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ArkBar News
Mid-Year Chair Sarah Jewell and ArkBar President Brian Rosenthal
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Barbara Womack Webb, ArkBar President Brian Rosenthal and Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch
The Association held its Mid-Year Meeting in Little Rock February 6-7, 2020. Thank you to the sponsors, exhibitors, volunteer speakers, planners and the over 200 registrants who made the meeting a success! The meeting included two days of CLE seminars held at a new location—the Holiday Inn Airport in Little Rock. Sarah Jewell of McMath Woods, PA served as the chair of this year’s meeting.
Association President Brian Rosenthal welcomed attorneys and judges at the Thursday afternoon reception where attendees had a chance to hear from the two Arkansas Supreme Court candidates Barbara Womack Webb and Judge Morgan “Chip” Welch. A big crowd joined the Young Lawyers Section for their evening reception at the Flying Saucer.
ArkBar’s endorsed lawyer’s professional liability insurance agent, BXS Insurance, offered four hours of risk management seminars. For the first time two hours of evening CLE was offered on Thursday. The Association hosted the award-winning traveling exhibit, “100 Years After the 19th Amendment: Their Legacy, and Our Future,” which celebrates the centennial of the 19th Amendment. The six-banner free-standing exhibit on loan from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Law Library of Congress features historic photos and artifacts, details the story of the battle for ratification and outlines the challenges that remain. In addition to being on display during the Mid-Year meeting, the exhibit spent time at each of the state’s law schools while it was in Arkansas. Sponsors of the exhibit include the Arkansas Bar Foundation, Brian Rosenthal, and the association’s Young Lawyers, Civil Rights and Labor & Employment Law Sections.
See the list of sponsors and complete photo gallery at www.arkbar.com/midyearmeeting.
On the Cover New Sculpture Celebrating 19th Amendment Centennial
As part of ArkBar’s continued celebration of the 19th Amendment Centennial, photographs of the new sculpture by Jane DeDecker titled “Every Word We Utter” are included in this issue and on the cover. The sculpture, located in the Little Rock River Market’s Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden, was dedicated on October 10, 2019. The base of the sculpture includes the names of Arkansas women’s suffrage leaders who worked between 1869 and 1919 along with some historical facts.
Photos by Mike Pirnique, Pirnique Photography.
Read more about the sculpture in AY’s January issue at https://issuu.com/ ayisaboutyou/docs/ayjan2020-allpagescropped/100.
ACCOLADES Skye Martin, an attorney at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, was named a World Woman Fellow 2019 at the World Woman Summit in November.
APPOINTMENTS AND ELECTIONS Lucie Brackin has been elected as president of the Memphis Bar Association. Keith Chrestman of Jonesboro was appointed to a seat in the 2nd Judicial Circuit to replace Judge John Fogleman of Marion, who retired. Davy Carter has been selected to serve as a Federal Reserve Bank branch director in Memphis. Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC announced that Joseph R. Falasco has been appointed to the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Model Jury Instructions-Civil for a three year term and Meredith M. Causey has been named to the Board of Directors for USAble Life. The American College of Environmental Lawyers elected Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard partner Allan Gates as President of the ACOEL Foundation.
WORD ABOUT TOWN Quattlebaum, Grooms & Tull PLLC announced that R. Seth Hampton, Sarah Keith-Bolden, Scott M. Lar and Thomas H. Wyatt have been named members of the law firm. Richard H. Mays, formerly of Williams & Anderson, announced the opening of his new office at 2226 Cottondale Lane, Suite 100, Little Rock. Lax, Vaughan, Fortson, Rowe & Threet announced the addition of Branch Fields and Robert Beach as shareholders. The firm also welcomes Emily Nadeau, who has joined the firm as an associate. J. Dalton Person has been named partner at the Fort Smith law firm of Jones, Jackson, Moll, McGinnis & Stocks, PLC. Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP announced attorneys Robert W. George and Matthew D. Mitchell have been elected partners in the firm. The lawyers work at the firm’s Rogers office. Vicki S. Vasser-Jenkins joined Walmart as Senior Counsel, Merchandising Business Support. Gill Ragon Owen announced that Aaron Heffington and Adam Reid are new shareholders in the firm and that Sam Piazza has joined the firm as an associate. Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon and Galchus, P.C. in Little Rock announced that the firm has formed an “of counsel” affiliate relationship with the national labor and employment law firm Constangy, Brooks, Smith and Prophete, LLP. The firm also announced the addition of the following attorneys to the firm: Philip E. Kaplan, Bonnie Johnson, Nicholas Williams, Robin G. Fish, and Bryan Borland. Duncan Firm, P.A. announced that the firm has moved its main office to 809 West Third Street, Little Rock, Arkansas, 72201, effective February 1, 2020. McDaniel, Wolff & Benca, PLLC formally announced the completed merger of three law firms: McDaniel, Richardson & Calhoun, PLLC; Wolff & Ward, PLLC; and Benca & Johnston, PLLC. Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. announced that it has selected attorney Jeffrey H. Thomas as the law firm’s new Managing Director and Amanda Orcutt has joined the firm as Counsel in the Little Rock office. Crouch, Harwell, Fryar & Ferner, PLLC, in Springdale announced that Steve Zega has been named as a partner with the firm.
Bob Estes of Fayetteville is the new PresidentElect Designee of the Arkansas Bar Association. A United States Army Veteran, Estes earned a BSBA, MBA and JD from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville.
Mr. Estes joins the Association’s leadership track composed of President Brian Rosenthal, President-Elect Paul Keith, and Immediate Past President Suzanne Clark. Mr. Estes will assume the office of President-Elect at the conclusion of the June 2020 Annual Meeting and become President at the June 2021 Annual Meeting. Mr. Estes is a solo practitioner in Fayetteville who has long served the association in its efforts to advance the administration of justice. His service has included YLS Executive Council, House of Delegates (Tenure), Executive Council and Board of Governors. He is currently serving a third term on the Board of Governors and is the chair of the Re-Districting Task Force and the Practice Closure Task Force. He has chaired the PAC Executive Committee and the Legislation Committee, for which he was awarded a Golden Gavel. He is a Fellow of the Arkansas Bar Foundation which has honored him with the Arkansas Bar Foundation writing award.
Mr. Estes has served in three cases as a Special Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of Arkansas. He currently serves on the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice. He has been a member of several Fayetteville city and community boards and commissions.
Committee Appointment Applications Now Accepted at mx.arkbar.com/FORATTORNEYS/ Committees/committeeApplication.aspx
