Attorney Russell Gunter Passes Away At 62

Russell Gunter, partner and namesake in the Little Rock-based law firm Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C., died Saturday after a nearly 5-year battle with cancer.

The firm announced Gunter’s passing this weekend. Gunter was 62 years old.

Gunter was a founding member of CGWG where he practiced labor and employment law and served as the firm’s managing partner for 16 years. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2008, but continued to work virtually uninterrupted until early 2013.

“Russell’s legacy is immeasurable,” said Rick Roderick, CGWG’s managing director. “His gentle presence touched the lives of those he worked with daily. His compassionate nature cultivated a feeling of family at our firm and his forward-thinking ideas regarding workplace practices earned CGWG local and national praise for family-friendliness and flexibility, something Russell was extremely proud of. It was an honor to work with him and to call him a friend. Our goal now is to continue his legacy of compassion and commitment in a way that honors his life’s work.”

Gunter attended Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and earned his juris doctorate from Texas Tech University.

He was a member of the Arkansas, Texas and American Bar Associations, served as Chair of the Arkansas Bar Association’s Labor Section and as Director of Government Affairs for the Arkansas Society for Human Resources Management. He was President and a Board Member of the Central Arkansas Human Resources Association and also served on the Board of Directors of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

Gunter is survived by four daughters. The family has requested that any memorial donations be made to the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.