Arkansas

Friday Eldredge & Clark, commonly known as "The Friday Firm," is an Arkansas-focused firm with a distinguished history serving clients across a wide range of practice areas. The firm, which is the largest in Arkansas, employing close to a hundred attorneys, offers a strong corporate practice that complements general business and commercial litigation capabilities regarded by peers as second to none. The firm's expertise extends well beyond the commercial realm, however, encompassing more than fifty practice areas, including government affairs, regulatory law, employment and healthcare. In-depth understanding of horse racing and gaming law is one of the more niche practice areas the firm has cornered over the years. A short list of the firm's notable clients of late includes names such as Baptist Heath, Arkansas Children's Hospital, the Little Rock School District, Entergy, Cargill, Browning Arms Company, Pfizer and Murphy Oil.

William Waddell, Jr. is a standout name for the firm who heads up the commercial litigation and regulation practice group. He frequently represents banks, insurance companies, health care entities and various associations. Kevin Crass leads the class action and business ligation group. He focuses his practice on class action claims involving everything from securities fraud to patent and trademark infringement to environmental and toxic torts. William Mell GriffinIII is a highly experienced trial lawyer who concentrates much of his work on defending clients against claims involving product liability and medical malpractice.

Mitchell Williams Selig Gates & Woodyard is a full-service firm that has seen notable expansion in recent years, opening offices in Texas and Pennsylvania to compliment the Arkansas locations in Little Rock, Jonesboro and Rogers. The firm, which employs more than 80 lawyers, categorizes its practices into three primary areas of service: business, regulated business and litigation. With respect to litigation, a few of the standout partners are R.T. Beard III and Sherry Bartley. Beard is an accomplished trial lawyer and managing director of the firm who concentrates his practice on representing insurance companies, and self-insured corporations in a breadth of civil litigation. Bartley represents similar clients and possesses particularly deep expertise in environmental and toxic tort claims. Lyn Pruitt is singled out for a strong medical device and pharmaceutical practice.

Alternately referred to as "the premier litigation firm in Arkansas" and a group of "exceptional litigators and trial attorneys," Quattlebaum Grooms & Tull is a full-service firm with more than 30 lawyers spread between offices in Little Rock and Springdale. As the above-mentioned feedback indicates, much of the firm's reputation is built on proven litigation capabilities and experience handling high stakes matters in state and federal courtrooms across Arkansas and surrounding states. One client offers particularly high praise for Steve Quattlebaum, John Tull III and Michael Shannon. "They have an ability to handle the most complex litigation in a cost effective manner," the client tells Benchmark, referring to the three partners. "They are exceptional in breaking down complicated matters to simple terms that can be effectively conveyed to juries. They are responsive to our needs. In addition, they are all great guys - the kind you would enjoy having dinner with." Another client, adding to the praise, calls Steve Quattlebaum, "a very capable trial counsel with great experience," who is "extremely committed to the case, and willing to go the extra mile without question."

One notable emphasis area for the firm is incorporating cutting-edge document management technology - and integrating such technology into jury trial strategizing. One peer says, "Steve is cutting-edge in his use of technology. Whatever new is out there, he is using it in terms of trial work." The firm currently serves as a member of the multi-district litigation defense team on behalf of Johnson and Johnson in a product liability case involving defective hip implants. In another significant matter of late, attorneys are representing Entergy Arkansas in a series of cases involving an accident at a nuclear power plant. The representation, which is valued at roughly $100 million, involves workers compensation claims, defense of personal injury claims, and the prosecution of a breach of contract and negligence action.

Williams & Anderson is a business law firm employing more than a dozen lawyers with litigation expertise encompassing appellate law, commercial disputes, estate and tax planning, intellectual property, banking and creditors' rights, construction claims, labor and employment, heath care, medical law and real estate. The firm, which operates a single office in downtown Little Rock, is particularly well known for working with clients to ensure their business needs are in line with litigation strategies and resulting legal costs. Philip Kaplan is among the partners singled out for praise by peers. In addition to general business and commercial disputes, he possesses experience in employment law and civil rights matters. Kaplan, working in conjunction with other Williams & Anderson attorneys, recently secured a summary judgment win on behalf of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in a high profile employment discrimination lawsuit. Marie Bernarde Miller is a star attorney with the firm known for her work in commercial and business law, including employment defense, title insurance defense, deceptive trade practices, and contract disputes.

Wright Lindsey & Jennings is a full-service firm that operates two offices in Little Rock in addition to maintaining a presence in Northwest Arkansas through a Roger's office. With a history in Arkansas dating back more than a century, the firm has developed a formidable litigation practice capable of defending both large and individual clients facing an array of claims. Practice areas of emphasis include appellate litigation, construction, toxic torts, labor and employment, trucking, admiralty and maritime, professional liability, public utilities, insurance defense and more. The firm's managing partner, Ed Lowther, Jr., is among the star attorneys singled out for an excellent litigation-focused skill set. Lowther has significant experience handling class action and multi-district litigation in both state and federal courts. In recent years he served as trial counsel for a major agricultural company facing multi-million negligence claims and represented a large hospital system facing malpractice claims. Gordon Rather, Jr., is another go-to trial lawyer known for handling high stakes class action litigation. One competitor, referring to the above-mentioned attorneys, says, "They are certainly people with good reputations. If I were in trouble those are the guys I would go to."