2014 News Archives

Click Here for a Holiday Greeting from Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC.

On November 4, 2014, attorney Clarke Tucker was elected to a two-year term in the Arkansas House of Representatives, representing District 35.  He will serve on the Revenue and Taxation and the Aging, Children and Youth, Legislative and Military Affairs Committees.  He will also be an alternate on the Arkansas Legislative Council.  The firm commends Clarke on his public service and expects he will excel as a legislator.

Fifteen (15) attorneys from Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC were recently named to the Mid-South Super Lawyers or Mid-South Rising Stars lists for 2014 by Super Lawyers.  E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Timothy W. Grooms, Steven W. Quattlebaum, Michael N. Shannon, John E. Tull III, and Thomas G. Williams were recognized as Mid-South Super Lawyers. Mr. Quattlebaum, Mr. Grooms, Mr. Tull, Mr. Chiles, and Mr. Shannon are also included in the list of the Top 50 lawyers in Arkansas for 2014.  Daniel J. Beck, Brandon B. Cate, Joseph R. Falasco, Michael B. Heister, J. Cliff McKinney II, Chad W. Pekron, Joseph W. Price II, Everett C. (Clarke) Tucker IV, and R. Ryan Younger were named Mid-South Rising Stars. Click here to read more about these rankings.

Ashley D. Phillips has joined the firm as an associate in the Little Rock office.  Her practice emphasizes taxation, corporate transactions, and estate planning.  Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Phillips practiced law in Nashville, Tennessee, for ten years, first as an attorney with a regional law firm and later with the Internal Revenue Service Office of Chief Counsel.  Ms. Phillips earned a B.S.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Arkansas and her J.D., with honors, from the University of Arkansas School of Law.  She also received an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida.

U.S. News Media Group and Best Lawyers® have released the Best Law Firms rankings for 2015 and Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, is pleased to be recognized in eighteen (18) practice areas.  Firms included in the 2015 “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers.  Achieving a tiered ranking signals a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise.  A complete list of the rankings for the firm can be found on our Awards page.

The firm was recently recognized in the 2015 edition of Benchmark Litigation as one of only three “highly recommended firms” for litigation in Arkansas.  The publication noted that the firm “places an emphasis on engagement to completely understand their clients’ work and needs, no matter the industry involved,” and “the attorneys are able to innovate and adapt on a dime as warranted.”  Steven W. Quattlebaum, John E. Tull III, E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, and Michael N. Shannon were highlighted as Local Litigation Stars and Brandon B. Cate, Joseph R. Falasco, Chad W. Pekron, Amber Davis-Tanner, Everett C. (Clarke) Tucker IV, and R. Ryan Younger were named Future Stars.

Mary-Tipton Thalheimer has joined Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC as an associate in the Little Rock office.  Her practice will focus on debtor and creditor rights and bankruptcy.  Ms. Thalheimer received her J.D., with high honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law in 2011 where she served as Assistant Notes Editor for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review.  While in law school, Ms. Thalheimer worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable James G. Mixon of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.  After receiving an LL.M. in Bankruptcy from St. John’s University, she served as a Staff Attorney to the Honorable Richard D. Taylor, Chief Judge for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, from 2012-2014.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to welcome Justice J. Brooks I and Daniel D. Ford as associates to the law firm.  Mr. Brooks and Mr. Ford will be located in the firm’s Little Rock office and will focus their practice on litigation.  Mr. Brooks received his J. D., magna cum laude, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law in 2014, where he was a member of the moot court and trial teams and selected as the top appellant oralist of the 2013 Ben J. Altheimer Moot Court Competition.  Mr.  Ford received his J. D., summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law in 2014, where he served as President of Phi Alpha Delta Legal Fraternity and received Top Paper in Property Law, Contracts Law, Civil Procedure, Legal Writing, and Legal Research.  He was a member of the Arkansas Journal of Public Service and Social Change and served as an advisor to first year law students as a Dean’s Fellow.  During the fall of 2013, Mr. Ford worked as a judicial extern for the Honorable Kristine G. Baker of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

The Best Lawyers in America® have released the Best Lawyers rankings for 2015 and Quattlebaum, Grooms, & Tull PLLC, is pleased to be recognized in 21 practice areas. Rankings are based on a rigorous evaluation process that includes the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by the law firms as part of the formal submission process. A complete list of the rankings for the firm can be found on our Awards page.

Michael N. Shannon has been selected to be a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of civil jury trial rights provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.  Membership is by invitation only and the organization seeks attorneys who display skill, civility, and integrity to help younger attorneys achieve a higher level of trial advocacy and to educate the public about the vital importance of the Seventh Amendment.

Daniel J. Beck recently completed the Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXIX program with a graduation ceremony held on June 27, 2014.  Each year, around 50 class members are selected from hundreds of applicants to participate in the nine-month program.  One day a month, the class meets at a different Central Arkansas venue to explore topics through expert speakers, panelists, tours, and group sessions.  Topics include history, community, education, government and politics, and economic development.  Leadership Greater Little Rock is an initiative of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Two QG&T attorneys were recognized at the 116th Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Bar Association for their service to the association.  J. Cliff McKinney II received the Frank Elcan II award which is given in recognition of the services of a lawyer who has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills in, and made outstanding contributions to, the Young Lawyers Section of the Arkansas Bar Association.  Mr. McKinney was Chair of the Young Lawyers Section for the 2013-2014 year.  Joseph W. Price II received the Young Lawyers Section Award of Excellence for his work in chairing the Legislative Drafting Committee.  Presenters at the annual meeting included Mr. McKinney, Steven W. Quattlebaum, and John E. Tull III.

In the 2014 publication of Chambers USA’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, received the highest ranking possible in the areas of General Commercial Litigation and Real Estate for law firms in Arkansas and was also recognized for its Commercial/Corporate practice. Steven W. Quattlebaum, Timothy W. Grooms, John E. Tull III, E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV,  J. Cliff McKinney II, Jeb H. Joyce, and Amber Davis-Tanner received recognition in the publication’s rankings of individuals. To learn more about these rankings, visit our Awards page.

QG&T is pleased to welcome R. Seth Hampton as an Associate to the law firm.  Mr. Hampton’s practice will focus on commercial real estate development, regulatory compliance with agricultural and conservation laws, commercial finance, and business transactions.   Mr. Hampton obtained his J.D., with honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he was a member of the Arkansas Real Estate Review, earned Top Student awards in Oil and Gas Law and Natural Resources Law, and served as a Student Mentor as part of the University’s Academic Support Program for first-year students.  He also served as a Student Extern to the Honorable J. Thomas Ray, United States Magistrate Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas.  Prior to joining the law firm, Mr. Hampton served as a law clerk to the Honorable Billy Roy Wilson, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, recently announced that Joseph R. Falasco and J. Cliff McKinney II have become Managing Members of the law firm.  Joseph R. Falasco is located in the firm’s Little Rock office and his practice focuses primarily on commercial litigation and appeals.  He received his B.S., with honors, from Arizona State University and his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Arkansas.  J. Cliff McKinney II practices in the firm’s Little Rock office and concentrates his practice on real estate, land use, green building, and business transactions.  He received his B.A. from Baylor University; his Master of Public Administration and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Arkansas; and his LL.M. emphasizing Real Estate Financing from Southern Methodist University.  Mr. McKinney is also a LEED® Accredited Professional.

Steven W. Quattlebaum received the Masters in Trial Award at the National Board Meeting of the American Board of Trial Advocates held in Laguna Niguel, CA.  The Trustees of the ABOTA Foundation choose the recipient based on their contribution to the Professional Education programs of the Foundation.  Mr. Quattlebaum was chosen for his participation in multiple Masters in Trial programs, for chairing the Arkansas Masters program annually since 2011, participation in and co-chairing of the ABOTA National Trial College, and authorship of the widely-used case study, Pepper v. Flavorking.