Joel Hoover

William A. Waddell Jr. is a member of the firm’s litigation practice group. Bill’s work is focused on litigation and other representation for banks, insurance companies, healthcare entities, and other businesses. He has deep experience in class actions, bet-the-company jury trials, and regulatory litigation.

J. Lee Brown concentrates his practice on estate planning, tax, corporate, real estate and nonprofit matters. He serves private clients in the areas of estate planning, wills and trusts, probate and small business planning. He counsels corporate and business clients regarding tax planning, corporate and entity formation, and tax-exempt organizations and related matters. Lee has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for Trusts and Estates and for Tax Law for more than 10 years.

Drake Mann is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Administrative / Regulatory Law and Appellate Practice. Drake, who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Drake is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Khayyam M. Eddings is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Education Law, Employment Law - Individuals, Employment Law - Management and Labor Law - Management. Khayyam M., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2014. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Khayyam M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

James P. Beachboard is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Banking and Finance Law, Commercial Finance Law, Corporate Law and Real Estate Law. James P., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2010. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James P. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

George Ernst is a Partner in our Little Rock office whose practice specializes in immigration, international business, and labor and employment matters. Also proficient in German, he has over a decade of experience representing multi-national corporations across various industries. His practice focuses on advising clients in highly complex matters relating to the employment of foreign nationals under the EB-5 program for international investors, EB-1 and EB-2 visas for employment-based immigr...

Michael G. Smith is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation and Litigation - Insurance. Michael G., who practices law in Little Rock, Arkansas, has been recognized since 2019. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael G. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.

Jeff Thomas serves as the firm's Managing Director. His practice focuses on insurance regulatory law and related matters. He has successfully led and managed complex regulatory and compliance issues for Fortune 100 companies on a national basis. His regulatory relationships and breadth of experience across all lines of insurance make him an effective advocate and trusted advisor for his clients on a wide range of business and public policy issues.

Stan Smith is a business attorney with more than 30 years of experience assisting business clients with commercial transactions, general corporate law, contract negotiation, corporate bankruptcy matters, secured transactions, business litigation and financial workouts. He regularly serves as general counsel to many of his clients on a variety of business and legal issues. Stan has extensive bankruptcy litigation experience including pursuit and defense of preference and fraudulent conveyance ...

Ryan Younger handles disputes involving contracts, fraud, deceptive trade practices, trade secrets, insurance, products liability, government regulation, and other matters. He represents clients ranging from individuals to multi-national corporations. He has extensive experience in state and federal courts across the nation and has served as first-chair trial counsel and lead lawyer for appeals. He has defended clients in multiple multidistrict litigation proceedings. Mr. Younger also represe...