Wright Lindsey Jennings adds 4 new partners

The partners of Wright Lindsey Jennings (WLJ) elected four attorneys into partnership: Eli Bauer, Collins Hickman, Jennifer Smith and Zach Trail.

Bauer’s practice focuses on corporate formation and governance, operations, reorganizations and disputes, mergers and acquisitions, state and local tax, contract negotiations, real estate transactions, and business incentives and credits. His regulatory and administrative experience is concentrated in Arkansas’ medical cannabis industry.

He earned his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law at Fayetteville (magna cum laude). He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology and Political Science from Arkansas State University.

Hickman’s commercial litigation practice centers around banking law, contract disputes, and trust litigation. He also regularly provides contract drafting and review services for a variety of clients. In his corporate practice, Collins assists clients with business entity formation, corporate governance, and real estate acquisitions.

Also, sports law and athlete representation are Collins’ passions. After the NCAA amended its bylaws to allow student-athletes to profit off their name, image, and likeness (NIL) for the first time in history, Collins has gained specialized knowledge in NIL compliance, contract drafting, and representing student-athletes.

He is a graduate of Catholic High School, the University of Arkansas (cum laude), and UALR Bowen School of Law (magna cum laude).

Smith rejoined WLJ in 2025 after working in house at the state’s only academic health sciences university, and she previously practiced as a registered nurse. With 18 years of health law experience, Smith guides clients through regulatory, administrative and compliance concerns. She represents healthcare providers in numerous areas including healthcare contracting; medical staff issues; professional licensing matters; government investigations and regulatory actions; fraud and abuse laws and regulations; patient privacy; telemedicine; risk management; and regulatory compliance. She also has extensive experience advising clients on the Healthcare Quality Improvement Act, Arkansas Peer Review Fairness Act, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act, HIPAA, and compliance with CMS guidelines and regulations.

She is a graduate of Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law.

Trail is a litigation partner in the firm’s Rogers office. He has a diverse practice assisting individuals and businesses in a variety of matters, including business-related disputes involving breach of contract, trade secrets, fraud, real estate, construction defects, and insurance issues. Smith’s litigation practice also includes cases involving products liability, tractor-trailer accidents, premises liability, and insurance defense.

He has extensive experience in all phases of litigation, including pre-filing diligence, pleadings, fact and expert discovery, mediations, hearings, critical motions, and trials. He also counsels clients on contractual issues, real-property disputes, internal-business disagreements, and agricultural matters.

Smith earned his undergraduate degree and J.D. from the University of Arkansas, where he was an articles editor for the Arkansas Law Review.