of Counsel) born Chicago, Illinois, November 3, 1939; admitted to bar, 1963, Arkansas; 1964, U.S. Court of Military Appeals; 1966, U.S. Supreme Court. Education: Tulane University; University of Arkansas (LL.B., 1963); New York University. Author: "Revised and Expanded Chapter 8, Registration and Regulation of Brokers-Dealers, Agents and Investment Advisors," Vol. II, Part 2, Business Organizations - Blue Sky Regulations, Matthew Bender & Co., Inc., 1992, 1994 and 1998 Revisions. Arkansas Securities Commissioner, 1971-1974. Arkansas Savings & Loan Supervisor, 1971-1974. Listed in: The Best Lawyers in America, 1991-2005 editions; Chambers and Partners USA: Leading Business Lawyers, Corporate/Mergers and Acquisitions. Member, Governor's Task Force to Revise the Arkansas Banking Laws, Chair, Bank Powers Subcommittee (Enacted as the Arkansas Banking Code of 1997). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, State and Federal Regulation of Securities Committee, 1976-1977, 1979-1980, 1982-1984) and American (Member: Business Law Section; Arkansas Liaison State Regulation of Securities Committee) Bar Associations; American Law Institute (Adviser to Reporter, Federal Securities Code Project, 1974). [Active Duty With JAGC, USA, 1964-1967; Col., U.S. Army Reserve (Retired)]. Practice Areas: Corporate; Mergers and Acquisitions; Banking; Securities; Public Utility Law.Email: John S. Selig

Jean D. Stockburger (Of Counsel) born Scottsboro, Alabama, February 4, 1936; admitted to bar, 1979, Arkansas. Education: Auburn University (B.A., magna cum laude, 1958); Tulane University of Louisiana (M.S.W., 1962); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1979). Phi Kappa Phi. Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Corporations. Member, Editorial Staff, UALR Law Journal, 1978-1979. Co-Author: "Basic Drafting of Wills and Trusts in Arkansas", National Business Journal, Inc., 1988; "Probate Law," The Arkansas Lawyer, January, 1989. The Best Lawyers in America, 1995— editions. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Chairman, Probate and Trust Law Section, 1986-1988) and American (Member, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section) Bar Associations; Central Arkansas Estate Council (President, 1987-1988); American College of Trust and Estate Counsel. Practice Areas: Probate and Estate Planning.Email: Jean D. Stockburger

Richard A. Williams (Of Counsel) born Fort Worth, Texas, July 8, 1934; admitted to bar, 1958, Texas; 1961, Arkansas. Education: University of Texas (B.J.; B.A., 1955; LL.B., 1958). Fellow: American College of Trust and Estate Counsel; American College of Tax Counsel; American Bar Foundation. Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas and American Bar Associations; International Academy of Estate and Trust Law. Practice Areas: Taxation and Estate Planning.Email: Richard A. Williams

COUNSEL

Catherine M. Corless (Counsel) born St. Louis, Missouri, April 27, 1978; admitted to bar, 2003, Tennessee. (Not admitted in Arkansas). Education: University of Central Arkansas (B.S., 2000); Vanderbilt University (J.D., 2003). Scholastic Excellence, Professional Responsibility. President, 2002-2003 and Treasurer, 2001-2002, Vanderbilt Trial Advocacy Society. Member: Tennessee Bar Association.Email: Catherine M. Corless

Jeffrey H. Dixon (Counsel) born Russellville, Arkansas, July, 1964; admitted to bar, 1989, Arkansas and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Arkansas; 1992, U.S. Tax Court. Education: University of Arkansas (B.S.P.A., 1986; J.D., 1989); University of Florida (LL.M., in Taxation, 1991). Member: Pulaski County, Jefferson County, Arkansas and American (Member, Joint Committee on Employee Benefits) Bar Associations; American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries. Practice Areas: Qualified and Nonqualified Retirement Plans; Employee Benefits; ERISA; Trusts and Estates; Insurance Taxation; Estate Planning; Probate.Email: Jeffrey H. Dixon

Anton Janik, Jr. (Counsel) born June 16, 1972; admitted to bar, 2003, Colorado; 2007, Arkansas, U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. Tax Court. Education: Middlebury College (B.A., 1995); University of Denver (J.D., 2003); Georgetown University Law Center (LL.M., Taxation, 2007). Recipient, U.S. Attorney General's Outstanding Attorney Award, 2005 and 2006. Staff Editor, Denver University Law Review. Managing Editor, Denver Journal of International Law and Policy. Honors Law Graduate, Department of Justice Tax Division's Honors Program. Author: Prosecuting al Qaeda: America's Human Rights Policy Interests Are Best Served By Trying Terrorists Under International Tribunals, 30 Denv. J. Int'l. L. & Pol'y 498 (2002). Adjunct Professor, UALR College of Business. Senior Tax Controversy Advisor, The Tax Lawyer, 2006-2007. Trial Attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. Member, Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation Professional Advisory Council. Member: Arkansas Bar Association. Reported Cases: Cent. Valley Ag Enters. v. United States, 326 B.R. 807 (E.D.Cal. 2005); Devin v. United States, 423 F. Supp. 2d 1232 (W.D.Wyo. 2006); Sala v. United States, 100 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 5097 (D.Colo. 2007); Sala v. United States, 99 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 3011 (D. Colo. 2007); Sala v. United States, 99 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 2551 (D.Colo. 2007); Sala v. United States, 99 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1709 (D.Colo. 2007); United States v. Montgomery Global Advisors V LLC, 97 A.F.T.R.2d (RIA) 1528 (N.D.Cal. 2006); Vision Serv. Plan v. United States, 2006-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) 50,173 (E.D.Cal. 2005); Vision Serv. Plan v. United States, 2008-1 U.S. Tax Cas. (CCH) 50,160 (9th Cir. 2008). Practice Areas: Federal Tax Controversies; Tax Litigation; State Tax Controversies; Complex Commercial Litigation; Class Actions; Insurance Defense.Email: Anton Janik, Jr.

Todd L. Newton (Counsel) born 1967; admitted to bar, 1995, Arkansas. Education: Baylor University (B.A., 1989); University of Arkansas at Little Rock (J.D., 1995). Practice Areas: Insurance Defense; Nursing Home Litigation; Information Management and Security.Email: Todd L. Newton

Jennifer R. Pierce (Counsel) born Saratoga, Arkansas, June, 1976; admitted to bar, 2001, Arkansas. Education: Southern Arkansas University (B.B.A., Accounting, 1998); William H. Bowen School of Law (J.D., 2001); New York University (LL.M, Taxation, 2002). Member: Pulaski County, Arkansas (Secretary/Treasurer, Probate Law Section, 2006-2007) and American (Member, Tax Section) Bar Associations. Practice Areas: Taxation; Estate Planning; Corporate Law; Estate Administration; Tax Exempt Organizations; Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations; Charitable Trusts and Foundations; Private Foundations; Real Estate; Probate.Email: Jennifer R. Pierce