Paul W. Keith

Paul W. Keith



Paul is licensed to practice before all State and Federal Courts in Arkansas, and the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, and has been admitted pro hac vice before the Courts of other States. He has served as a Special Associate Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court. He has also been appointed by the Governor of Arkansas to serve on the Legislative Task Force on Private Property rights. In 2018, he was appointed to the Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct. In addition to his private practice, he presently serves as City Attorney for Hamburg, Arkansas having been elected to that office in 2002. Mr. Keith has conducted seminars for the Arkansas Association of Special Education Administrators.


Mr. Keith has been active in the state bar, most recently serving as President of the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Arkansas Bar Association for the 2020-2021 term.and previously serving as chair of the Association’s Annual Meeting.  He also has been active in community affairs by serving as member and president the Hamburg School Board. He is the elected City Attorney for the City of Hamburg. He is currently serving as a Director of the State-Wide Defending Your Day In Court Legislative Question Committee, which is working to defeat Issue One at the ballot box in November, 2018. He is also running for election as President of the Arkansas Bar Association.


Paul and his wife, Kandi, are members of the First United Methodist Church in Hamburg, where they serve on the Administrative Council and Mr. Keith is church lay leader. Their children are Joanna BergeronO’Neal, Joy Parr (Nate) and Jack Keith (Mary). Their grandchildren are Kinlee O’Neal, Ian Bergeron, and Mary Bergeron of Monticello, and Collins Keith, and Hollis Keith and Ellis Keith of Fayetteville, and Pierce Parr of New Orleans; Carlisle.

Email Paul



Getting to Know
Paul W. Keith


What should you consider when choosing an attorney? 
You have to ask yourself if the lawyer will go to the mat for you.  A lawyer who avoids a bloody nose at all costs is not worth what you pay for him, no matter how little that is.
   
Why did you join Gibson & Keith?
I joined because of the firm’s  reputation for doing things the right way and because of its dedication to the people it serves.  I learned this by being on the other side of a lawsuit with a lawyer from this firm, who later invited me to interview with and, ultimately, join the firm.

What would you consider to be the best compliment you can receive?
That is have made a positive difference in a life.  This can be from the outcome of a case or simply from my interaction with them. 

How do you hope your friends would describe you?
Hardworking and kind.

How do you hope your opponents would describe you?
Honorable and zealous.

Who is someone you really admire?
My wife, Kandi.  She is the kindest and most accepting person I know.
What is your favorite book?
I could read True Grit over and over, for its wit and brilliant use of language. 

What’s your favorite movie scene?
Any scene from My Cousin Vinny.  My Cousin Vinny makes me laugh, but also is a fairly accurate depiction of trial work in a small town.

What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
I enjoy being with my family.  Kandi and I have three children (two girls and a boy) and three grandchildren (three girls).  We laugh together, share each others’ triumphs and failures and generally have fun.

What’s a common misconception people have about lawyers and the courtroom?
People believe that what they see in the courtroom is all that lawyers do.  In fact, it is the tip of the tip of the iceberg.  Most people have no idea of the amount of preparation and research that goes in to those few hours in the courtroom.

What is one of your favorite quotes?

It is the last line in the oath taken by all attorneys:  “I will not reject, from any consideration personal to myself, the cause of the impoverished, the defenseless, or the oppressed."
Admissions:
•    Arkansas Supreme Court, 1994
•    U.S. District Court – Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, 1994
•    U.S. Court of Appeals – 8th Circuit, 2010

Primary Areas of Practice:
•    Personal Injury
•    Real Estate Litigation
•    Medical Malpratice


Law School:
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, LL.M. 1994
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, J.D., 1993
•    Board of Advocates

College:
University of Arkansas, B.A., 1978

Memberships and Associations:
American Association for Justice
Arkansas Bar Association

•    House of Delegates (Former)

•    Board of Governors, 2011-2012, 2013-2017

•    Chairman, Board of Governors, 2017-2018 (Current)

Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association
Southeast Arkansas Legal Institute

Awards and Recognitions:
Mr. Keith’s peers have awarded him the BV Distinguished rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

Publications and CLE Presentations:
Co-author, Behind the Screen:  Truth, Lies and the Internet, Arkansas Lawyer, 50-FALL Ark. Law. 34 (Fall 2015).

Share by: