February 19, 2013
Mitchell, Williams, Selig, Gates & Woodyard, P.L.L.C. has elected two counsel to the firm's membership, elevating the status of J. Scott Schallhorn and Brian A. Vandiver to members. J. Scott Schallhorn, who has been with the firm since 2010, practices in business transactions and advice, real estate and land use, project finance, and advising business and individual clients in all aspects of commercial transactions, finance and real estate. He previously served as general counsel for Hendrix College and The Village at Hendrix, providing advice and service in matters of corporate maintenance, contract review, real estate development, governmental relations, tax-exempt bond finance, business transactions and general business matters. Schallhorn represents real estate developers, property managers and construction contractors concerning the conveyance, purchase, development and leasing of real property. He also advises clients on tax exemption issues, tax credit and 1031 transactions and provides counsel to various business entities with respect to the formation, merger, restructuring, acquisition and sale of businesses. He has been selected for inclusion by the publications Mid-South Super Lawyers and Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Arkansas real estate law. He is also a member of the real property section of the Arkansas Bar Association, is on the board and several committees of the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, and has held numerous leadership positions at First United Methodist Church Little Rock. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College and a Juris Doctor from University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Brian A. Vandiver joined Mitchell Williams in 2010, and primarily represents employers in all areas of labor and employment law. He is the new team leader for the firm's labor and employment practice. He regularly advises, trains and represents management in all areas of labor and employment law litigation and compliance. Some of his frequent practice areas include employment discrimination, wage and hour, and employment contracts. Vandiver has also served as an adjunct faculty member at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, teaching Employment Law, Disability Law and Employment Discrimination Law. He has been selected for inclusion by the publications Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers in labor and employment law and to the 2010 "Forty Under Forty" class by Arkansas Business. He is currently participating in Class VII of Leadership Arkansas with the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce. Vandiver is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, the Federal Bar Association, Defense Research Institute, The Federalist Society, and the Christian Legal Society. He was also recently appointed to the Steering Committee for DRI's Employment Law Committee. Vandiver also serves on the Arkansas State Advisory Committee of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Arkansas. Vandiver has written for a variety of publications on employment law and contributes to the firm's employment law blog posts. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hendrix College and a Juris Doctor from UALR William H. Bowen School of Law. He is licensed to practice in Arkansas, the U.S. District Court for Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, as well as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Vandiver served as a law clerk to former U.S. District Court Judge Stephen M. Reasoner and is a former partner at Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C. Mitchell Williams also recently elected R.T. Beard, III to serve as the firm's new Managing Director. Beard has been practicing law in Arkansas for more than 40 years and has been a valuable member of the Mitchell Williams team since 1987. Harry Hamlin, who served the past six years as Managing Director, will return to full time participation in the firm's business practice, specializing in commercial transactions.