Due Diligence
There are many qualities that define Angela Mann as an attorney, but perhaps the most important characteristic keeping the co-founder of Mann & Kemp in Little Rock in the courtroom is this: She likes to be right.
“I’m the kind of person that if somebody tells me, ‘You never said that,’ I’ll go back through my text messages and show them where I did,” she said. “When it comes to the law, I do research and know what the law says and am prepared to provide that in court, if needed, just to strengthen my position.”
Mann originally pursued a career in sales after earning a marketing degree from Christian Brothers University in Memphis, but after realizing that a life of cold calls and closings was not for her, she attended law school at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.
She cut her teeth at a law firm in Little Rock before forming Mann & Kemp with her colleague Harrison Kemp in 2017. Mann said Kemp shares her dedication to doing things the right way and not the easy way, and she trusts him completely as a business partner.
“The two of us just had very similar goals, very similar practice styles, very similar expectations for ourselves and for each other, and so it made sense for us to form our own firm,” she said. “It was very scary to do that, but it worked out.”
Primarily practicing family law, Mann said she embraces the opportunity to take an analytical approach to cases that are often emotionally charged.
“One thing that is unique about family law is that we are in court quite a bit,” she said. “We’re in court a lot, and we deal with a lot of financial issues. A divorce with assets, it’s like splitting up a business, and so there are a lot of assets that kind of go through the family law courts, and I really enjoy that. It’s like a puzzle.”
She added that the greatest advantage she provides clients in divorce and custody cases is understanding how the court will respond to factors such as children’s social media and the parents’ new partners.
“That’s really the most value that we bring to our clients as attorneys is knowledge of the law and, also, knowledge of how a particular judge views a particular situation,” she said.
Custody laws have changed since she has been in practice, she added, and joint custody is now the expectation. Mann said the keys to successful co-parenting are communication and mutual respect.
She added that she is not afraid to tell clients things they might not want to hear.
“My job is to help you get the best outcome and to help you get to that outcome, and sometimes that means I may have to tell you to do something that makes you uncomfortable,” she said. “I may tell you that you’ve done something wrong. I may give you advice to do or not do something that is different than what you want, but I do that because I know or can anticipate what we need to do to get the best outcome in the end.”
Divorce can be difficult, she added, and she feels most rewarded when she sees clients walk away knowing they made a positive decision and are ready to take their next steps in life.
Mann recently joined the 20th Century Club and is a member of the Pulaski County Bar Association, the Arkansas Bar Association and the Judge William R. Overton American Inn of Court. She has helped guide legislation about issues impacting her field and delights in helping newer attorneys find their footing.
“I’ve had people, like younger attorneys, reach out for advice or my input on a particular case or a particular set of facts or, you know, had an attorney ask to sit in on a deposition. That’s been really rewarding, having other attorneys seek my advice or seek to learn from me,” she said. “That’s something I do hope to continue to do.”
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