This month, Arkansas Money & Politics introduces its Legal Elite, 100 of the state’s top attorneys specializing in areas of the law, ranging from sports law to bankruptcy litigation.
Nominated by AMP readers, these lawyers are among the best in their field; their work helps advance the legal profession in Arkansas.
[Editor’s note: We simply didn’t have room to profile all 100, so a few listings were randomly selected for a brief profile and headshot.]Administrative/Regulatory Law
David Fuqua
Fuqua Campbell, P.A.
Administrative/Regulatory Law
Megan D. Hargraves
Mitchell Williams
Agricultural/energy law and litigation
James D. Rankin III
James D. Rankin III
Banking and Finance Law
Charles D. McDaniel
Eichenbaum Liles P.A.
Banking and Finance Law
Jennifer Wilson-Harvey
The Wilson Law Group
Jennifer Wilson-Harvey is the managing partner and a member of the executive committee of Wilson & Associates, a three-state law firm dedicated to the representation of the real estate and mortgage banking industry in Arkansas, Tennessee and Mississippi. She received a B.S. from Louisiana State University and an MBA and J.D. with honors from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She was admitted to the bar of the states of Arkansas and Tennessee in 1999 and Mississippi in 2017.
Banking and Finance Law
Aaron Squyres
Wilson & Associates, PLLC
Banking and Finance Litigation
Grant Fortson
Lax, Vaughan, Fortson, Rowe & Threet, P.A.
Business Law and Intellectual Property
Debby Winters
Cascade Law Group
Business litigation and personal injury
Melody Piazza
Trammell Piazza Law Firm
Melody Piazza practiced with the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney in Sebastian County from 1985 to 1987 and then in Pulaski County from 1987 through 2001, where she served as chief deputy prosecutor from 1996 until her departure in 2001 when she joined the firm of Wilkes & McHugh, P.A. During her tenure with Wilkes & McHugh, Piazza was the primary litigator on numerous nursing home, trucking and other personal injury matters.
Child welfare
(Attorney ad litem program assistant director)
Janet Bledsoe
Administrative Office of the Courts
Civil litigation
Julie DeWoody Greathouse
PPGMR Law PLLC
Civil rights law
Shawn Childs
John W. Walker, P.A.
Class action/mass tort
Michael Barnes
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
Commercial Litigation
Michael Shannon
Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC
Construction
Patrick Wilson
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
Construction Law
David Gershner
Davidson Law Firm
Construction, Litigation & Arbitration
David M. Powell
Rose Law Firm
Corporate and securities
John P. Fletcher
Kutak Rock
Corporate compliance
Mike Jackson
Murphy Oil Corporation
Corporate compliance
Kristi Moody
Windstream
Corporate Law
Paul Parnell
Rose Law Firm
Corporate, Litigation, and Investigations
Conner Eldridge
Eldridge Brooks Partners
Corporate, M&A, and Funds & Investments
Steve Brooks
Eldridge Brooks Partners
Criminal Defense
Pam Epperson
Epperson Panasiuk Law
Pamela Epperson earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 1993 and her Juris Doctor at UALR’s William H. Bowen School of Law in 1999. Since graduating from law school, she has worked as a deputy prosecutor, deputy public defender and a criminal defense attorney. She has worked for two of Little Rock’s most prominent criminal defense attorneys, John Wesley Hall and Jack Lassiter, and also worked as a personal injury and disability lawyer for Law Offices of Gary Green.
Criminal Defense
Tamera Deaver
Law Offices of Tamera Deaver
Criminal Defense
Lauren Elenbaas
The Shaw Firm
Criminal Defense:
Blue-Collar
Mark F. Hampton, P.A.
MFH
Criminal Defense:
Blue-Collar
Frank Shaw
The Shaw Firm
Criminal Defense:
General Practice
Cara Boyd Connors
Law Office of Boyd Connors
Cara Boyd Connors is a former hearing officer, deputy prosecuting attorney and Parole Board hearing officer. Her solo practice focuses on criminal law and employment/labor law. Born and raised in Memphis, she attended Hendrix College and studied abroad at Oxford, St. Peter’s College, where she conducted a comparative analysis between the American and British political systems. Licensed to practice law in Tennessee and Arkansas, she graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of law in 2010.
Criminal Defense:
White-Collar
Chuck Banks
Banks Law Firm
Criminal Defense:
White-Collar
George “Birc” Morledge,
IV Morledge Law Firm
Criminal law
Greg Bryant
Greg Bryant, Attorney at Law
Criminal law – prosecution
Benecia Moore
U.S. Attorney’s Office
DUI/DWI Defense
Tommy L. Bennett
Bennett & Williams, PLLC
DUI/DWI Defense
Brian Ray
Collins, Collins & Ray, P.A
DUI/DWI Defense
John Collins
Collins, Collins & Ray, P.A
Education Law
Cody Kees
Bequette, Billingsley & Kees, P.A.
Elder Law
Frank Dudeck
Dudeck Law Firm
Elder Law
Jennifer Glover
Natural State Law, PLLC
Employment Law
Amber Wilson Bagley
Cross Gunter Witherspoon & Galchus
Employment Law
Michael U. Sutterfield
Law Offices of Michael U. Sutterfield
Energy Law
Steve Joiner
Rose Law Firm
Environmental Law
Steve Quattlebaum
Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC
Environmental, Energy, & Water Law
Brian Rosenthal
Rose Law Firm
Environmental/oil and gas
John Peiserich
PPGMR Law PLLC
Estate planning and probate
David E. Simmons
David E. Simmons Attorney at Law
Estate Planning and Probate
John Lessel
RMP LLP
Executive Compensation & Employee Benefits
Bryant Cranford
Rose Law Firm
Family Law
Sam Hilburn
Hilburn, Calhoon, Harper, Pruniski & Calhoun, Ltd.
Family Law
Katherine Blackmon Carroll
Law Offices of Katherine E. Blackmon
Established in 1997, the Law Offices of Katherine E. Blackmon provides representation in the area of family law. The firm’s goals are to walk clients through difficult domestic situations and to provide representation tailored for each individual client. Blackmon’s firm serves the unique needs of each client and works toward fair resolutions while vigorously protecting its clients’ rights and needs. Blackmon graduated from Southern Methodist University and received her J.D. from the University of Southern California.
Family Law
Molly Lucas
Lucas Law PLLC
Family Law & Attorney Ad Litem
Hadley M. Hindmarsh
The Hindmarsh Law Firm PA
General counsel
Jane Duke
Tyson Foods
General counsel
Daniel Heard
Uniti
Government relations
Mark Stodola
Barber Law Firm
Health care law
Ashley Welch Hudson
Kutak Rock
Health Care Law
Gabriel D. Mallard
Mallard Gardner, PLLC
Immigration Law
Arminda Ferguson
Ferguson Immigration Law
Immigration Law
Jonathan Martin
Monterrey Law Firm
Insurance
Kevin J. Staten
Laser Law Firm
Intellectual property/entrepreneurial law
Jamie Fugitt
PPGMR Law PLLC
Jamie Fugitt represents entrepreneurs, investors and technology startups. He helps to organize and form businesses, helps with private investment and other financing methods, and helps with company operations. His practice includes investment transactions, mergers and acquisitions, securities compliance, trademarks and other intellectual property, contracts, corporate governance, internet and software matters and other business transactions. He also represents traditional small and large businesses in the same practice areas as well as filmmakers and other creative professionals in the area of entertainment law.
Labor & Employment Law
David Martin
Rose Law Firm
Labor and employment
Michael Moore
Friday, Eldredge & Clark
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Robert R. Danecki
Danecki Law Firm
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Will Harris
Harris Law Firm
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Kent Pray
Pray Law Firm
Litigation – Bankruptcy
Tom Hardin
Rose Law Firm
Litigation – Business, Trust, & Estates
Bourgon Reynolds
Rose Law Firm
Litigation – Commercial
Rick Donovan
Rose Law Firm
Litigation – Insurance
Mike Smith
Attorney Michael Smith
Litigation—Business, Bankruptcy, and Trusts & Estates
David Mitchell, Jr.
Rose Law Firm
Mediation
John Dewey Watson
John Dewey Watson, PA
Mergers & Acquisitions
Walter E. May
Mitchell Williams
Mergers and acquisitions
Bryan Duke
Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP
Mergers and acquisitions
Fred M. Perkins III
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
Fred Perkins’ practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, corporate governance, securities, real estate, contracts and general business and commercial transactions. Previously, he worked at Stephens Inc. as an investment banker in corporate finance, for Acxiom focused on corporate development, and he began his legal career at WLJ before leaving for Acxiom. He received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas (with high honors), where he was managing editor of the Arkansas Law Review.
Personal finance/estate planning
Skip Davidson
Davidson Law Firm
Personal Injury Litigation
Tony A. DiCarlo, III
Anderson Murphy Hopkins
Personal Injury Litigation
Kayce Green
Law Offices of Gary Green
Personal Injury Litigation
Jessica Virden Mallett
Law Offices of Peter Miller
Personal Injury Litigation
Mike Rainwater
Rainwater, Holt & Sexton
Personal Injury Litigation
Taylor King
Taylor King Law
Personal Injury Litigation
Brad Hendricks
The Brad Hendricks Law Firm
Personal Injury Litigation
Will Bond
McMath Woods P.A.
Real estate law
J. Cliff McKinney
Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC
Real Estate Law
Robyn Allmendinger
Rose Law Firm
Regulatory and government affairs
Chad Causey
Causey Law Firm
Sports law
Judy Simmons Henry
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
Sports law
Jason Browning
WRIGHT LINDSEY JENNINGS
Tax law
Jennifer L Bell
Bell & Company
Tax Law
Price Gardner
Friday Eldredge & Clark LLP
Price Gardner serves as the Friday firm’s managing partner. His work focuses on corporate matters, mergers and acquisitions, asset dispositions, taxation, real estate transactions, nonprofit organizations, financings and health care transactions and related matters. He has extensive experience in representation of parties in corporate and pass-through entity formations, operations, reorganizations and disputes; merger and asset purchase and sale transactions; the formation and syndication of health care entities such as practice groups, surgery centers, and hospitals; real estate and like-kind Section 1031 exchange transactions; and debt and equity financings.
Tax Law
Richard Williams
Mitchell Williams
Tax law
Neil Deininger
Neil Deininger & Company
Tax Law
Adam Crow
Rose Law Firm
Adam Crow has a broad practice in the areas of estate and business planning, mergers and acquisitions and taxation. He provides counsel to high net-worth individuals, personal representatives and trustees in regard to trust and estate matters and develops plans to preserve and protect family wealth and minimize tax burdens. Adam also represents clients in a wide range of business matters, including the acquisition and disposition of business interests, company formation and governance, financing matters and real estate transactions. In addition, he advises clients with respect to complex federal and state tax planning and controversies.
Tax Law
Reba M. Wingfield
Wingfield & Corry, P.A.
Tax law
Jim Smith
Smith Hurst PLC
Tax Law
Michele Allgood
Mitchell Williams
Michele Allgood has extensive experience in all areas of municipal finance, including bond counsel, underwriter’s counsel, issuer’s counsel, trustee’s counsel, purchaser’s counsel and borrower’s counsel. She represents state agencies, cities, counties, facility boards and commissions in matters of capital improvement and economic development projects. Allgood has experience in taxable, tax exempt, public and private municipal-finance transactions and advises clients in general corporate law, business transactions and government relations in matters of public finance law.
Trademark Law
Mark Henry
Henry Law Firm
Trademark Law
Adam Hopkins
Rose Law Firm
Trusts and Estates
Mike Munnerlyn
Fuqua Campbell, P.A.
Trusts and Estates
Drew Benham
Gill Ragon Owen, P.A.