PROFILES LEGAL LEADERS
words DWAIN HEBDA AND CATHERINE FREDERICK
image CAROL M. HIGHSMITH ARCHIVE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS // SPONSORED CONTENT
PROFILES LEGAL LEADERS
words DWAIN HEBDA AND CATHERINE FREDERICK
image CAROL M. HIGHSMITH ARCHIVE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS // SPONSORED CONTENT
INa world where the law touches every corner of our lives, the demand for exceptional legal guidance is paramount. This year, Do South takes a closer look at local attorneys who not only represent the best of the legal profession but also embody the spirit of our community. These are not just lawyers; they are defenders of the everyday, advocates for the wronged, and counselors to those at life’s crossroads.
From the high-stakes courtrooms handling personal injury cases to the serene offices planning futures through estate law, these professionals make up the backbone of our legal system. They navigate the complexities of medical malpractice with a surgeon's precision, tackle the intricacies of family law and bankruptcy with empathy, and stand in the defense of the accused with unyielding courage.
Each profile in this special feature delves into the stories of these legal leaders. You’ll learn not just about their areas of expertise, but also about the paths they’ve taken in their legal careers, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the victories they’ve secured.
Whether advocating in front of a jury, negotiating across the mediation table, or drafting the contracts that shape our local businesses, these attorneys stand as pillars of professionalism and protectors of both individual and collective rights. Welcome to our annual Legal Leaders profiles, where the law’s finest make a profound impact far beyond the courtroom doors.
Ashleigh Buckley
THE BUCKLEY FIRM
During her formative years at Southside High School, Fort Smith native Ashleigh Buckley didn’t have any designs on a legal career. That all changed in college.
“I don’t have any lawyers in my family, didn’t know any lawyers, had no connection to the legal field at all, but I was interested in current events and keeping up with politics,” she says. “I took some political science classes at the U of A in Fayetteville and found that what I most loved was learning about the law.”
Ashleigh quickly became one to watch in her law school class. A member of the National Trial Competition and American Association for Justice mock trial teams, she was one-half of the first
all-female team to win first place in the William H. Sutton Barristers’ Union Trial Competition at the University of Arkansas. She also served as secretary of the Board of Advocates.
Following graduation from law school in 2010, she worked as an associate with the law firm of Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan in Memphis, where she gained valuable trial and courtroom experience in representing Fortune 500 companies, national trucking companies, school districts, and small businesses in the litigation of personal injury and tort cases.
Returning home in 2012, she served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Sebastian County. Her exemplary performance earned her a spot among thirty state prosecutors nationally to attend the National Trial Advocacy Academy with the National District Attorneys’ Association. She followed that with a stint as Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Arkansas in the Project Safe Childhood Division, prosecuting cases involving child pornography and sexually exploited children online.
Ashleigh is licensed to practice in Arkansas, Tennessee, and the Choctaw Nation. She also served as an adjunct professor in the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Legal Studies Department, inspiring the next generation of attorneys. In 2017, she joined her husband, William, as co-owner and managing partner attorney in The Buckley Firm, where her
legal specialties include personal injury and other civil litigation casework.
Clients speak of Ashleigh’s responsiveness and professionalism in representing them, as she takes great pride in helping injured people recover from the negligence of others.
Ashleigh has devoted much time to her community outside of work, serving a variety of nonprofits, some of which include serving as president of the Junior League of Fort Smith, where she founded a college scholarship for youth in foster care. Presently, she is working with a group of parents in the River Valley to bring the Fort Kids Children’s Museum to life by raising money to build Fort Smith’s first children’s museum on the Riverfront. She also serves on the Mercy Health Foundation Board of Advisors and volunteers to coach local high schoolers in mock trial competitions.
Ashleigh and William spend much of their free time keeping up with their two sons, Will and Ben, and serving their parish, Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Fort Smith. She also tries to find time to read and play with the family dogs, Charlie and Banksy, and indulge in her passion for caring for senior horses.
“One of the horses I have, I rode as a child, and some of my life’s best memories have included her,” she says. “It’s wonderful to be able to care for her now and watch her out in the pasture, living her best life.”
“Don’t leave your case to chance. Our team will be on your side every step of the way.”
SPENCER VEREEN
CADDELL REYNOLDS LAW FIRM
Licensed in Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Missouri, Caddell Reynolds has established itself as a leading law firm specializing in personal injury, workers' compensation, bankruptcy, wrongful death, and other legal cases. With strategically located offices in Fort Smith, Fayetteville, Rogers, and Jonesboro, they are well-positioned to serve clients throughout the state.
Senior Partner Fred Caddell and Managing Partner Bill Reynolds have built the thriving practice on a foundation of unparalleled expertise both in and outside the courtroom, as well as best-in-class service that ensures every case receives the attention it deserves. The duo has also shown exceptional skill in investing in the firm's future by identifying and onboarding the best young legal minds. Spencer Vereen, who joined the firm in 2022, is a prime example.
Spencer brings a broad set of experiences to the job of helping people get just and fair compensation following catastrophic injury, big rig collisions, and medical malpractice. Spencer’s early career achievements include several victories at the Court of Appeals.
Now in his fifth year of practice, Spencer has demonstrated exceptional skill in navigating intricate engineering and medical cases, securing a substantial $11.5 million settlement for a recent client. He has successfully assisted in resolving several multi-million-dollar tractor-trailer cases for severely injured clients and has taken a leading role in litigation against big pharma. He is currently involved in a products liability case against a prominent Japanese manufacturer in federal court.
After he graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Spencer spent a year in China as an education consultant. Turning down several opportunities to pursue his doctorate in the United Kingdom, Spencer returned to Arkansas, earning his law degree from the University of Arkansas Little Rock Bowen School of Law. Spencer notes that joining the firm has allowed him to practice the variety of cases of a big firm while still maintaining the close, personal connection to clients for which Caddell Reynolds is known.
“I love practicing in Fort Smith because it combines the perks of a big city with the charm of a small community," he
explains. "After living in a crowded city of 17.6 million in China, I prefer Fort Smith’s more connected and communal pace. It’s exciting to be part of the growth in the River Valley.”
Spencer said the firm's culture specifically lends itself to attorneys doing their best work, an expectation that runs from the top down. Caddell Reynolds ensures their attorneys are at the top of their game by emphasizing legal and realworld experience. This commitment is underscored by their rigorous education standards, which include requiring injury attorneys to join the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys.
“That organization is exceptional in putting on advanced seminars and reallife acting scenarios,” Spencer explains. He also recalls that within the first few months of joining the firm, he was sent to a trucking school in Montana to learn how to safely operate a semi-truck. “Bill and Fred truly want the younger attorneys to succeed,” says Spencer.
"From a company culture perspective, the way this firm invests in its people translates into excellent client service," he says. "Bill and Fred actively encourage us to attend as many networking and educational opportunities as possible to grow in our practice. This innovative approach to leadership enhances our professional growth and ensures we deliver the highest standard of service to our clients."
“Arkansas Personal Injury Lawyers. When You Have Been Injured, Make the Right Call.”
Craig L. Cook
THE LAW OFFICES OF CRAIG L. COOK
When it comes to legal representation, experience matters. Craig Cook, founder of The Law Offices of Craig L. Cook, boasts nearly two decades of experience serving people suffering from catastrophic injury, nursing home negligence, medical malpractice, and other cases.
Craig says one of the primary things that sets the practice apart is the extensive legal expertise it offers with specialists across a variety of casework.
“All of our attorneys have different areas of practice they focus on,” he says. “This means we can serve most, if not all, of the community’s needs. I have a couple of lawyers who do domestic relations and another who primarily focuses on bankruptcy. I’ve got another attorney that primarily focuses on workers comp cases, and I’ve got one that primarily focuses on estate planning as well as personal injury.”
Unlike some multi-lawyer firms where the founder is often unseen by clients, Craig distinguishes himself by remaining extremely accessible.
“Clients have a number of ways to reach us,” he says. “If they call the office, any office number we have listed on our website comes to my cell phone after hours. If I do not pick up that call, or for whatever reason it does not get to my cell phone, people can leave a message, which is recorded into an email sent to our office.”
The firm services the River Valley, northwest Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma, and the Tulsa metro area. Craig says that after nearly twenty years in practice, helping people who need it is still immensely gratifying. “Being in a position where you’re able to get somebody closure to a traumatic event is what makes this job worthwhile,” he said.
Phillip J. Milligan
Phillip Milligan’s approach to the law, and a credo that sums up thirty-three years in private practice, might best be described by the old saying, “If you want something done right, do it yourself.”
“I think the first thing that sets us apart is how clients can communicate with me directly and how accessible we are,” he says. “We don’t have a setup where the client talks to multiple staff and very seldom gets to talk to a lawyer. I talk to my clients every day when they call. I’m very accessible from a communications standpoint, talking directly with clients.”
Phillip grew up locally and received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas Tech in Russellville and his law degree from the University of Arkansas Law School in Fayetteville. His path to a legal practice was a winding one — his undergraduate degree is in biological sciences, and he detoured into the FBI for the first three years out of law school. Today, his experience as a
special agent still pays dividends, allowing him to investigate cases himself to prepare a case.
“My experience with the FBI equipped me with the skills necessary to conduct investigations independently, without the need for external investigators,” he says. “I do my own investigation in almost all of my cases, which pays an additional dividend in keeping my clients’ bills down, to some extent.”
With over three decades in the legal field, Phillip has amassed a wealth of experience — so much so that he’s lost count of how many jury trials he’s conducted — which he applies effectively to every case he takes on.
“I’m very passionate about serving each and every client through my understanding of a complex legal system,” he says. “I tell my clients all the time: ‘There’s very little I haven’t done in this challenging field. I’m here to lift the burden for you.’”
Phil Votaw
PHIL VOTAW & ASSOCIATES
Of all the attributes that make a great attorney, Phil Votaw can boast of education, experience, and customer service in personal injury and medical malpractice cases, which are on par with many other law firms. However, what sets him apart from the field can be described in one word: passion.
“One of the most difficult things I had to reconcile as a lawyer coming up is making a living off of somebody else’s worst day of their life, sometimes the last day of their life,” he says. “I know I can’t undo what happened, but what I can do is make sure that I get them through a bad situation with compassion and basic human empathy.
“Many times, this worst day of their life is compounded when they try to deal with an insurance company, a hospital, or some big corporation that has them outmatched at every turn. I level the playing field and do it with passion and compassion for my clients, so I feel I’m putting good energy into the universe.”
His firm operates in the River Valley and Northwest Arkansas, helping injured people put their lives back together after the negligent, injurious, and sometimes fatal actions of others. Medical malpractice cases hold particular appeal to him as he sees it as having a wider societal impact that goes beyond his clients.
“Some of the physicians around town are my very best friends, and they absolutely love what I do,” he says. “They know the people I go after in these cases are making everybody else’s jobs more difficult and giving local health care a bad name. The only way to improve that is to hold them accountable and effectively punish hospitals and doctors who practice below the standard of care.”
Votaw, who bills himself as “unlike any lawyer you’ve ever met,” is also a dedicated family man. He and his wife, Fort Smith realtor Polina Votaw, are the proud parents of three daughters.
Eddie H. Walker, Jr. WALKER LAW GROUP, PLC
Dedicated, excellent, professional, civil, and reasonable are just a few of the accolades that describe attorney Eddie H. Walker, Jr. Following his tenure as an Administrative Law Judge for the Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Commission, he established a private practice focused on representing injured workers.
His steadfast commitment and deep understanding of workers' rights have distinguished him as the first attorney in Arkansas, unaffiliated with management or insurance companies, to be inducted into the College of Workers’ Compensation Lawyers. Walker stands out for his strict policy of not representing insurance companies or employers, ensuring that his advocacy for injured workers remains pure and unconflicted.
In addition to his busy law practice, Walker has made significant contributions to the legal community. He has served as president of the Arkansas Bar Association, Special Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, and chaired the Arkansas Supreme
EDDIE H. WALKER, JR. (Former Workers’ Compensation Judge)
Court Committee on Professional Conduct. His dedication to education is evident through his role as a lecturer on workers’ compensation at the University of Arkansas School of Law. Beyond his professional endeavors, he is active in his church and committed to his faith.
Walker's legal philosophy is rooted deeply in ethical practice. “My greatest foundation is that I treat people the way I would want them to treat me," he explained. “I take very seriously a lawyer’s ethical responsibilities to clients,” Walker emphasizes, highlighting his commitment to ethical integrity in all legal dealings.
Graduating from the University of Arkansas, where he began his journey in law after growing up in Gethsemane, Arkansas, Walker's career is marked by a dedication to justice, making him one of the most respected workers’ compensation attorneys in the state.
