News

The Arkansas Bar Association (ArkBar) recently announced the appointment of Jamie Huffman Jones as the new President-Elect Designee, after an uncontested election on October 2, 2023. Jamie, a partner in the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and a member of the management committee, has a strong commitment to her profession and community. She has previously served in various leadership roles, including on ArkBar’s Board of Trustees, the Executive Committee, the Board of Governors, and House of Delegates.

Jamie Jones has been appointed by the Arkansas Supreme Court to serve a three-year term on its Civil Practice Committee. Jamie, a seasoned partner in the Litigation Practice Group and member of the Firm's Management Committee, will immediately step into her new role and serve through September 30, 2026.

Little Rock, Arkansas (Monday, September 25th 2023) - Summit Utilities, Inc. announced today Kevin Crass to its Board of Directors. Crass, a partner in the Litigation Practice Group, specializes in complex business litigation in state and federal courts. He has served on multiple boards, including the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees, the Board of Visitors of the UA Little Rock, and the War Memorial Stadium Commission. Additionally, Crass was the Executive Director of the transition team for Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders and past Chairman of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.

A highlight of the evening was remarks from the guest of honor, State Bank Commissioner Susannah Marshall. Marshall expressed her gratitude and reflected on her tenure since 1994. "I am deeply honored by this gathering and the opportunity to serve the people of Arkansas in my role as State Bank Commissioner. It is through collaboration with dedicated professionals, like those gathered here today, that we continue to strengthen the foundation of our state's financial institutions. I am grateful for the trust and support of the banking community."

Visas can generally be divided into non-immigrant visas and immigrant visas. Non-immigrant visas include temporary stay and work visas, while immigrant visas are a direct path to permanent residency and citizenship. Some non-immigrant visas, like the H-1B, are a dual-intent visa – which means that beneficiaries can also pursue a long-term immigrant visa while remaining in valid H-1B status. While there are some advantages healthcare professionals may have in the long-term visa analysis, this article primarily focuses on non-immigrant visas.

The facts of Kirschner are as follows: In 2014, investors purchased $1.775 billion in syndicated term loan debt obligations of Millennium Laboratories LLC from defendant lenders. The next year, Millennium filed for bankruptcy and as part of the bankruptcy plan, the investors’ claims were assigned to a trust. In 2017, the bankruptcy trustee, Marc Kirschner, alleged that the debt obligations constituted securities, and thus were subject to the more stringent disclosure rules under securities laws. The defendants moved to dismiss the securities law claims on the grounds that a syndicated bank loan is not a security, and a loan syndication is not a securities distribution.

ROGERS, AR (Friday, September 8th, 2023) Friday, Eldredge & Clark welcomes Alexis Bibbs as the newest addition to their Litigation Practice Group. Alexis joins the Rogers office as an associate, with a focus on commercial litigation, bankruptcy, and creditors’ rights. Prior to joining, Bibbs clerked for the Honorable Bobby E. Shepherd of the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and worked as a staff attorney for the Honorable Richard D. Taylor of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas.