- Understanding Arkansas legal landscape
- Top 6 firms in Arkansas
- What to consider when choosing a firm in Arkansas
Ramp processes billions of dollars in business expenses across thousands of companies every month. Our unique position in the payments ecosystem provides visibility into actual spending patterns, including legal services expenditures across diverse industries and business sizes.
In a state where 6,808 licensed attorneys serve 3.07 million residents—the nation's lowest attorney-per-capita ratio—selecting the right legal representation becomes particularly critical. This data-driven approach helps Arkansas businesses navigate a market where legal expertise is concentrated in urban centers while rural regions face significant service gaps, ensuring companies find firms that match their specific needs and geographic requirements.
Understanding Arkansas legal landscape
Arkansas's legal market reflects unique economic and geographic dynamics that shape service delivery across the state. With the national legal services market reaching $426.7 billion in 2025, Arkansas captures its share through a concentrated professional base serving diverse industries. The state's $151.27 billion GDP drives demand across agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors, while 255,004 small businesses comprising 99.3% of all enterprises create consistent need for business law services. Major employers like Walmart and Tyson Foods generate complex corporate legal requirements, from regulatory compliance to cross-border transactions. This combination of rural market gaps and concentrated corporate demand shapes a legal landscape where specialized expertise commands premium value, particularly in niche practice areas serving the state's dominant industries.
Top 6 firms in Arkansas
Based on our analysis of legal spending patterns and market positioning, these six firms demonstrate exceptional capabilities in serving Arkansas businesses. The top three—RMP LLP, Mallard Gardner PLLC, and Morledge Law Firm—showcase the state's legal diversity, from comprehensive business services to specialized healthcare and criminal defense expertise.
RMP LLP
Founded in 2005, RMP LLP operates as Arkansas's premier business law firm with four offices across Springdale, Bentonville, Jonesboro, and Little Rock. Their 20+ attorneys specialize in complex tax matters and business transactions, earning national recognition through Best Law Firms rankings for Commercial Litigation and Tax Law. The firm's 2025 expansion added 12 attorneys to their Little Rock office, significantly enhancing corporate transaction capabilities for the state's growing business sector.
Key practice areas
- Tax-Exempt Organizations & Charitable Planning
- Mergers and Acquisitions
- Trust and Estate Administration
- Commercial Litigation
Best for
Small-to-midsize businesses and agricultural operations requiring sophisticated tax planning and transactional expertise, particularly family-owned enterprises navigating generational wealth transfers or Fortune 500 subsidiaries needing local counsel for Arkansas operations.
Notable facts
Partners Lee Moore and Joseph Reece received multiple "Lawyer of the Year" designations from Best Lawyers in America, while the firm's cross-generational wealth transfer strategies have become the gold standard for Arkansas's agricultural and manufacturing families managing succession planning.
Mallard Gardner PLLC
Established in 1992, Mallard Gardner PLLC dominates Arkansas's healthcare law sector from their Little Rock headquarters. With just three highly specialized attorneys, they serve major healthcare systems including Baptist Health and Arkansas Children's Hospital, handling everything from Medicare reimbursement disputes to joint commission investigations. Their 30+ years of healthcare regulatory expertise makes them the state's go-to resource for provider mergers and compliance matters.
Key practice areas
- Hospital Accreditation and Licensing
- Healthcare Corporate Structuring
- Administrative Proceedings
- Medical Staff Credentialing
Best for
Hospitals, physician groups, and healthcare providers facing regulatory challenges or complex compliance issues, especially those navigating certificate-of-need applications, HIPAA violations, or medical staff disputes requiring deep expertise in Arkansas healthcare regulations.
Notable facts
Founding partner Karey Gardner advised on landmark certificate-of-need cases before the Arkansas Department of Health, establishing precedents that continue to shape healthcare facility development across the state.
Morledge Law Firm
Founded in 2008 by George "Birc" Morledge IV, Morledge Law Firm stands as Little Rock's premier criminal defense practice. Their four attorneys focus exclusively on criminal litigation, maintaining a remarkable 97% case resolution rate without trial. The firm pioneered Arkansas's first forensic science challenge protocol for DUI cases, revolutionizing defense strategies statewide while handling high-profile drug trafficking and white-collar crime cases.
Key practice areas
- Federal Felony Defense
- DUI/DWI Litigation
- Record Expungement
- White-Collar Crime
Best for
Individuals facing serious state or federal criminal charges, particularly professionals and business owners confronting white-collar allegations or those seeking aggressive DUI defense utilizing cutting-edge forensic challenges.
Notable facts
Birc Morledge earned recognition as Arkansas's "Top 40 Under 40" attorney and received the National Trial Lawyers' "Top 100 Criminal Defense" award, while the firm's forensic science protocols have been adopted by defense attorneys throughout the state.
Nailling & Terrell PLLC
Launched in 2016, Nailling & Terrell PLLC serves Northwest Arkansas's diverse immigrant communities from their Springdale office. With just two attorneys handling 80% humanitarian immigration cases, they've processed over 500 U-Visa applications for crime victims since 2018. Their bilingual "Community Legal Clinic" program specifically addresses the legal needs of poultry industry workers, filling a critical gap in Arkansas's agricultural workforce support.
Key practice areas
- Employment-Based Immigration
- Family Reunification Petitions
- Criminal Defense
- Divorce/Custody Proceedings
Best for
Small business owners needing employment-based immigration services, mixed-status families navigating complex immigration laws, and Spanish or Marshallese-speaking clients requiring culturally competent legal representation in Northwest Arkansas.
Notable facts
Co-founder Christin Nailling received the American Immigration Lawyers Association's "Pro Bono Champion" award for deportation defense work, while their community clinic model has become a template for serving immigrant populations in rural agricultural regions.
Matchstick
Founded in 2018, Matchstick disrupts traditional legal services through their Fayetteville-based legal technology platform. Rather than practicing law directly, they provide contract automation and compliance tools to 200+ creative agencies nationwide. Their "Plain Language Contracting" methodology reduced client legal disputes by 40%, earning them the 2023 LegalTech Innovation Award for their AI-driven contract risk assessment tool.
Key practice areas
- Agency Contract Automation
- Intellectual Property Licensing
- Compliance Workflow Design
- Freelancer Agreement Templates
Best for
Creative agencies, marketing departments, and digital service providers seeking streamlined contract management solutions, particularly those managing multiple freelancer relationships or requiring scalable intellectual property licensing frameworks.
Notable facts
Matchstick's platform serves Arkansas-based innovation leaders like RevUnit and Rockfish, while their contract automation technology has processed over $50 million in creative services agreements since launch.
Gill Ragon Owen, P.A.
Established in 1986, Gill Ragon Owen, P.A. operates as Arkansas's largest full-service firm with 26 attorneys across Little Rock, Rogers, Jonesboro, and Austin, Texas. They've structured $1.2 billion in municipal bonds for infrastructure projects while defending major class-action data breach cases. Recognized by Chambers USA for corporate law excellence, their attorneys influence state business regulations through Arkansas Bar Association leadership roles.
Key practice areas
- Public Finance
- Privacy and Data Governance
- Complex Litigation
- Tax and Estate Planning
Best for
Corporations, financial institutions, and government entities requiring sophisticated legal counsel for public finance transactions, data privacy compliance, or complex commercial litigation involving multi-state operations.
Notable facts
The firm represents Arvest Bank, Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, and Entergy Arkansas, with three partners receiving "Lawyer of the Year" distinctions in 2025 while their public finance team has facilitated critical infrastructure development across the state.
What to consider when choosing a firm in Arkansas
Arkansas's unique legal landscape demands careful evaluation beyond traditional selection criteria. Start by assessing geographic coverage—with the state's lowest attorney-per-capita ratio nationally, proximity matters more than in urban markets. Firms concentrated in Little Rock or Northwest Arkansas may struggle to serve rural clients effectively, making regional presence a critical factor for businesses operating statewide.
Industry specialization carries particular weight given Arkansas's economic concentration. Agriculture and poultry operations should prioritize firms with specific agribusiness expertise and understanding of federal compliance requirements. Healthcare providers need attorneys versed in rural hospital challenges and Arkansas-specific certificate-of-need regulations. For companies dealing with Walmart or Tyson Foods, seek firms experienced in vendor compliance and supply chain contracts.
Consider firm size relative to your needs. Arkansas's smaller legal market means even boutique firms often handle sophisticated matters—Mallard Gardner's three-attorney team manages major hospital systems effectively. Evaluate technology adoption carefully; firms like Matchstick demonstrate how Arkansas lawyers leverage innovation to compete nationally despite geographic constraints.
Next steps: Request client references from similar-sized Arkansas businesses in your industry, inquire about attorney availability given the state's lawyer shortage, and confirm the firm's experience with Arkansas-specific regulations affecting your sector. Schedule consultations with at least three firms to compare communication styles and strategic approaches before making your selection.
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