Harrington Hits Homer at Firm

Michele Harrington was supposed to be a boy.

Born in the mid-1950s to a baseball-loving father, her parents had planned for a son and intended to call him Mickey, short for Michael and an homage to baseball great Mickey Mantle.

Harrington didn’t get the memo and when the family took home their pink bundle of joy the nickname followed.

Fifty years later, having never been able to shed the baseball tribute, Harrington has become a heavy hitter in a profession dominated by men. Dedication, passion and a can-do attitude have helped the Indiana native make her way from the minors to the majors in Northwest Arkansas’ field of dreams.

As the senior partner of Harrington Miller Neihouse and Kieklak PA in Springdale, Harrington leads an eight-lawyer team that has built a reputation as one of area’s the top civil, business and estate planning firms.

Harrington always dreamed of helping others and when a career in social work fizzled, she successfully translated her passion into a thriving civil law career.

“I enjoy estate planning because I get to work with families to solve their problems and help them establish a legacy and hopes and dreams for their children,” she said. “I find that I can use my social work skills in a positive way while still keeping my sanity. I get a great deal of satisfaction in helping families and giving them piece of mind and the tools to help them deal with the effects of tough times.”

Harrington continues to help clients prepare for their futures and plan for their goals in addition to dedicating time and resources to multiple Northwest Arkansas nonprofit organizations.

She has worked in the same 4,000-SF law office her entire legal career. She now resides in one of the firms’ corner offices and admits that the view is striking.

Giving Back

Harrington always knew she wanted to help others. In 1975 she graduated from the University of Kansas with a bachelor’s degree in social work. She moved to Northwest Arkansas to take a position with Youth Bridge Inc. as a teen caseworker.

She helped homeless teens get back on their feet and on the path to a better life.

But as much as Harrington wanted to help others, she quickly learned that many did not express the same desire to receive her assistance.

When representing teens in juvenile court, Harrington often had to work with city attorneys and it was during those interactions that she realized her passion and desire to help others would be better served in the legal field.

The transition back to student life was somewhat of a relief for Harrington and in 1985 she graduated from the University of Arkansas School of Law with honors.

During her first 20 some years as a lawyer, Harrington dabbled in a multitude of civil law fields, finally finding estate planning to be her forte.

But her transition into the legal arena didn’t cause her to abandon her desire to help the community.

In 1999, Harrington combined her passion for giving and her know-how as an attorney to help start the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation.

Suzanne Ward, executive director for the philanthropic organization, who worked with Harrington during her six years on the board of directors, said Harrington’s ability to see the practical and long-term possibility for the nonprofit was essential to the organization’s initial success.

“She has a tremendous passion for helping the community and those that are struggling in the community and providing services for those that need them,” Ward said. “We work to increase philanthropy throughout the community and Micki was always very good at conveying the importance of helping others to the community.”

In 2003, Harrington helped to organize the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, an organization dedicated to the responsible use of land and water in Northwest Arkansas.

She served on the Peace at Home Family Shelter board of directors for 12 years, the Siloam Springs Memorial Hospital board of directors for 10 years, the United Way of Northwest Arkansas board of directors, as council to the Springdale Planning Commission for almost 12 years and has been a member of the United Bank board of directors for almost eight years.

Harrington sees volunteering her time and expertise to community organizations as a way for her to continue to serve her community and to honor her social work roots.

During the past few years Harrington has slowed down but her desire to help hasn’t been dampened.

“I’m not on as many boards as I used to be,” she said. “But I will always have a heart for any organization helping those in need.”

Gender Gaps

Being a female senior partner makes Harrington somewhat of an anomaly.

When she graduated from law school in 1985, about 40 percent of all law students were female. Over the years the number of women in the classroom has increase considerably, but according to a 2007 survey conducted by the National Association of Women Lawyers, women account for only 16 percent of equity partners in U.S. firms.

That number is double the number of women who serve as the managing partner for a law firm.

During her legal tenure, Harrington said she has faced gender prejudice but she doesn’t take the negative comments to heart.

“Being in a man’s world has been a challenge,” she said. “I did have to battle, multiple times, with attorneys and judges. I even had some male business clients that felt they needed a man to represent them.”

Harrington said she quickly learned to keep her head high and stand her ground, even if that meant giving others the impression that she was “hard-headed.”

“I learned that if you do a good job and work hard, people will respect you, no matter what sex you are,” Harrington said. “That’s what I have always hung my hat on.”

Major Leagues

While she admits she enjoys her office’s Emma Street view, she hasn’t let her climb to the top go to her head.

Harrington believes in using her knowledge and age to benefit the client and has instilled that same philosophy in many of her partners.

Steve Miller, partner at Harrington’s firm, said finding the best way to meet the clients’ needs has become the most important goal of the firm.

All of the attorneys in the firm use each other’s expertise to better serve clients. And if no one in the firm has dealt with an issue before, Harrington isn’t afraid to recommend an attorney outside the firm.

And that client-first mentality has kept new clients calling upon Harrington’s firm.

“We are very busy right now,” she said. “We are very lucky to have a wonderful and constant flow of clients. We’ve always had a real good client flow.”

The firm outgrew its Springdale space and recently added a Rogers office that houses the firm’s tax attorneys.

Harrington continues to take on new clients and said she enjoys the opportunity to help existing clients meet new needs.

She charges clients $220 per hour but often puts a flat rate on a project instead of billing a client per hour.

Project costs start at $1,200 and usually average $1,500 to $1,750.

The firm’s policy of sharing cases has also helped Harrington better control her workload. If she receives a case or project that can be completed by an associate, Harrington said she will often ask an associate to step in and help, which keeps them busier and eases some pressure on her. Today, Harrington works about 40 hours a week, down significantly from the 80- to 100-hour weeks she worked earlier in her career.

She has learned to take advantage of technology and spends many of her days working from home, alongside her Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, Rosie.

Harrington has no immediate plans to retire, insisting the work she does means too much.

“I am very satisfied with where I am in my career right now. I have good partners and associates we’ve been very blessed. I feel very comfortable with my experiences and don’t see myself stopping any time soon.”