2021 News Archives

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that R. Ryan Younger has been named a managing member of the law firm.   Mr. Younger is located in the firm’s Little Rock office and concentrates his practice on complex business litigation, class actions and appeals.  His work in civil litigation has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation.   Mr. Younger is a Fellow of the National Trial College of the American Board of Trial Advocates.   “Ryan has consistently contributed to the success of the firm year after year,” said Steven W. Quattlebaum, a managing member of the firm.  “We are certain to benefit from his leadership for years to come.” Prior to joining Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull as an associate in 2009, Mr. Younger served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert T. Dawson of the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas.  He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law where he was the top-ranked student in his law school class and served as Research Editor of the Arkansas Law Review.  He received a B.A., summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas.     

J. Cliff McKinney II is featured in the December 2021 issue of Little Rock Soiree magazine discussing the importance of The Salvation Army bell ringers, a staple of the holiday season. As chairman of the board for The Salvation Army Central Arkansas Area Command branch, Cliff shares the many ways The Salvation Army meets the needs of people in Central Arkansas through a variety of programs. You can read the article here. A managing member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use and business transactions.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that fourteen attorneys with our firm were recently named to the Mid-South Super Lawyers and Mid-South Rising Stars lists for 2021 by Super Lawyers.  Vincent O. Chadick, E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Joseph R. Falasco, Timothy W. Grooms, Michael B. Heister, J. Cliff McKinney II, Steven W. Quattlebaum, Michael N. Shannon, Geoffrey B. Treece, John E. Tull III, David B. Vandergriff, and Thomas G. Williams were recognized as Mid-South Super Lawyers.  Mr. Quattlebaum, Mr. Grooms, Mr. Tull, Mr. Chiles, and Mr. Shannon received some of the highest point totals in the Arkansas nomination, research, and blue ribbon review process and are included in the list of the Top 50 Arkansas Super Lawyers for 2021.  Scott M. Lar and R. Ryan Younger were named Mid-South Rising Stars.  Fewer than five percent (5%) of all lawyers in Arkansas are selected as Super Lawyers and no more than two and one half percent (2.5%) of lawyers in Arkansas are named to the Rising Stars list. Click here to read more about these rankings.

U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers®, for the twelfth consecutive year, have announced the “Best Law Firms” rankings.  Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC has been ranked in the 2022 U.S. News – Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms” list regionally in 25 practice areas.   Firms included in the 2022 “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.   Ranked firms, presented in tiers, are listed on a national and/or metropolitan scale. Receiving a tier designation reflects the high level of respect a firm has earned among other leading lawyers and clients in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity. Following are the rankings received by the firm: Metropolitan Rankings – Little RockAppellate Practice (Tier 1)Banking and Finance Law (Tier 1)Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (Tier 1)Bet-the-Company Litigation (Tier 1)Commercial Litigation (Tier 1)Corporate Law (Tier 2)Eminent Domain & Condemnation Law (Tier 2)Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (Tier 3)First Amendment Law (Tier 1)Insurance Law (Tier 2)Land Use & Zoning Law (Tier 1)Litigation – Banking & Finance (Tier 1)Litigation – Bankruptcy (Tier 1)Litigation – First Amendment (Tier 1)Litigation – Labor & Employment (Tier 1)Litigation – Real Estate (Tier 1)Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions – Defendants (Tier 1)Media Law (Tier 1)Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants (Tier 1)Product Liability Litigation – Defendants (Tier 1)Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs (Tier 1)Real Estate Law (Tier 1) Metropolitan Rankings – FayettevilleCommercial Litigation (Tier 1) Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law (Tier 2)Litigation – Labor & Employment (Tier 1)

J. Cliff McKinney has been appointed a member of the Joint Editorial Board for Uniform Real Property Acts of the Uniform Law Commission (ULC).  Originally a joint effort of the ULC and the American Bar Association’s Section of Real Property, Probate and Trust Law, the board now includes representatives from the American College of Real Estate Lawyers, the American Land Title Association, the American College of Mortgage Attorneys, and the Community Associations Institute. Founded in 1892, the ULC is comprised of state commissions on uniform laws from each state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The state uniform law commissioners come together as the ULC to study and review the law of the states to determine which areas of law should be uniform. The commissioners draft and propose specific statutes in areas of the law where uniformity between the states is desirable, but no uniform law is effective until a state legislature adopts it.  The Legislative Committee, with at least one liaison in each state and territory, is responsible for seeking the state enactment of uniform and model acts approved by the ULC. A managing member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use and business transactions.

Sarah Keith-Bolden has been selected for the AY About You list of 2021 Intriguing Women, which features some of Arkansas’ brightest minds, boldest visionaries and most passionate leaders from all four corners of Arkansas. The publication describes the list as a celebration of all things women and remarked: “As a women-led organization, we understand and appreciate firsthand the value of women in and out of the workplace. This list is a compilation of what intriguing women exhibit: brains, brawn, tenacity and tenderness. From physicians to philanthropists and bankers to wildlife experts, this diverse landscape of glass-ceiling-shattering ladies is proof that women can do anything they set their minds to.” Read Sarah’s profile here. A member of the law firm, Sarah concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, appeals and employment litigation. 

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce the return of the Honorable J. Leon Holmes, a former federal judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, and the addition of John M. Jewell and Shelley Fleisch-Djurica to the law firm.       Holmes served on the federal bench for nearly 16 years before resigning his commission in 2020.  Prior to his nomination by President George W. Bush, he was a partner with Quattlebaum Grooms & Tull, where his practice encompassed a wide range of litigation including product liability, antitrust, unfair competition, media and First Amendment law, as well as appellate work.  As Of Counsel, his work at the firm will focus on litigation and appellate matters. Jewell has extensive experience representing clients in all phases of information technology related matters, along with being involved in a variety of commercial transactions concerning banking, real estate and debtor/creditor rights.  He is Of Counsel to the firm and will concentrate his practice on information technology and computer and software licensing. Fleisch-Djurica is an associate with the firm and focuses her practice primarily on banking, information technology, and commercial transactions.  She also has experience with business litigation and employment-related matters. “We are thrilled to have Judge Holmes, John and Shelley join us. They add depth and dimension to our firm and are sure to be tremendous assets to the firm and our clients,” said Steven W. Quattlebaum, a managing member of the firm. “As one of the original attorneys at QGT, Judge Holmes was critical to the growth and success of our firm, and we are honored to have him rejoin us after his exceptional service on the federal bench.  Many lawyers at our firm have had the privilege of knowing and working alongside John and Shelley for many years and we welcome these excellent lawyers and good friends to our team.” 

The 2022 Benchmark Litigation USA rankings have been released and we are proud to share that the firm was recognized as one of only four “highly recommended firms” for litigation in Arkansas.  Steven W. Quattlebaum, John E. Tull III, E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, and Michael N. Shannon were highlighted as Litigation Stars and Brandon B. Cate, Joseph R. Falasco, R. Ryan Younger, and Vincent O. Chadick were named Future Stars. Benchmark Litigation—the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys—is the only publication to focus exclusively on US litigation. More information about the Benchmark Litigation rankings can be found on our Awards page.

Benchmark Litigation has announced the 2021 edition of Benchmark Labor & Employment rankings, which highlight the best and brightest law firms and partners who stand out in their labor and employment practices throughout the United States. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC was named one of four “recommended firms” in Arkansas, with E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Brandon B. Cate, Joseph R. Falasco, Sarah Keith-Bolden, and Joseph W. Price II recognized as Labor & Employment Stars – South. More information about these and other rankings can be found on our Awards page.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to welcome four new associates to the law firm:  Sharri Bell, Byron T. Keaton, Laura L. O’Hara, and Noah P. Watson.  Ms. Bell earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas, where she was an active member of the Black Law Students Association, chaired the Anti-Bias and Racism Task Force, and participated in the Immigration Clinic and Advanced Immigration Clinic.  She received her B.A. in Business Management from Drury University and her M.S. in Organizational Development from Avila University.  Ms. Bell is located in the firm’s Springdale office and concentrates her practice on litigation. Mr. Keaton received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas School of Law, where he was a member of the Business Law Society, an Associate for the Board of Advocates, and Director of Programming for the Southwest Black Law Students Association.   He obtained a B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Arkansas.  As a member of the Arkansas Razorbacks football team, he was named to the SEC Honor Roll and received the Brandon Burlsworth Award for exceptional academic and athletic performance.  Mr. Keaton will focus on civil litigation and office in Little Rock. Ms. O’Hara earned her J.D., summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, where she served as Editor-in-Chief of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review.  She received several top paper awards, was a member of the law school trial team and represented her class as a Senator with the Student Bar Association.  Ms. O’Hara graduated with her B.A. in history, summa cum laude, from the University of Central Arkansas, where she also earned her M.A. in history, summa cum laude.  She will focus her practice on litigation from Little Rock. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Watson served as a law clerk to the Honorable Lavenski R. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.  He obtained his J.D. from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, where he served as the Chief Executive Notes Editor for the Washington University Journal of Law and Policy, President of the Sports and Entertainment Law Society, and was a founding member of the Native American Law Student Association at Washington University.  He received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Harding University.  Mr. Watson is located in the Little Rock office and will concentrate his practice on litigation and appeals.   

J. Cliff McKinney has been appointed a Council Member of the Legislative Committee of the Uniform Law Commission (ULC).  First appointed to the ULC in 2017 by Governor Asa Hutchinson, Cliff was recently reappointed to the commission by the governor for a second term ending in 2025.  Founded in 1892, the ULC is comprised of state commissions on uniform laws from each state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The state uniform law commissioners come together as the ULC to study and review the law of the states to determine which areas of law should be uniform. The commissioners draft and propose specific statutes in areas of the law where uniformity between the states is desirable, but no uniform law is effective until a state legislature adopts it.  The Legislative Committee, with at least one liaison in each state and territory, is responsible for seeking the state enactment of uniform and model acts approved by the ULC. A managing member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use and business transactions.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that 18 lawyers have been included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence.  Best Lawyers has published their list for over three decades, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals.  Lawyers on The Best Lawyers in America list are divided by geographic region and practice areas. They are reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC would like to congratulate the following lawyers named to the 2022 The Best Lawyers in America list:  Brandon B. Cate – Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation – ERISA, and Litigation-Labor and Employment Vincent O. Chadick – Agriculture Law and Commercial Litigation E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV – Appellate Practice, Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Litigation – ERISA, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Grant M. Cox – Banking and Finance Law and Commercial Transactions/UCC Law Joseph R. Falasco – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, and Litigation – Real Estate Timothy W. Grooms – Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Land Use and Zoning Law, Litigation – Real Estate, Mergers and Acquisitions Law, and Real Estate Law Michael B. Heister – Appellate Practice Jeb. H. Joyce – Banking and Finance Law and Real Estate Law Sarah Keith-Bolden – Commercial Litigation J. Cliff McKinney II – Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate Law Joseph W. Price II – Commercial Litigation Steven W. Quattlebaum – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Michael N. Shannon – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs Geoffrey B. Treece – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – Bankruptcy John E. Tull III – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, First Amendment Law, Litigation – Banking and Finance, Litigation – First Amendment, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Media Law, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, Product Liability Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs David B. Vandergriff – Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, and Litigation – Real Estate Thomas G. Williams – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants R. Ryan Younger – Commercial Litigation and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Four of our attorneys were also recognized as a 2022 “Lawyer of the Year”:  Brandon B. Cate, Litigation – Labor and Employment, Fayetteville; E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Little Rock; J. Cliff McKinney II, Land Use and Zoning Law, Little Rock; John E. Tull III, First Amendment Law, Little Rock.  Only a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year,” making this accolade particularly significant.  These lawyers are selected based on particularly impressive voting averages received during the peer review assessments.  Receiving this designation reflects the high level of respect a lawyer has earned among other leading lawyers in the same communities and the same practice areas for their abilities, their professionalism, and their integrity. Six lawyers from QGT have been included in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch, which recognizes associates and other lawyers who are earlier in their careers for their outstanding professional excellence in private practice in the United States.  Lawyers recognized in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch are divided by geographic region and practice areas, reviewed by their peers on the basis of professional expertise and undergo an authentication process to make sure they are in current practice and in good standing. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC would like to congratulate the following lawyers recognized in the 2022 Edition of Best Lawyer®: Ones to Watch:  Meredith M. Causey – Commercial LitigationPhilip A. Elmore – Commercial Litigation R. Seth Hampton – Banking and Finance Law, Environmental Law, Natural Resources Law, and Real Estate Law Christoph Keller – Commercial Litigation C. Ryan O’Quinn – Trusts and Estates Thomas H. Wyatt – Commercial Litigation A complete list of these and other rankings can be found on our Awards page.

E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV will be a featured speaker at a breakfast meeting for the American Subcontractors Association of Arkansas on Tuesday, August 24, 2021. This free event will address legal, financial and human resource concerns for those in the construction industry. You can learn more and register for this exchange here. Chip Chiles is a managing member of the law firm and concentrates his practice on business litigation, employment litigation, and appeals.

Joseph W. Price II and R. Ryan Younger have been named to the Benchmark Litigation 40 & Under Hot List for 2021.  This is the fifth time both attorneys have received this honor. Those named to this exclusive list have proven their eligibility as individuals at the partner level of their respective firms and are age 40 or younger.  These young, ambitious and accomplished lawyers frequently handle major cases – some of which are high-stakes or precedent-setting. They are able to adapt to rapidly changing times in addition to juggling their flourishing careers and personal lives, all while staying on top of their industry. These practitioners are among the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in the United States and Canada. Mr. Price is a managing member of the firm and focuses his practice on civil litigation. Mr. Younger is a member of the firm and concentrates his practice on business litigation, class actions and appeals. Please visit our Awards page to learn more about this and other honors received by our attorneys and firm.

Sarah Keith-Bolden was recently named a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America (LCA), an invitation-only trial lawyer honorary society established to reflect the new face of the American bar. Membership is limited to 3,500 Fellows, representing less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. The composition of the LCA is aggressively diverse, with recognition of excellence among American litigation and trial counsel across all segments of the bar. The purpose of the LCA is to recognize deserving, experienced, and highly qualified lawyers, to provide an outlet for scholarly authorship of legal articles on trial and litigation practice, to provide additional sources for professional development, to promote superior advocacy and ethical standards in the practice of law, to assist in community involvement by its membership, and to advance a superior judiciary by taking relevant positions on issues or legislation affecting judicial compensation and/or benefits, as well as those affecting the American litigation process. Fellows are selected and invited into Fellowship after being evaluated for effectiveness and accomplishment in litigation and trial work, along with ethical reputation. A member of the law firm, Sarah concentrates her practice on commercial litigation, appeals and employment litigation. 

J. Cliff McKinney II has been elected to the Arkansas Bar Association Board of Trustees for a three-year term effective July 1, 2021.  Cliff has been an active supporter of the Arkansas Bar Association and his involvement through the years includes chairing the Real Estate Law section, service on the Board of Governors and House of Delegates, chairing the 2011 Annual Meeting and the 2015 Mid-Year Meeting, and numerous CLE presentations. Many honors have been bestowed upon Cliff for his hard work and dedication to the association, including the Presidential Award of Excellence in 2018. A managing member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use and business transactions. Founded in 1898, the Arkansas Bar Association is the premier legal association in the state. As a voluntary organization of more than 5,300 members, the Association’s primary mission is to support attorneys; advance the practice of law; advocate for the legal profession; foster professionalism, civility, and integrity; and protect the rule of law.

QGT Managing Member Joseph R. Falasco has been elected a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation (ABF).  The Fellows comprise a global honorary society of attorneys, judges, law faculty and legal scholars whose public and private careers have demonstrated outstanding dedication to the highest principles of the legal profession and to the welfare of their communities.  Membership in the Fellows is limited to one percent of lawyers licensed to practice in each jurisdiction.  Fellows are recommended by their peers and elected by the Board of the American Bar Foundation.  Fellows support the research of the American Bar Foundation through annual contributions and sponsor seminars and events of direct relevance to the legal profession. Joe is located in the firm’s Little Rock office and his practice focuses on real estate litigation, product liability, class actions, and appeals. The American Bar Foundation is among the world’s leading research institutes for the empirical and interdisciplinary study of law.  The ABF seeks to expand knowledge and advance justice through innovative, interdisciplinary, and rigorous empirical research on law, legal processes, and legal institutions.  To further this mission, the ABF will provide timely, cutting-edge research of the highest quality to inform and guide the legal profession, the academy, and society in the United States and internationally.

Timothy W. Grooms, J. Cliff McKinney II, Jeb H. Joyce, Scott M. Lar and Robbi R. Rosenbaum authored the Arkansas chapter for the 2021 Chambers US Regional Real Estate Guide, a state-by-state guide on the real estate sector.  This is the fourth year our firm has contributed to the guide, which provides expert legal commentary on the key issues for businesses involved in the real estate sector, including finance, planning, commercial leases, construction and tax. The chapter also includes a Trends and Developments piece highlighting the impact of COVID-19 on specific commercial real estate sectors in Arkansas. You can read the Arkansas chapter by clicking here. Chambers Global Practice Guides provide expert legal commentary on a number of main practice areas in key jurisdictions around the world.  For every guide, Chambers selects contributors who are ranked in the relevant Chambers Guides as the best in their field.  In the Real Estate section of the 2021 edition of Chambers USA’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business, Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC received the highest ranking possible for law firms in Arkansas and attorneys Grooms, McKinney and Joyce received individual recognition.  More information on these rankings can be found on our Awards page.

QGT Managing Member John E. Tull III will be a featured speaker for the Arkansas Municipal League’s 87th Virtual Convention scheduled for June 16-18, 2021.  John’s presentation on June 17 will take you through the Freedom of Information Act process and specifically discuss any changes to FOIA by the 93rd General Assembly.  Joining John for this discussion will be John L. Wilkerson, General Counsel for the Arkansas Municipal League.  Learn more about the convention and register here.     Mr. Tull practices in the firm’s Little Rock office and concentrates his practice on newspaper law, products liability, and complex commercial litigation. The Arkansas Municipal League is a service and advocacy organization for the municipalities of Arkansas. The League offers its programs and services to all 500 cities and towns in the state and was created in 1934 to assist cities with information and representation in the public affairs of our state and nation.

The 2021 publication of Chambers USA has been released and 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 Corporate/Commercial practice. Steven W. Quattlebaum, Timothy W. Grooms, John E. Tull III, E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, Michael N. Shannon, J. Cliff McKinney II, Joseph R. Falasco, and Jeb H. Joyce, received recognition in the publication’s rankings of individuals.  Chambers USA reviews and ranks individual lawyers and law firms by practice area in each state.  Chambers guides are the culmination of thousands of in-depth interviews by the largest research team of its kind and are trusted globally to objectively rank the world’s best lawyers and law firms. To learn more about these rankings, visit our Awards page.

QGT Managing Member Michael B. Heister will be providing an update on legislation of interest to those in the energy and environmental fields at the Arkansas Bar Association’s Environmental Law Virtual Conference April 21-22, 2021. For more information and to register, visit www.pathlms.com/arkbar. Michael Heister is a managing member of the firm and concentrates his practice on complex business litigation and energy and environmental issues with a focus on utility regulatory proceedings, oil and gas issues and environmental compliance.

Steven W. Quattlebaum will take part in a panel discussion on how to move forward with civil jury trials at the Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association Annual Convention. The session, Getting Jury Trials Back on Track, will take place at 9:30 a.m. on April 29, 2021. You can register for the convention here. A founding member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, Steve’s primary areas of practice are complex business, toxic tort, and products liability litigation.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that Michael B. Heister, Jeb H. Joyce and Joseph W. Price II have been named Managing Members of the law firm.   Mr. Heister is located in the firm’s Little Rock office and concentrates his practice on complex business litigation, regulatory proceedings, environmental compliance and natural resources, and appeals.  His work in civil litigation and appeals has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation.   Prior to joining Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull, Mr. Heister served as a law clerk to the Honorable Richard S. Arnold of the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and practiced law in Washington, D.C. with the United States Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division.  Mr. Heister graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law where he served as Note and Comment Editor of the Arkansas Law Review.  He received a B.A., magna cum laude, from Vanderbilt University.   Mr. Joyce is located in the firm’s Northwest Arkansas office where he handles a wide variety of transactions, with an emphasis on commercial real estate.  He has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Chambers USA, and Super Lawyers for his work in real estate.  Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Joyce served as a legislative assistant and legislative director for U.S. Representative Marion Berry in Washington, D.C.  Mr. Joyce has a Master of Laws degree in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center.  He received his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law where he served as Associate Survey/Comments Editor for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Journal, and he obtained a B.A. from the University of Arkansas. Mr. Price maintains a civil litigation practice in the law firm’s Little Rock office.  His work in commercial litigation and labor and employment law has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America®, Super Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation.  Mr. Price was a member of the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce Leadership Greater Little Rock Class XXXIV and he serves as Arkansas State Membership Chair for DRI.  Mr. Price received his J.D., with high honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law and a B.S, summa cum laude, from the University of Tennessee at Martin. 

Brittany S. Ford has been named Secretary for the Board of Directors for Pulaski and Perry Counties CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates).  CASA serves children in Pulaski and Perry counties who have experienced abuse and/or neglect by ensuring each child has a safe and permanent home, giving them a voice in court, and advocating for their safety and specific needs.  The board consists of 15 members that guide the program in various areas including compliance, strategic planning, fundraising, recruitment, budgeting, marketing, and program development. The first CASA program was founded in Seattle and 1977 and has since grown to a network of nearly 1,000 CASA and guardian ad litem programs that are recruiting, training, and supporting volunteers in 49 states and the District of Columbia.  Pulaski and Perry Counties CASA began serving children in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1987 and last year served 240 children with 100 advocates. Brittany is an associate in the firm’s Little Rock office where she focuses on mass tort, products liability, business litigation, and premises liability matters.

Timothy W. Grooms, J. Cliff McKinney II and Jeb H. Joyce are among the presenters for the Arkansas Bankers Association Mega Virtual Conference on February 10-11, 2021. The Thursday afternoon session, “Just Do It: Exploring Due Diligence for Bankers”, will cover common issues in the field of due diligence that face all lenders. The discussion will focus on organizational documents for trusts, LLCs, corporations, surveys, title insurance, environmental reports, loan documentation, UCC filings (and continuations) and other due diligence issues. Attendees will learn why these issues are important, common pitfalls, and best practices for managing the due diligence process. You can learn more about the conference and register here. Tim Grooms is a founding member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC where he focuses his practice on real estate, banking and commercial lending transactions. Cliff McKinney is a managing member of the law firm and concentrates his practice on real estate, land use and business transactions. A member of the firm, Jeb Joyce handles a wide variety of transactions, with an emphasis on commercial real estate. Serving all banks in Arkansas since 1891, Arkansas Bankers Association (ABA) is the advocate for Arkansas banks of all sizes and charter types before governmental bodies and the public. ABA delivers superior industry-specific information and education for bankers, along with high-quality products and services. ABA focuses on creating a stronger economy and helping Arkansans realize dreams by building better banks.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull is thrilled to announce that Steven W. Quattlebaum has been selected to the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame.  Created in 2015, the Hall of Fame recognizes past members of the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America and other outstanding lawyers who have made remarkable contributions as leaders, litigators, dealmakers, power brokers, judges and innovators.  The list celebrates lawyers whose mark on the legal profession is indelible and the 34 members of the 2021 Hall of Fame class are described as “among the most acclaimed of their generation, having led America’s signature law firms to unprecedented heights, achieved civil rights advances and changed our world for the better.”  Steve was named to the Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America list eight times and is one of only two attorneys from Arkansas to be inducted into the Lawdragon 500 Hall of Fame.  A full list of the 2021 Hall of Fame class, which also includes the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, can be found here. The annual Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers in America is the most elite distinction in the profession, covering the best of the best in all practice areas. Selection to this elite group comes through a group of veteran legal journalists who review thousands of submissions of outstanding lawyers from all regions and practice areas of the American legal profession, including private attorneys, government and other public interest attorneys, judges, and law school professors. From that group, the 500 leading lawyers are chosen by Lawdragon. Less than one-tenth of one percent of all lawyers in the United States are included as members of the Lawdragon 500.   A founding member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, Steve’s primary areas of practice are complex business, toxic tort, and products liability litigation.