Forty Under 40: Matthew Fryar

Working at a small-town law firm and living on a farm is well suited to Matthew Fryar, who grew up in Royal, a community west of Hot Springs, and got in trouble for what his dad called “splitting hairs.”

Fryar was active in FFA as a youngster and earned a degree in agricultural communications from the University of Arkansas. Yet, he remained unsure about what career to pursue. Visiting with an aunt one day, he wondered out loud, “What am I doing?”

“I had a dream last night you became a lawyer,” the aunt said. Fryar marinated on that, then enrolled in the UA School of Law.

Fryar joined Crouch, Harwell, Fryar & Ferner after graduation in 2009 and made partner in January 2014. He values a collaborative relationship with his partners, who are more than just coworkers — they are mentors and friends.

Fryar practices transactional law, including business formation and probate. He particularly enjoys estate planning, “learning about a family and helping to meet that family’s needs, celebrating and mourning their life changes.”

Fryar and his family live on 20 acres in Highfill, raising pigs, chickens and rabbits.

“It’s nearly a full-time job. I love that my girls are learning about responsibility and relationships,” he said.

He just finished his second term on the Habitat for Humanity of Washington County board and volunteers with the Washington County Teen Court and Lee Elementary in Springdale, where his wife teaches and daughters attend. He’s been active with the Springdale Public Library and said that Springdale Rotary, where he is president-elect, is closest to his heart.

“I like to roll sleeves up with others who love the community as much as I do,” he said.