Little Rock law firm Wright Lindsey Jennings has elevated four attorneys to partner status: Eli Bauer, Collins Hickman, Jennifer Smith and Zach Trail.
Bauer’s practice focuses on corporate formation and governance, operations, reorganizations and disputes, mergers and acquisitions, state and local tax, contract negotiations, real estate transactions, as well as business incentives and credits. His regulatory and administrative experience is concentrated in Arkansas’s medical cannabis industry. Since 2022, Mid-South Super Lawyers has recognized Bauer as a “Rising Star” in business/corporate law, cannabis law, administrative law and tax law.
Eli Bauer
He earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville (magna cum laude). He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Political Science from Arkansas State University. He is a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock, Class XL.
Hickman’s commercial litigation practice centers around banking law, contract disputes and trust litigation. He also regularly provides contract drafting and review services for a variety of clients. In his corporate practice, Hickman assists clients with business entity formation, corporate governance and real estate acquisitions. Also, sports law and athlete representation are Hickman’s passions. After the NCAA amended its bylaws to allow student-athletes to profit off their name, image,and likeness (NIL) for the first time in history, he gained specialized knowledge in NIL compliance, contract drafting and representing student-athletes.
Collins Hickman
He currently serves as a board member for two non-profit organizations: the Pulaski County Bar Foundation and the American Red Cross of Greater Arkansas. He is also a volunteer coach for the Miracle League of Arkansas. A Little Rock native, Hickman is a graduate of Catholic High School, the University of Arkansas (cum laude) and UALR Bowen School of Law (magna cum laude).
Smith rejoined WLJ in 2025 after working in-house at the state’s only academic health sciences university, and she previously practiced as a registered nurse. With 18 years of health law experience, Smith guides clients through regulatory, administrative and compliance concerns. She represents health care providers in numerous areas, including health care contracting, medical staff issues, professional licensing matters, government investigations and regulatory actions, fraud and abuse laws and regulations, patient privacy, telemedicine, risk management and regulatory compliance. She also has extensive experience advising clients on the Healthcare Quality Improvement Act, the Arkansas Peer Review Fairness Act, the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, HIPAA and compliance with CMS guidelines and regulations.
Jennifer Smith
She is a graduate of Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. In 2024, Smith was appointed Vice Chair of the American Health Law Association (AHLA) Healthcare Liability and Litigation Practice Group. She previously served as a participant in the AHLA Medical Staff, Credentialing and Peer Review Practice Group. She has served on the Boards of Directors for Dress for Success Northwest Arkansas, the Central Arkansas Rescue Effort (CARE) for Animals and the Arkansas Regional Organ Recovery Association (ARORA). She is a graduate of the UAMS Leadership Institute and Leadership Greater Little Rock, Class XXXII and is a member of the Emergency Nurses Association.
Trail is a litigation partner in the firm’s Rogers office. He has a diverse practice assisting individuals and businesses in a variety of matters, including business-related disputes involving breach of contract, trade secrets, fraud, real estate, construction defects and insurance issues. His litigation practice also includes cases involving product liability, tractor-trailer accidents, premises liability and insurance defense. He has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pre-filing diligence, pleadings, fact and expert discovery, mediations, hearings, critical motions and trials. Trail also counsels clients on contractual issues, real-property disputes, internal business disagreements and agricultural matters.
Zach Trail
Before joining the firm, Trail clerked for the Honorable D. Price Marshall Jr. of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. He earned his undergraduate degree and J.D. from the University of Arkansas, where he was an articles editor for the Arkansas Law Review. Trail is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association and ALFA International. He serves on the board of WelcomeHealth, a free health clinic in Fayetteville.
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