January 02, 2025
(LITTLE ROCK, Ark.) Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. has elected attorneys Colt Galloway, Audra Hamilton, Jacob McElroy, Jeff McWhirt, Michael Nored, Emily Runyon and Jack Talbot to the firm’s membership effective Jan. 1.
“I am pleased to announce our firm’s newest members. They are representative of the bright future we have ahead and the values that were established when our firm was founded in 1954,” said Mitchell Williams Managing Director Jeff Thomas.
“Colt, Audra, Jacob, Jeff, Michael, Emily and Jack are outstanding people and highly talented lawyers. I am confident they will continue our firm’s commitment to exceptional service to our clients, responsibility to serving our communities and dedication to the legal profession,” said Thomas.
Colt Galloway handles a broad range of litigation matters, with a focus on complex commercial disputes, often involving multi-million-dollar claims. He routinely represents Fortune 100 companies in high-stakes commercial, products liability, premises liability and wrongful death cases in state and federal court. Prior to joining the firm, Colt worked as in-house counsel for a multinational retailer.
Audra K. Hamilton has more than 20 years of experience representing employers in all phases of litigation, arbitration and administrative conflicts. She has extensive experience representing companies of all sizes in the energy, health care, construction, public utility and service industries. In addition to private practice, Audra served as in-house employment counsel and executive in charge of human resources for a publicly traded energy company, giving her internal understanding of the challenges employers face. She uses that experience to provide employers with pragmatic strategies to mitigate risk. Audra has been a frequent speaker and author on employment-law related matters, including a practice guide to employers on the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Jacob McElroy is a litigator with experience defending businesses, insurance carriers and their insureds in various lawsuits and proceedings including medical malpractice, nursing home liability, premises liability and administrative proceedings. Jacob also assists insurance carriers in evaluating their potential risk and exposure and advises them on potential mitigation strategies and options for resolution.
Jeff McWhirt has extensive experience in insurance law and insurance regulation, including excess and surplus lines. Combining his insurance knowledge with his previous experience as a deputy chief compliance officer for a large international specialty insurance broker, Jeff provides clients with pragmatic solutions in navigating the complex insurance regulatory environment to achieve their business objectives. He represents insurance agents and brokers, managing underwriters, surplus lines brokers and insurance carriers in nationwide legal, regulatory and compliance matters. Communicating with and facilitating interactions with state departments of insurance, insurance regulators and investigators, Jeff conducts insurance regulatory due diligence for mergers and acquisitions and manages insurance agent and broker acquisitions. He also assists insurance intermediaries and companies with disclosures including licensing and compensation, carrier-producer agreements, risk purchasing groups and master polices.
Michael Nored advises and represents clients on a broad range of insurance and managed care regulatory matters. Michael has extensive experience as an insurance regulatory lawyer having served as a regulator as the former deputy commissioner of legal and enforcement, director of financial counsel and chief counsel of the health market actions section at the Texas Department of Insurance in Austin for 10 years. He also worked for 14 years in private practice focused on insurance, administrative law and litigation. Michael has sophisticated knowledge in compliance, licensing, holding company transactions, contracts and administrative proceedings. His extensive regulatory relationships and breadth of experience make him an effective advocate and trusted advisor on regulatory, compliance, business, and policy in the insurance industry.
Emily Runyon is a litigation and trial attorney who defends insurance carriers, corporations and health care institutions in personal injury, wrongful death, medical malpractice and bad faith lawsuits. Combining her years of experience as a litigator with her previous experience as an Arkansas Supreme Court clerk, Emily provides her clients with comprehensive counsel in litigation and insurance coverage matters. From the onset of any matter, Emily strives to understand her clients’ business concerns to develop the best legal strategies to resolve disputes to achieve their overarching objectives. She advises insurance companies in the pre-suit investigation and resolution of a wide variety of insurance claims. She represents insurers in claims involving medical malpractice, personal injury and property claims. She also assists school districts across the state by conducting investigations into sensitive employment issues and/or student or parental concerns.
Jack Talbot has extensive experience as a trial lawyer with a focus on business law, agriculture and real estate. He represents a variety of clients but primarily assists agribusinesses, landowners, land managers, farming partnerships, cooperatives, forest product companies and other business entities. He provides litigation services and advice on a range of operational matters including contract and transactional issues, leasing, tenant and land management issues, title, boundary and easement disputes, bankruptcy, debt and finance disputes, and environmental and business torts. He handles administrative and regulatory litigation for clients having contested matters before the United States Department of Agriculture and various state-level agencies and commissions. He also represents individuals, families and fiduciaries in disputes involving wills, trusts and gifts and the administration of trusts and estates.
About Mitchell Williams
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. is a full-service law firm with Arkansas roots and national reach. For more than 70 years, we have delivered sophisticated legal counsel to individuals, entities and corporations for everything from day-to-day business needs to the most complex, specialized corporate matters. From offices in Little Rock, Rogers and Jonesboro, Arkansas and Austin, Texas, we are the power of experience for our clients. Learn more at MitchellWilliamsLaw.com.