Attorneys

Mr. Bates focuses his practice on representing individuals, farmers, small businesses and governmental entities in environmental, pollution, securities fraud, employment, consumer fraud and class action litigation. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America® in the category of Environmental Law and has been named a "Super Lawyer" (among the top 5 percent of lawyers in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee) by Mid-South Super Lawyers Magazine in the area of Environmental Litigation. 

Mr. Bates has represented numerous individuals and entire communities (numbering hundreds of households) in complex environmental litigation in Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas and  Oklahoma involving air pollution, groundwater pollution and toxic exposures resulting in multi-million dollar recoveries and agreements and court orders requiring remediation of contamination and compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations in the future.  He also has represented successfully numerous farmers in cases involving crop damage by defective pesticides.  His employment litigation includes a recent $17.5 million settlement of a national class action against Wal-Mart for discrimination against African Americans in the hiring of truck drivers. 

Mr. Bowman began his legal career in 1986, with the Department of Justice Honors Program, a program created by Attorney General Robert Kennedy. Mr. Bowman worked for the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, in Washington, D.C. until October 1990. During his tenure with the DOJ, Mr. Bowman tried dozens of cases involving diverse and complex issues including tax fraud, amortization of core deposit intangibles, “Bivens” actions and judicial review ability of governmental action. While at the Justice Department, Mr. Bowman litigated a matter making it clear that certain action or inaction on the part of the Internal Revenue Service Commissioner is not subject to judicial review. See Horton Homes, Inc. v. United States of America , 727 F. Supp. 1450 (1990), affirmed by the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals and subsequently overturned prospectively by Congress. During his tenure at the Justice Department, Mr. Bowman was recognized as the “Outstanding Attorney” of the Tax Division (nationwide).

In 1990, Mr. Bowman returned to Little Rock, Arkansas, where he began his private practice of law with the firm of Jack, Lyon & Jones, P.A. In 1993, Mr. Bowman became a partner of Jack, Lyon & Jones and was head of the firm’s complex commercial and white collar defense litigation sections. Mr. Bowman has been involved in a number of high profile cases, including the criminal defense of a complex “Whitewater” matter wherein the former governor of Arkansas and his attorney were indicted by the Whitewater prosecutor, Kenneth Starr. In that case, United States of America v. John H. Haley , 898 F. Supp. 654 (1995), Haley and Tucker successfully argued to the District Court that Kenneth Starr had exceeded his jurisdiction in prosecuting citizens of the State of Arkansas as opposed to officers of the Executive Branch with whom Attorney General Reno had a conflict of interest. That case was subsequently reversed by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Mr. Bowman’s litigation experience is broad and includes both the prosecution and defense of cases on behalf of individuals and classes involving death penalty matters; common law civil fraud; securities fraud; RTC savings and loan litigation; general commercial litigation; white collar crime; and tax matters. Mr. Bowman’s class action experience includes the successful defense of a string of related class actions brought against Rapid Acceptance Corporation alleging that Rapid had charged consumers an amount of interest in excess of the amount allowed by law.

Mr. Bowman is also actively involved in many of the firm’s securities class actions, particularly those involving accounting fraud, and is taking the lead role for the firm in such cases as Rosa E. Garza v. J.D. Edwards & Co. , U.S.D.C. District of Colorado, No. 99-1744, ( $15 million settlement); Betty M. Lynch v. JDN Realty Corp., et al. , U.S.D.C. Northern District of Georgia, Atlanta Division, No. 1:00-CV-2539 ( settled for more than $40 million in cash and stock with 11% of the total settlement allocated to Mr. Bowman’s clients); In re Phycor Shareholder Litigation , U.S.D.C., Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, No. 3-99-0807 ($11.2 million cash settlement); and In re Vision America Securities Litigation , U.S.D.C., Middle District of Tennessee, Nashville Division, No. 3-00-0279 ($5.9 million settlement).

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Carney was a partner with Jack, Lyon & Jones, and P.A. in the Little Rock, Arkansas office, where he practiced extensively in the areas of complex commercial litigation, labor and employment litigation, and business transactions.  While at Jack, Lyon & Jones, Mr. Carney had the privilege of representing some of the State’s and the nation’s largest employers, including Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, American Standard, Inc., and Babcock & Wilcox.

Mr. Carney has been involved in a number of high-profile cases, including the successful defense of Capital Cities/ABC News in an action brought by Tyson Foods regarding the secret videotaping of chicken processing plants; representing a  joint venture comprised of two Fortune 100 companies, during an energy shortage, involving the lease and alleged damage of  several  large electrical  generators; and  the successful defense before the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals of an issue of first impression under the Family and Medical Leave Act.  Mr. Carney is a frequent lecturer to human resources professionals and attorneys regarding litigation and employment matters.  For approximately six years, he was a frequent contributor to Arkansas Employment Law Newsletter, a monthly publication with more than seven hundred (700) subscribers.  Additionally, Mr. Carney co-authored and edited a twenty-seven chapter Employment Law Desk Book for Arkansas Employers (1997).  The book highlights federal and state labor and employment laws, rules and regulations.

Mr. Carney is actively involved in the firm’s securities practice, having held leadership positions in numerous cases:  In re Lernout & Hauspie Securities Litigation, No. 00-11589-PBS (D. Mass.) ($115 million settlement); In re NewPower Securities Litigation, No. 2-CV-1550 (S.D.N.Y.) ($41 million settlement); In re DQE, Inc. Securities Litigation, No. 01-1851 (W.D. Pa.); In re Ashanti Goldfields Securities Litigation, No. CV-00-9717 (DGT) (RML) (E.D.N.Y.); In re Central Parking Corporation Securities Litigation, No. 03-CV-0546 M.D. Tenn.); In re Keyspan Securities Litigation, No. CV-01-5852 (ARR) (MDG) (E.D.N.Y.); Paul Ruble, et. al. v. Rural Metro Corp., et. al., No. CV-99-822-PHX-RGS (D. Ariz.).

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Gordon worked for Edward Jones Investments as a Securities Representative, where she provided wealth building advice to clients in the Houston, TX area.  In addition, she had a successful career as a high school mathematics teacher in Memphis, TN. 

Ms. Gordon focuses her practice primarily in the area of consumer class actions against financial institutions.

Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Oldham worked for the Japanese municipal government in Urasoe City, Okinawa, Japan. While abroad, Ms. Oldham’s primary focus was on international relations.  In addition, Ms. Oldham  worked as an intern for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Western Division of Arkansas, where she assisted in researching bankruptcy issues and administrating bankruptcy proceedings.

Randy Pulliam’s practice focuses primarily upon representing investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud, as well as in “change-of-control” transactions seeking to maximize shareholder value.  As lead and co-lead counsel in numerous suits alleging securities violations, he has been quoted in numerous publications, including the New York Times and the Dallas Morning News. 

Mr. Pulliam has substantial experience in many areas of the securities industry, holding his Series 7 General Securities Representative license.  Mr. Pulliam worked for Stephens, Inc. as an Equity Trader for four years, where he executed in excess of $2 billion in securities transactions each year and participated in the firm’s underwriting and Initial Public Offering allocation decisions.  Prior to working at Stephens, Mr. Pulliam worked as an investment banker for Crews and Associates, Inc., where he was responsible for buying municipal bonds for both individual and institutional investors.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Pulliam had a successful law practice in a variety of legal areas, including commercial litigation, where he gained extensive courtroom experience, successfully trying several jury trials.

Immediately prior to joining the firm, Mr. Williams was the Chief Deputy Attorney General for the State of Arkansas, where he directed all of the legal work of the office, including the representation of the state’s constitutional offices, agencies, boards and commissions.  During his tenure in the Office of the Arkansas Attorney General, Mr. Williams’ legal skill and leadership resulted in the office recovering millions of dollars on behalf of Arkansas consumers and taxpayers.  Because of Mr. Williams’ work to protect senior consumers from fraud, he was invited to testify before the United States House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.  Mr. Williams also has extensive federal government experience having worked for the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, U.S. Senator David Pryor and the U.S. Senate Sergeant at Arms.

Mr. Williams is the principal institutional investor contact for the firm.  He devotes a substantial portion of his practice to representing institutional investors seeking financial recovery for losses suffered as a result of securities fraud.  Mr. Williams heads up the Institutional Client Department for the firm, handling all asset monitoring and case start-ups, including Lead Plaintiff motions. 

Mr. Williams is actively involved in the legal, civic and political community.  Presently, Mr. Williams is a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives, where he serves as a member of the Judiciary Committee, chairing the Courts/Civil Law Subcommittee; the City, County & Local Affairs Committee; the Rules Committee; and as an alternate on the Joint Budget Committee.  Recently, the judges of the Eastern District of the United States District Court appointed Mr. Williams to serve as a member of the Federal Practice Committee.  Mr. Williams has received numerous awards and recognition including being named Outstanding Government Lawyer by the W. Harold Flowers Law Society; Distinguished Alumnus at Hendrix College, and to Arkansas Business’ “Forty under Forty” to name only a few.