News

Thomas H. Wyatt has been announced as the Chair of DRI Young Lawyers Committee for 2024-2025. Tom currently serves as Vice Chair of the committee and will assume his new position at the conclusion of the DRI Annual Meeting on October 18, 2024.  DRI is the largest international membership organization of attorneys defending the interests of businesses and individuals in civil litigation. Membership in DRI provides access to resources and tools for attorneys who strive to provide high-quality, balanced, and excellent service to their clients and corporations.  A member of the law firm, Tom concentrates his practice on commercial litigation, property litigation and products liability.

J. Cliff McKinney was inducted as a Fellow of the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA) during its recent Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois. Established in 1974, ACMA is a distinguished organization comprised of experienced real estate finance attorneys across North America focused on fostering professional excellence, building reliable referral networks, and cultivating enduring collegial relationships. The Fellows are dedicated to contributing to their profession by enhancing laws and procedures related to real estate-secured transactions and elevating the standards of practice among attorneys in this field. They have distinguished themselves in real estate mortgage law through their skills and experience, involvement in bar association activities, public speaking, writing articles and educational materials, engaging in legislative advocacy, and participating in significant legal cases related to mortgage transactions. A Managing Member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use, and business transactions.

Lawdragon has recognized six attorneys from Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC in its 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America guide. Congratulations to Michael B. Heister, Sarah-Keith Bolden, Steven W. Quattlebaum, Michael N. Shannon, John E. Tull III, and Thomas G. Williams for this honor. The attorneys featured in this guide are recognized for their expertise in litigating complex claims, including antitrust, intellectual property, white-collar and investigations, securities and corporate governance litgation, and a variety of class actions, product liability, and other complex civil litigation. While the guide primarily highlights firms that defend corporations, it also includes a notable number of plaintiff representatives. Selection for this guide involved submissions, journalistic research, and insights from leading trial lawyers across the nation. You can view the full list here.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that J. Houston Downes has joined the law firm as a litigation associate in the firm’s Little Rock office.   Mr. Downes comes to us after serving as a law clerk to the Honorable Kristine G. Baker, Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.  Mr. Downs earned his Juris Doctor, summa cum laude, from the University of Arkansas School of Law where he served as the Research Editor for the Arkansas Law Review, received the Judge Thomas F. Butt Legal Excellence Award for Civil Procedure, and served as a teaching assistant for Professor Howard Brill’s Civil Procedure course. He graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Davidson College.  Prior to law school, Mr. Downes worked at a startup in Little Rock and launched a startup in San Francisco, California.    

We are excited to announce the addition of four new associates to our Little Rock office: Michaela D. Caudle, David A. Gardner, Tyler C. Gillespie, and Falyn E. Traina. Each of them has previously worked with us as law clerks, and we are delighted to welcome them back in their new roles as attorneys.      Ms. Caudle earned her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.  While in law school, she served as a legal extern for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.  She received her B.S. in Agriculture Science from Southern Arkansas University. Ms. Caudle concentrates her practice on litigation. Mr. Gardner received his J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he was a member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review and served as President of the Student Bar Association.  He is currently pursuing an LL.M. in Taxation from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.  He obtained a B.S. in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Central Arkansas and an M.Ed. in Adult and Higher Education Administration from the University of Oklahoma.  Mr. Gardner will focus on commercial transactions and real estate.  Mr. Gillespie earned his J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he graduated magna cum laude and served as a member of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review.  He holds a B.A. in Political Science – International Studies from Baylor University and an M.B.A. from Texas Tech University.  Mr. Gillespie has over ten years of experience in upstream oil and natural gas production within the Texas Energy Sector.  His practice will focus primarily on commercial transactions related to real estate, natural resources, and information technology.  Ms. Traina obtained her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where she served as the Symposium Editor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, received a Top Paper Award in Research, Writing & Analysis I and served as both a Dean’s Fellow and a Teaching Assistant.  She received a B.A. in English with a concentration in literature from the University of North Texas.  Ms. Traina will concentrate her practice on civil litigation.   

Benchmark Litigation has named QGT member Philip A. Elmore to its 2024 40 & Under List.  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.  Every year, Benchmark sets out to identify the best and brightest litigators across the United States based on market analyses, peer review, and casework to compile its list of the top emerging talent in litigation.  These practitioners are among the top young talent in their respective litigation communities in the United States. You can find the full list of honorees here. Philip Elmore is a member of the firm and focuses his practice on commercial litigation, construction disputes, and employment litigation. Benchmark Litigation covers the litigation and disputes market in North America, covering the United States, Canada, Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. Research is conducted through extensive interviews with litigators, dispute resolution specialists and their clients to identify the leading litigators and firms. During these interviews, researchers examine recent casework handled by law firms and ask individual litigators to provide their professional opinions on peers and practitioners within their jurisdiction or practice area.

Thomas H. Wyatt assumed the role of President of the Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel (AADC) at the 2024 Annual Meeting & Seminar held earlier this month in Branson, Missouri. Since joining AADC in 2018, Tom’s journey through numerous leadership positions, culminating in the presidency, demonstrates his strong commitment to the group. Alongside his new position as President, Tom will continue to serve as the Young Lawyer Section Liaison, which perfectly positions him to shape the future of AADC and support the next generation of legal professionals. Tom’s dedication and service have made a significant impact, and we are proud to recognize his contributions. The Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel is an organization of lawyers in Arkansas whose work focuses primarily on defense litigation. The objectives of the association include elevating the standards of trial practice in this area, providing for the exchange of information, ideas, techniques of procedure, and information on court rulings relating to the handling of litigation, and supporting and working for the improvement of the adversary system of jurisprudence in our courts. Tom Wyatt is a Member of the firm and focuses his practice on commercial litigation, property litigation, and products liability.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that 23 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence, earning the respect of the profession, the media, and the public as the most reliable, unbiased source of legal referrals.  Its first international list was published in 2006 and since then has grown to provide lists in over 75 countries. 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 2025 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 EmploymentVincent O. Chadick – Agriculture Law and Commercial LitigationE. 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 – DefendantsJoseph R. Falasco – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Corporate Law, Litigation – Labor and Employment, and Litigation – Real EstateTimothy 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 LawMichael B. Heister – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, Energy Regulatory Law, and Environmental LawJohn M. Jewell – Information Technology LawJeb. H. Joyce – Banking and Finance Law, Corporate Law, and Real Estate LawSarah Keith-Bolden – Commercial Litigation and Litigation – Labor and EmploymentScott M. Lar – Tax Law and Trusts and EstatesJ. Cliff McKinney II – Land Use and Zoning Law and Real Estate LawJoseph W. Price II – Commercial Litigation, Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law, and Litigation – Real EstateSteven W. Quattlebaum – Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Insurance Law, Litigation – Health Care,  Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – DefendantsMichael 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 – PlaintiffsGeoffrey B. Treece – Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights/Insolvency and Reorganization Law and Litigation – BankruptcyJohn 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 – PlaintiffsDavid B. Vandergriff – Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Banking and Finance, and Litigation – Real EstateThomas G. Williams – Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants and Product Liability Litigation – DefendantsR. Ryan Younger – Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants, and Product Liability Litigation – Defendants Best Lawyers also honors a single lawyer in each practice area and designated metropolitan area as a “Lawyer of the Year.”  Six attorneys from our firm earned this distinction in Little Rock for 2025: Timothy W. Grooms for Banking and Finance Law; John E. Tull III for Litigation – Banking and Finance; E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV for Bet-the-Company Litigation; Thomas G. Williams for Product Liability Litigation – Defendants:  Joseph W. Price III for Eminent Domain and Condemnation Law; and Geoffrey B. Treece for Litigation – Bankruptcy.  Brandon B. Cate was named Lawyer of the Year for Litigation – Labor and Employment in Fayetteville. 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. Four lawyers from QGT have been included in the 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America, 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® in America 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 2025 Edition of Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America:  Meredith M. Causey – Commercial LitigationPhilip A. Elmore – Commercial LitigationC. Ryan O’Quinn – Trusts and EstatesThomas H. Wyatt – Commercial Litigation A complete list of these and other rankings can be found on our Awards page.

S. Katie Calvert was selected to attend the 2024 American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) National Trial College on the campus of Northwestern University, August 4-9, 2024. Designed for second-year through sixth-year trial attorneys from both sides of the bar, the program consists of five days of intensive instruction, student exercises, and critiques culminating in multiple mock jury trials on the final day with each student having significant participation. Faculty demonstrations and student exercises encompass all aspects of civil jury trials from effective voir dire to persuasive opening statements and closing arguments. The classes are taught by highly experienced trial lawyers from all parts of the country who share their techniques of trial preparation and the art of effective advocacy. The lawyers chosen for this prestigious program will utilize and value the training, development, and personal connections this experience provides throughout their careers. ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U. S. Constitution.

The 2024 edition 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 and Labor & Employment practices. 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.

J. Cliff McKinney II has authored an article explaining how the Uniform Conservation Easement Act provides a valuable tool for landowners to preserve the natural beauty of their property while also potentially benefiting from tax advantages. “Preserving Nature: A Guide To Arkansas’s Conservation Use Easements” discusses the advantages and disadvantages of conservation easements and appears in the Spring 2024 issue of The Arkansas Lawyer, the official publication of the Arkansas Bar Association. You can read Cliff’s article here. A Managing Member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use, and business transactions.

Steven W. Quattlebaum has been admitted as a North American Fellow to the International Society of Barristers (ISOB).  The ISOB was created in 1965 and is dedicated to preserving trial by jury, the adversary system, and an independent judiciary. Its founders conceived the organization to bring together the best of the trial bar in a setting devoid of partisan interests. The emphasis of the organization is on warm fellowship among professionals without regard to their orientations as plaintiffs’ or defendants’ advocates. The Fellows of the Society are committed to the highest ethical standards and civility in all their personal and professional relationships.  Steve will be officially installed as a Fellow at the Annual Meeting next spring. With a limited membership, the Society has Fellows from every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and from Australia, Canada, England, Scotland, and Ireland, with the great majority from the United States. A founding member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, Steve’s primary areas of practice are complex business, toxic tort, and products liability litigation.

J. Cliff McKinney II has been admitted as a Fellow to the American College of Mortgage Attorneys (ACMA).  Founded in 1974, ACMA is comprised of 500 lawyers in North America who are experts in mortgage law.  Fellows share a commitment to giving back to their profession, improving and reforming laws and procedures affecting real estate-secured transactions, and raising the level of professionalism of lawyers practicing in this area.  Fellows have distinguished themselves as practitioners in the field of real estate mortgage law through their skills and practice experience, bar association activities, lecturing, authoring articles and program materials, participation in the legislative process, and writing briefs and/or arguing cases that are significant to mortgage transactions.  Cliff will be formally inducted at the Fall 2024 Annual Meeting. A Managing Member of the law firm, Cliff concentrates his practice on real estate, land use, and business transactions.

“Arkansas’s Unconstitutional Attack on Transgender Children and the Rights of their Parents,” authored by Falyn E. Traina, was published in the Spring 2024 edition of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review. Falyn’s Note argues that Arkansas Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act, No. 626 violates the Equal Protection Clause and the Due Process Clause of the United States Constitution and, upon inevitable appeal, the Eighth Circuit should affirm the decision of the District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. You can read Falyn’s article here. Falyn is a third-year law student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and will join Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull as a litigation associate upon graduation.

David A. Gardner and Tyler C. Gillespie have authored articles appearing in the Summer 2024 edition of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review. David’s article, “An Introduction to Digital Assets and a Summary of the 2022 Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code,” argues that Arkansas should adopt the 2022 Amendments to the Uniform Commercial Code, including Article 12 which governs transactions involving digital assets such as cryptocurrency and non-fungible tokens, to maintain pace in the digital age of commerce.  You can read David’s article here. In “Pay to Play: The Effect of the Brine Conservation Act’s Statutory “In-Lieu” Royalty Provision on the Long-Term Economic Viability of Arkansas’s Brine-Lithium Industry,” Tyler asserts that the Arkansas General Assembly needs to amend specific subsections of the Brine Act to alleviate an unnecessary economic risk to Arkansas’s brine-lithium development in south Arkansas. Tyler’s article can be found here. David and Tyler, third-year law students at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law, will join Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull as associates in the transactional department upon graduation.

E. B. (Chip) Chiles IV, a Managing Member of Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC, was inducted as a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) at its 2024 Annual Meeting held in Ojai, California, March 6-10, 2024. The International Academy of Trial Lawyers limits membership to 500 Fellows from the United States in addition to Fellows from nearly 40 countries across the globe. IATL seeks out, identifies, acknowledges, and honors those who have achieved a career of excellence through demonstrated skill and ability in jury trials, trials before the court, and appellate practice.  Members are engaged in civil practice on both the plaintiff’s and the defendant’s side of the courtroom, and the trial of criminal cases. The Academy invites only lawyers who have attained the highest level of advocacy. A comprehensive screening process identifies the most distinguished members of the trial bar through both peer and judicial review.  Mr. Chiles was evaluated by his colleagues and the judges in his jurisdiction and was highly recommended for possessing these qualifications and characteristics. Chartered in 1954, IATL’s general purposes are to cultivate the science of jurisprudence, promote reforms in the law, facilitate the Administration of Justice, and elevate the standards of integrity, honor, and courtesy in the legal profession.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC was named US Award Winner for the State of Arkansas by Benchmark Litigation at the annual Benchmark US Awards held in New York on March 13, 2024, marking the eleventh time the firm has received this distinction.  A full list of the winners can be found here. The Benchmark Litigation US Awards recognize the country’s most distinguished litigators and their firms for their exemplary work over the past twelve months. After months of peer review-based research and submission reviews, the Benchmark team set out to uncover the most impactful cases, the lawyers and law firms behind them, and the litigators who have paved the way. Previously, the firm was recognized in the 2024 edition of Benchmark Litigation as one of only four “highly recommended firms” for litigation in Arkansas, with four attorneys highlighted as Litigation Stars and three attorneys named Future Stars. The firm was also highlighted as one of four “recommended firms” in Arkansas for Labor & Employment for 2024, with two of our attorneys named Labor & Employment Stars – South.  More information about these and other rankings can be found on our Awards page. Benchmark Litigation—the definitive guide to America’s leading litigation firms and attorneys—is the only publication to focus exclusively on US litigation.

Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC is pleased to announce that Shelley Fleisch-Djurica has been named a member of the law firm.     Ms. Fleisch-Djurica’s practice focuses on banking technology and fintech agreements and counseling her clients on a variety of technology contracting matters, including information security, data privacy and federal and state financial regulatory compliance. She regularly advises financial institution clients on risks and obligations under laws relevant to their data and legal issues. Ms. Fleisch-Djurica also has experience with complex civil and business litigation and representing employers in employment-related matters, including representation of a corporate client in obtaining summary judgment on claims of Fair Labor Standards Act and Arkansas Minimum Wage Act violations in the Eastern District of Arkansas.  Ms. Fleisch-Djurica obtained her J.D. from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bown School of Law.  Upon graduation from law school, she served as a law clerk to the Honorable Tom Glaze of the Arkansas Supreme Court.