TAKE TIME TO GIVE - Key Persons
Anna Regnier is a health care lawyer with experience working as counsel to health systems and pharmacies. She advises health care clients on regulatory and compliance issues related to physician self-referral, fraud and abuse, privacy issues and continued compliance with Medicare and Medicaid programs. She also represents clients in operational matters and has experience drafting professional services agreements, physician employment agreements, pharmacy benefit management agreements and other arrangements.
Experience
Counsels health systems and physician groups in matters of regulatory and compliance issues including physician self-referral and the "Stark" Law, the federal anti-kickback statute and fraud and abuse.
Counsels health care clients on matters related to Medicare, Medicaid and other state and federal health programs.
Counsels clients on issues related to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and other state and federal privacy laws.
Job Titles:
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Anton Janik is an experienced trial attorney with a specialized practice in complex litigation, tax controversies and information security and privacy. Anton advises businesses and individuals on tax controversies, investigations and corporate compliance, employee privacy, data protection and social media. He is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/United States (CIPP/US) and a Certified Information Privacy Professional/Europe (CIPP/E). He also leads the Tax Controversy and Litigation practice area and co-leads the Information Security & Privacy practice area. Anton previously served as a Trial Attorney with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
Experience
Represents business entities and high net worth individuals before state and federal tax authorities in civil and criminal matters concerning domestic and international tax issues.
Ashley Edwards concentrates her practice in areas of business and commercial transactions. She advises individual and business clients in all commercial transactions including a variety of real estate, public finance, entity formation, corporate governance and general business matters. She has experience in taxable and tax-exempt and public and private finance transactions, as well as real estate and project development. Ashley also has experience with tax matters related to estate planning and municipal finance transactions. Prior to joining Mitchell Williams, she served as assistant general counsel in real estate for a Fortune 500 company where she primarily negotiated and drafted contracts for the operation, lease, purchase and sale of commercial real estate.
Experience
Advises business and individual clients in all aspects of commercial transactions.
Ashley Gill focuses her practice primarily on estate planning and administration, taxation, commercial transactions and corporate law. She regularly counsels clients on various wealth transfer strategies, including income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer tax, asset protection, business succession, and charitable planning to structure plans that both minimize estate shrinkage and maximize the achievement of non-tax goals. Ashley also provides general business and tax advice to both publicly-held and privately-held companies in connection with mergers and acquisitions, corporation reorganizations, stock restructurings, company dispositions, and employee compensation plans designed to promote efficiency and employee productivity.
Experience
Develops and implements comprehensive estate plans for individuals and families to minimize estate shrinkage and ensure achievement of non-tax estate planning goals.
Job Titles:
- of Counsel
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
- Mitchell Williams Partner
- Named President - Elect of the American College of Environmental Lawyers
Allan Gates practices in the areas of environmental law and litigation. He is counsel to private parties, public interest groups, and trade associations in environmental regulatory matters and appears regularly before state agencies, including the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment and the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission. Allan also serves as defense counsel in hazardous waste and Superfund actions before state agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and in state and federal court.
Experience
Counsel in air pollution, water pollution, toxic tort, wetlands, environmental impact statement and coastal management disputes and litigation.
Counsel for applicants for hazardous waste permits and closure plans, pesticide registrations, water, air, and solid waste permits.
Counsel for affected parties in state and federal rulemaking and adjudicatory proceedings under air, water, solid waste, hazardous waste, and toxic substance control legislation.
Professional Recognition
Austin Reed focuses his practice on commercial litigation, secured transactions, contract disputes, real estate disputes and general civil litigation. He also assists in medical malpractice defense matters, and he advises clients with regard to agricultural and recreational land use disputes. Austin graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. While earning his J.D., Austin was a teaching assistant in Research, Writing and Analysis I and II and served as an articles editor for the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review.
Experience
Drafts dispositive motions and briefs including motions to dismiss and motions for summary judgment in both federal and state courts.
Wade Bowen is a business and tax lawyer who advises businesses and individual clients on a diverse range of tax law, tax-related issues and business matters. He assists clients with business formations, business sales and acquisitions, lending and real estate transactions and commercial matters. He represents businesses and individuals in audits and administrative tax proceedings before the Internal Revenue Service and Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Wade also counsels agriculture clients in business acquisitions and sales, business formations, real estate transactions, tax planning and family farm succession planning. He also assists individuals and families with creating and implementing simple and complex estate and business succession plans. He represents individual clients in uncontested and controverted estate and trust administrations and litigation. In addition, Wade also advises non-profit entities on organizational and operational issues.
Experience
Counsels clients, both purchasers and sellers, in the negotiation, structuring and closing of the acquisition and sale of private businesses including stock and asset acquisitions.
Advises clients on the tax and practical aspects of business organization and operations including the formation of limited liability companies, partnerships and corporations; drafting of partnership and limited liability operating agreements; and preparation of ancillary agreements such as employment agreements, leases and non-competition agreements.
Assists clients in various real estate transactions including buyers and sellers in purchase and sale transactions, buyers and sellers in structuring 1031 tax-deferred exchanges, banking clients in lending transactions, landlords and tenants in lease transactions and owners in appeals of real estate tax assessments.
Assist agriculture clients in business acquisitions and sales, business formations, real estate transactions, tax planning and family farm succession planning.
Implements simple and complex estate plans for individuals and families including the preparation of wills, revocable trusts and the use of more complex wealth transfer techniques employing irrevocable trusts, family-owned business entities and charitable entities.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Mitchell Williams Announces Attorney
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
- Mitchell Williams Member
Ben Jackson is a litigation and trial attorney who defends corporations, institutional clients and insurance companies in catastrophic personal injury and death cases, primarily including products liability, toxic tort and medical injury. He has worked as lead trial counsel on numerous catastrophic injury cases and regularly serves as local counsel assisting out-of-state defense attorneys in Arkansas litigation. Ben is recognized as one of JD Supra Readers' Choice Top Authors in Products Liability and serves on Mitchell Williams' Board of Directors.
Experience
Represents multiple national, regional and Arkansas companies as both lead counsel and local counsel on matters of products liability, mass tort and toxic tort.
Advises health care providers and hospitals throughout Arkansas on risk management strategies.
Counsels businesses, financial institutions and health care providers in matters of data security and cyber liability defense litigation.
Job Titles:
- Legal Counsel
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Brian Pipkin provides legal counsel and regulatory guidance to insurance companies, insurance agencies and producers, health plans, managed care companies, and other insurance and health care related entities, on a national basis. He has extensive appellate experience in cases before the federal courts of appeals, state supreme and intermediate appellate courts, and federal and state administrative agencies.
Experience
Advises clients on company formation, admissions, expansions, mergers and acquisitions, redomestications, and other corporate issues.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Burnie Burner brings unique experience and perspective to the representation of insurance companies, investors, agents and alternative risk arrangements in Texas and throughout the country. His practice includes advising clients in the acquisition of companies and blocks of business, holding company issues, licensing, product and policy development, regulatory compliance, examinations and investigations.
Experience
Secured the first Texas captive Certificate of Authority and has been instrumental in the formation of the majority of the captive insurance companies in Texas.
Byron Freeland focuses his practice on employment law and litigation.
Experience
Represents employers, including the largest hospital system in Arkansas, in Title VII defense.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Cara Butler served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Lavenski R. Smith of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit where she gained experience on a wide variety of labor and employment issues. She now combines her knowledge and experience to counsel businesses and not-for-profits on employment and workplace issues to ensure compliance with federal, state and local laws. She advises human resources administration on hiring and termination, employee discipline, state and federal leave laws, employee handbooks and policies and wage and hour compliance. Cara is dedicated and driven which is demonstrated when she earned the highest score on the 2019 Arkansas Bar Exam, received 12 top paper awards in law school and won multiple national dance team championships as a youth.
Experience
Researches complex issues arising during the course of litigation at both the trial and appellate level.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Education Committee
Casey Dorman Lawson concentrates her practice on business, real estate and estate planning and administration. She represents businesses with the formation of limited liability companies and corporations and advises on day to day operations of the company. She also assists businesses with the sale or transfer of a business entity. Casey advises businesses and individuals in real estate matters including purchasing, selling, leasing and development. She also counsels individuals and families on estate planning and the administration of both complex and simple estates and trust.
Experience
Advises businesses on matters of entity formation, mergers and acquisitions, sales and transfer and other business issues.
Assists businesses with contracts including leases, independent contractor agreements, employment agreements, non-compete agreements and other general contracts.
Counsels real estate developers and property managers in all stages of real property development including purchasing, selling, developing, constructing and leasing.
Advises individuals and families on all aspects of estate planning including wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney, irrevocable trusts, estate administrations and probate administrations.
Counsels and assists clients with premarital agreements.
Professional Recognition
Celina J. Banwarth advises business and individual clients in all commercial transactions including a variety of lending, real estate, public finance, corporate governance, entity formation, and general business matters. She also represents restaurants, retailers, and hotels in securing liquor permits from the Alcohol Beverage Control Division.
Experience
Serves as counsel to numerous financial institutions, providing legal guidance on mergers and acquisitions, banking regulatory compliance, and lending and transactional matters.
Job Titles:
- Mitchell Williams Announces Attorney
Job Titles:
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Chuck Cliett has extensive experience assisting insurance and managed care clients with complex multistate projects, including licensing, mergers and acquisitions, compliance, and forward looking product design and approval of such products. With a particular focus on health and managed care products, as well as clients who participate in Medicaid and Medicare managed care and in Health Insurance Marketplace programs, Chuck has developed relationships with insurance regulators across the country, repeatedly obtaining successful results, often in time-sensitive circumstances. His wealth of insurance regulatory and managed care experience has roots in his roles as a regulator and corporate counsel-prior to joining Mitchell Williams, Chuck worked as a staff attorney for the Texas Department of Insurance and as in-house counsel to a San Antonio-based HMO. Working with a deep bench of colleagues at Mitchell Williams, Chuck builds teams custom-designed to meet a client's regulatory needs, whether national in scope or state-specific.
Experience
Extensive experience in obtaining multistate approvals for national and regional health and life insurance companies and HMOs, including formation and licensing, mergers and acquisitions, and product form and rate filings.
Chris McNulty focuses his practice on helping financial institutions in compliance, regulatory, bankruptcy and litigation matters. He represents creditors in bankruptcies and workouts of troubled commercial loans, leases and other contractual relationships and in commercial and agricultural litigation. Chris counsels clients in a wide variety of debtor/creditor matters including asset-based and cash-flow transactions, subordinated and second-lien debt, equity classes and rights, intercreditor agreements and participation arrangements including single-bank transactions as well as loan workouts, loan sales, DIP financing and Chapter 11, 12 and 13 plans of reorganizations. He has extensive experience in foreclosure, landlord/tenant issues, breach of contract and open account disputes, collections and business torts. In addition to litigation, Chris also advises banks and companies on regulatory and compliance matters, including but not limited to regulation, enforcement and investigations related to digital assets and cryptocurrencies.
Experience
Counsels and advises national, regional and local banks, trust companies and credit unions on litigation, compliance, and regulatory matters.
Represents secured creditors in bankruptcy cases under Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, including objecting to use of cash collateral and to plans, obtaining adequate protection or relief from stay, defending preference claims and prosecuting fraudulent conveyance actions in adversary proceedings, and protecting security interests in 363 "free and clear" sales.
Clay Stone has extensive experience in handling disputes involving contested wills, trusts and gifts, the administration of trusts and estates, and guardianships. He also regularly handles complex commercial litigation matters, intellectual property disputes, construction disputes and real estate litigation. He has litigated cases throughout the State of Arkansas at both the trial and appellate levels.
Experience
Represents parties in will and trust contests, guardianships (both contested and uncontested), and actions to remove fiduciaries.
Courtney Crouch is a trusted advisor on corporate and securities matters helping both publicly-traded and privately-held companies navigate corporate governance, regulatory and transactional issues. He counsels corporate boards of directors, board committees and executive management on corporate governance, shareholder communications, investor disclosure, executive compensation, capital markets and securities transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and other regulatory and transactional matters. He regularly advises public companies on reporting under the Exchange Act and compliance with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and stock exchange listing standards. He assists clients with capital markets transactions including registered public equity and debt offerings, private securities offerings, issuer tender offers, stock repurchases, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to becoming an attorney, Courtney worked in several federal government capacities in Washington, D.C., including as White House director of congressional correspondence, communications director for a U.S. House member from Arkansas, and a summer law clerk for the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance.
Experience
Advising public companies in the banking, automotive retail and transportation and logistics industries on compliance with Exchange Act reporting requirements, stock exchange listing standards and related disclosure matters, including:
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Co - Chair
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
Craig Cockrell advises businesses, individuals, municipalities and state agencies on tax matters and business transactions including business formations and start-ups, stock and asset acquisitions, real estate transactions and public financing transactions. He also assists individuals and families with preparing and implementing estate and business succession plans and provides legal counsel on wealth transfer strategies. Having extensive experience in administrative tax proceedings, Craig also represents businesses and individuals before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (ADFA).
Experience
Advises buyers and sellers during negotiation, structuring and closing of private business stock and asset acquisitions and real estate transactions.
Counsels clients regarding the legal, tax and practical aspects of small business start-up and operations, including the formation of partnerships, LLCs, and corporations; preparation of partnership and LLC operating agreements; and the preparation of contracts such as leases, employment agreements, and non-competition agreements.
Provides tax analysis to municipalities, universities, state agencies and underwriters regarding the tax-exempt aspects of municipal bond financing.
Assists families with the preparation of simple and complex estate plans, including the preparation of wills and revocable trusts, and implementing tax-advantaged wealth transfer strategies employing irrevocable trusts, private foundations and family holding companies.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Strategic Advisor
Derrick Smith is an experienced strategic advisor and advocate assisting national and regional clients in insurance regulatory law, compliance and investigative and legislative matters. He represents insurance clients in their interactions with state insurance departments throughout the United States providing counsel on insurance law and regulatory compliance. He has substantial experience representing regulated businesses and entities in all aspects of government relations including legislative and regulatory solutions and contracting and procurement to maximize business opportunities. With the complexities of changing laws and interpretations by regulatory bodies, Derrick provides up-to-date counsel that enables businesses and entities to work successfully with regulators and government representatives at the local and state levels.
Experience
Extensive experience representing insurance company clients in obtaining regulatory approvals of insurance company transactions including formations, re-domestications, mergers and acquisitions and demutualizaions.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Mitchell Williams Attorney
- Strategic Litigator and Trusted Advisor
Devin Bates is a strategic litigator and trusted advisor to his clients. As a trial lawyer, he has experience in complex litigation including business matters, intellectual property disputes, constitutional litigation, and products liability actions. He also represents clients in conflicts involving governmental agencies and in administrative proceedings. Devin handles cases from inception through resolution at trial, appeal, and alternative dispute resolution where appropriate. Devin also represents school districts, advising clients to find practical, clear, and comprehensive solutions to difficult challenges. As a former educator, Devin's experience as a teacher and administrator gives him the unique understanding of school operations that enables him to better assist his education clients with their needs and goals.
Prior to joining the firm, Devin served as a law clerk to Chief U.S. District Judge P.K. Holmes, III. Devin has proudly adopted Arkansas as his home, having resided in the state for more than a decade. As an outdoor enthusiast, he enjoys Arkansas' many rivers, trails, and outdoor spaces.
Experience
Represented one of the state's largest school districts in a three week federal court trial contesting desegregation issues in historic case.
Doak Foster is a former Deputy Insurance Commissioner for the State of Arkansas and is an experienced insurance regulatory lawyer. He joined the firm and the Insurance Regulatory Practice Group after serving more than seven years as an insurance regulator and two years as in-house counsel for an insurance group. He has extensive experience in all aspects of insurance holding company matters, licensing of insurance entities and handling of rate and form development and filing in all states. In addition, he has broad knowledge and experience in market conduct examinations and all other aspects of insurance regulation.
Experience
Lead reorganization of major nationwide life insurance group which included sale of one insurer, merger of two insurers, assumption reinsurance, merger and redomestication.
Job Titles:
- Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Job Titles:
- Director of Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Announces Cara Butler and Hannah Butler Join Firm in Little Rock and Rogers
- Announces New Board Member
- Attorneys Graham Talley and Cara Butler Present at SAHPMM Annual Meeting
- Attorneys Nate Read and Cara Butler Present at Arkansas SHRM ELLA Conference
Since 1954, Mitchell Williams has been firmly grounded in integrity, service and innovation, with attorneys and staff developing deep relationships with our clients and communities.
Job Titles:
- Accounts Payable Specialist