Bio
Chris McNulty is a commercial litigator who focuses his practice on helping financial institutions in compliance, regulatory, bankruptcy and foreclosure matters. He represents creditors in bankruptcies and workouts of troubled commercial loans, leases and other contractual relationships, including DIP financing and Chapter 11, 12 and 13 plans of reorganizations. Chris also counsels clients in a wide variety of business and agricultural disputes in state, federal, and administrative courts. He has extensive experience in foreclosure, commercial landlord/tenant issues, breach of contract, receivership, business torts, and open account disputes.
Areas of Service
Experience
- Advises national, regional and local banks, trust companies and credit unions on litigation, compliance, and regulatory matters.
- Represents secured creditors in bankruptcy cases under Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 of the Bankruptcy Code, including objecting to use of cash collateral and to plans, obtaining adequate protection or relief from stay, defending preference claims and prosecuting fraudulent conveyance actions in adversary proceedings, and protecting security interests in 363 “free and clear” sales.
- Represents agricultural lenders in all phases of Chapter 12 farm bankruptcies including seeking relief from stay or adequate protection, objecting to plans of reorganization, and dismissing cases.
- Represents landowners and mortgage holders in eminent domain actions filed by the State of Arkansas to condemn real property for highway right of way.
- Counsels agricultural lenders and farm owners on perfection and enforcement of security interests in a variety of collateral, including real estate, equipment, assignments, crop insurance proceeds and Farm Service Agency and other government payments.
- Defends the priority of mortgages and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) liens held by a senior secured creditor from attacks by a junior secured creditor and recovering judgment in favor of the senior creditor and ultimately liquidation of the collateral.
- Represents lenders in commercial and agricultural foreclosures and replevins.
- Advises borrowers and debtors-in-possession, buyers, sellers, and other interested parties in all aspects of bankruptcy proceedings, federal and state court receivership actions and other insolvency proceedings.
- Represents clients in probate and trust litigation.
- Served as a Staff Attorney to The Honorable Richard D. Taylor, United States Bankruptcy Court, Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas, 2008-09.
Honors
- Best Lawyers®: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law “Lawyer of the Year” (2023)
- The Best Lawyers in America©: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law (2019-2023)
- The Best Lawyers in America©: Commercial Litigation and Mortgage Banking Foreclosure Law (2022-2023)
- Little Rock Soirée’s Best Lawyers In Little Rock: Bankruptcy (2022)
- Graduate, International Association of Defense Counsel (IADC) Trial Academy (2018)
- Arkansas Business’s 40 Under 40 (2014)
Affiliations
- Arkansas Bar Association
- Fellow, Arkansas Bar Foundation
- Co-Chair, Mitchell Williams Litigation Practice Group
- ACCESS Cup and ACCESS in Action Committee Member, ACCESS Schools Chair (2012, 2019, 2020, 2021)
- Soup Sunday Committee Member, Arkansas Advocates for Children & Families (2015)
- Presents at continuing legal education (CLE) seminars on topics such as landlord/tenant issues related to bankruptcy, evictions, and collection matters.
Education
- University of Arkansas School of Law, Juris Doctor (Honors), 2008
- Sewanee: The University of the South, Bachelor of Arts in American History, 2004