Forty Under 40: Heather M. Bell, 35

Heather Bell has “a first-rate mind and is an even better person,” said Alan Lewis, a member of the Mitchell firm.
Bell took one of the longest routes to Northwest Arkansas — through California.
Originally from Kennewick, Wash., Bell attended Pepperdine University in Malibu, where she earned her bachelor’s in business administration in 1997. She performed financial analysis work at a law firm for two years in Los Angles before heading to Duke University for her law degree. In 2002, with the bar behind her, Bell landed at Gibson Dunn and Crutcher LLP in San Francisco, one of the largest law firms in the country.
At Gibson Dunn, Bell honed her practice in securities, and mergers and acquisitions. She worked on several high-profile transactions, including the 2005 acquisition of PeopleSoft by Oracle Corp.
In 2007, Bell opted for a slower pace when she and her fiancé moved to Northwest Arkansas.
Bell joined the Mitchell firm in 2008. She describes her practice as naturally evolving to the market demands, now including real estate and commercial contracts and transactions.
Her book of business includes clients from large public companies to small businesses.
“Once clients spend time with her, they insist she work on their files whenever possible,” Lewis said.