Bryan J. Reis
Having graduated from both college and law school at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Bryan Reis has over forty years of experience in his focal areas of business consultation, formation, and litigation. He has extensive skills regarding complex trial and dispute resolution, including divorce, business law, and contested wills, estates, and trusts. Since 2007, Bryan has been voted as one of Arkansas’s Top Lawyers in AY Magazine, and he was peer recognized as one of the Best Lawyers in America from 2007-2019. He also served as the former president of the Garland County Bar Association.
James Merek Rowe
Merek graduated with honors from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in accounting. He practiced eight years as a CPA before receiving his law degree, with high honors, from the University of Arkansas School of Law. Today, Merek is dedicated to using his over forty years of professional experience to help clients, with his primary focus of practice involving trusts and estate and business planning. He assists individuals and couples interested in establishing an estate plan, individuals or corporations serving as trustees or executors, and the families involved in the estate.
Michael S. McCrary
Michael is an undergraduate of the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, earning his law degree in 1986 from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Little Rock. His professional practice areas focus on the representation of both large and small businesses including banks, manufacturers, real estate developers, family-owned enterprises, and similar entities.
Philip B. Montgomery
Philip attended Henderson State University and received his law degree with honors from the University of Little Rock School of Law. A member of Law Review and author of Case Law Survey, Civil Procedure, Philip applies his expertise to varied areas of practice, including commercial and civil litigation, estate and trust litigation, collections, creditors rights, bankruptcy, business transactions, real estate transactions and litigation, community association representation, and appellate practice and procedure.
Brenda Simpson
Brenda Simpson graduated from Saint Leo College, Magna Cum Laude, in 1996. She earned her Master of Business Administration from Webster University and Master of Arts in Organizational Management at George Washington University. She obtained her law degree from UALR William H. Bowen School of Law, Cum Laude, in 2014. Brenda is a member of the American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association, Garland County Bar Association and Society of Human Resource Management.
Brenda retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2010, is a combat veteran and an active member of several national Veterans service organizations. Brenda is a current UALR William H. Bowen School of Law Alumni Board Member and a past member of the Young Alumni Board.
Her primary areas of practice include:
- Divorce
- Child Custody
- Adoption
- Guardianships
- Estate Planning
Hank Felton
Hank Felton received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, graduating suma cum laude in 2017. During his undergraduate studies, he researched vertebrate pathophysiology and surface water chemical analysis. He obtained his law degree from the William H. Bowen School of Law in 2022, again graduating with high honors. During law school, Hank worked as a teaching assistant to Director Kristen Minton and gained extensive experience as a law clerk with Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP; CARTI Cancer Center; Cox, Sterling, McClure & Vandiver, PLLC; Wright Lindsey Jennings; and Legacy Law Group, among others. He also received top paper awards in Real Property II, Real Estate Finance, and Specialized Legal Research. His primary areas of practice include estate planning and litigation, civil litigation, appellate practice and procedure, and business entity formation and advising. He also serves on the Bowen Law School’s Young Alumni Board of Directors and volunteers as a mentor in Bowen Law School’s Mentorship Program. When Hank isn’t at work, he enjoys playing music and cooking food outdoors for his family.
Thomas Smith
Previously the founder and owner of Thomas Smith Law Firm, Thomas holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in finance from Henderson State University, a Juris Doctorate (High Honors) from the William H. Bowen School of Law, and an LL M. in elder law and special needs law from Stetson University. He has extensive experience in corporate transactional law, including real estate transactions, contract review, contract negotiation, and secured transactions. Another focal area for him is estate planning with a unique emphasis on elder clients and planning for special-needs families. Mr. Smith is a member of the Arkansas Bar Association, the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the Special Needs Alliance, and Oaklawn Rotary Club, as well as Saint Mary’s of the Springs Catholic Church in Hot Springs. Mr. Smith also serves on the boards of Lakeside Schools, Samaritan Ministries of Hot Springs, and The Center for Exceptional Families. He is currently the President-Elect of Oaklawn Rotary Club.







