Addition of Hurst & Smith Expands Conner & Winters Presence in Northwest Arkansas
Fayetteville, Ark. (May 1, 2023) - Prominent Northwest Arkansas attorneys Rebecca Hurst & Jim Smith have joined Conner & Winters as partners in the firm’s Fayetteville office.
The addition of the two partners further strengthens the Corporate & Securities practice group at Conner & Winters, which has strong historical ties to the Northwest Arkansas area and a growing office of 12 attorneys in Fayetteville.
Hurst has extensive experience in the corporate realm advising businesses on corporate structure, financing, mergers & acquisitions, and employment matters. With roots in representing family offices for high-net worth individuals, Hurst frequently serves as an outsourced general counsel to meet the needs of her business clients.
Smith is an esteemed lawyer, community leader, and business executive known throughout Northwest Arkansas. His transactional experience spans a wide variety of business matters and transactions, including shareholder governance, investments, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, security offerings, and new business formation, with a significant focus on venture capital, private equity, and angel investments.
“The addition of these well-regarded lawyers will further strengthen our firm’s profile in the region and elevate the services we offer," said Kevin Redwine, managing partner of Conner & Winters. "We’re excited to have Rebecca and Jim join us in our ongoing mission to deliver legal services to our clients that is a step above the rest."
Hurst and Smith have both served as adjunct professors at their alma mater, the University of Arkansas School of Law, and they both received a Masters of Law in Taxation (LL.M.) from New York University School of Law.
Among the many similarities between Rebecca Hurst and Jim Smith is their remarkable commitment to service and community. They are both very active in local organizations and they each serve on multiple boards of directors and advisory committees. These include the Northwest Arkansas Council, Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas Arts Council, Walton Arts Center Corporate Leadership Council, Arkansas Venture Capital Forum, Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, and many others. Jim currently serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Tech University.
The duo is no stranger to working together, either – in 2011, they co-founded the Smith Hurst law firm after practicing together at the largest Arkansas-based law firm for several years.
“Jim and I are both very excited for the opportunity to practice together once again,” said Hurst on joining Conner & Winters alongside Smith.
Celebrating its 90th Anniversary this year, Tulsa-based Conner & Winters has a long history of representing clients in Arkansas. The firm opened the Fayetteville office in the 1990s, and it was the Conner & Winters law firm where S. Robson Walton – the son of Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton – began his legal career after law school.
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