Over the course of nearly two decades of practice, Vanessa Cash Adams has helped hundreds of individuals, families and businesses work through the various hurdles of financial hardship. Whether it be bankruptcy, divorce, the death of a loved one or property disputes, Adams has built her reputation on giving clients the tools they need to escape the cycle of debt and better their situation.
“I want my clients to feel that they are not alone and that I truly understand the stress and anxiety they are going through when having to meet with a bankruptcy lawyer,” Adams said.
Before opening her eponymous practice in Little Rock, Adams was one of the founding attorneys behind ARlaw Partners. Then as now, Adams has always striven to take a collaborative approach to leadership, understanding that a workplace culture that accepts and encourages individuality sets up not only the members of her team for success but the organization as a whole.
“My team and I work toward the same goal for our clients — achieving a new start — from the first phone call or email all the way to the courtroom,” Adams said. “It takes the entire team to make it happen.”
In addition to learning how to be an effective lawyer from mentors over the years, Adams also learned much from opposing counsel early on, such as the importance of mutual respect and courtesy when working on opposite sides of an issue. As with any corner of the legal profession — though perhaps all the more so in fraught areas such as bankruptcy — Adams has also had to develop a thick skin.
“Throughout my career, I’ve had to learn to take nothing personally and to let trivial things go so I can focus on what’s important: figuring out the ultimate goal for my clients and determining how to achieve and attain those goals,” she said.
Unexpected circumstances can blindside a family emotionally, as well as financially, so Adams’ role is just as much about education as it is about empathy. While her depth of experience allows her to provide the best solutions to her clients, it is Adams’ careful and caring approach that enables individuals to take those tools and embark on a new chapter.
“It’s so cliche but true — the most rewarding part of my work is helping people and businesses navigate the complexities of bankruptcy law during one of the most difficult times and finding the pathway that works best to achieve a new start,” Adams said.
Adams also spends time investing in the future of her profession outside of the office. She is past president of the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers and the debtor-creditor division of the Arkansas Bar Association, having served on the AAWL board and a number of committees over the years. With her eager involvement in these and other groups, the Little Rock native embodies the advice she would offer to young professionals getting started in their own legal careers.
“Don’t try to limit yourself,” she said. “The more you learn, the better equipped you’ll be to handle things in the future.”
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Law Office of Vanessa Cash Adams
111 Center St., Suite 1200, Little Rock
501.400.7395
With 19 years of experience in consumer and business bankruptcy litigation, Vanessa Cash Adams plays a key role in helping Arkansans navigate the complexities involved in debt reorganization and asset protection. A 2007 graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and 2004 graduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Adams was admitted to the Arkansas Bar in 2007. Her undergraduate degree in journalism gave her a strong foundation in communication, while other essential skills have come through hands-on experience. Adams has spoken at various legal conferences within the state on nuances and evolving issues in bankruptcy law, and she served as past president of the Arkansas Association of Women Lawyers and the debtor-creditor division of the Arkansas Bar Association.
