Rebecca Hurst joined Conner & Winters in 2023 as a Partner in the Fayetteville office. Originally focusing her legal practice on estate planning and philanthropic endeavors of high net worth individuals and families who have amassed their wealth from family business activities, over the past decade Ms. Hurst’s practice has naturally evolved to not only represent her clients in their estate planning and philanthropic endeavors but also in their business, corporate and real estate activities. She frequently serves as general legal counsel in a family office role for many of her clients.

In addition to an extensive family office practice, Rebecca routinely advises businesses and corporations with respect to corporate representation, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital and private placements of securities. Rebecca’s experience in client representation includes acting as general “outside” counsel to companies, advising on daily business matters, including employment contracting and trade secret issues, corporate structure and governance, financing, contract drafting and negotiation and transactions. Ms. Hurst also routinely advises tax exempt organizations ranging from public charities, agricultural organizations and political action committees.

Since 2007, Rebecca has been an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas School of Law where she teaches advanced classes in Federal Estate and Gift Tax, Nonprofit Organizations and Estate Planning. Prior to attending law school, Rebecca worked as an accountant for Beverly Enterprises (now Golden Living) in Fort Smith, Arkansas, serving seventeen skilled nursing facilities with Medicare, Medicaid and financial audit and reporting matters.

Rebecca obtained her Masters of Law in Taxation degree (LL.M.) from New York University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law where she was the executive editor of the Arkansas Law Review and a Charles Thomas Pearson fellow. Rebecca attended Arkansas State University (Fort Smith Campus) where she graduated with an accounting degree magna cum laude and first in the degree.

Rebecca has been recognized as the Lawyer of the Year in Mergers and Acquisitions by Best Lawyers in America, in which she is also recognized in the fields of Taxation, Trusts and Estates, Closely Held Companies and Family Business Law, and Corporate Law. During this time period she has also been recognized in Chambers & Partners USA America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the field of Corporate/Commercial Law. Rebecca has been recognized on the list of Mid-South Super Lawyers in the fields of Estate Planning, Business/Corporate Law and Non-Profit Organizations. She maintains an AV ethics rating by Martindale-Hubbell which is the highest rating available for a lawyer’s legal ability and professional ethics. In 2017, Rebecca was recognized as one of the Top Ten Women in Business by Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Rebecca was also recognized by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal in 2010 as a member of its Forty Under 40 list of business leaders and successful individuals.

Honors & Recognitions

University of Arkansas Fort Smith Alumni Council, Recipient of the Outstanding Young Alumni Award (2018)

Northwest Arkansas Business Journal top Women in Business Honoree (2017)

The Best Lawyers in America™, Tax Law, Corporate Law, Mergers and Acquisitions, Closely Held Companies, Family Businesses Law, and Trusts and Estates Law (2018 – 2022)

Chambers & Partners USA, Corporate and Commercial Law

Mid-South Super Lawyers, Estate Planning (2018 – 2022)

Northwest Arkansas Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 Honoree (2010)

Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rating

Community & Professional

Advisory Council, Arkansas Arts Council (appointed by Governor Asa Hutchinson)

Member, Northwest Arkansas Council

Member, Corporate Leadership Council for the Walton Arts Center

Board of Directors, University of Arkansas Fort Smith Foundation

Board of Directors, Morgan Nick Foundation,

Gift Planning Advisory Council, Arkansas Children’s Hospital