UA System Office
David Curran joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2016 and was named General Counsel on Aug. 1, 2023. David provides day-to-day legal advice to each of the universities, community colleges, and other units of the University of Arkansas System, including matters pertaining to employment law, constitutional law, contracts, institutional policies, FERPA, and FOIA. He also handles litigation matters, assists campuses in responding to agency investigations and advises on legislation impacting the UA System and its campuses. He is a graduate of Hendrix College and the University of Texas School of Law. Immediately prior to joining the University, he worked at the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, where he served as Deputy Attorney General and oversaw the 26-lawyer Civil Department. His experience also includes clerking for Judge Gerald B. Tjoflat of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and working in law firms in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock.
Harold Evans, Associate Vice President Legal and Research, rejoined the General Counsel’s Office in 2016. He served in this same capacity from 1985-2002, when he left the University to go into private practice. He serves as the primary legal counsel for advising administrators of the University on legal issues dealing with University research and intellectual property. His responsibilities include protecting and monitoring the use of the University’s names and logos, advising on selection of new trademarks and perform trademark searches on such marks, preparing and filing federal and state trademark applications on University names and logos, and maintaining federal and state trademark registrations. He also represents the University on litigation matters involving intellectual property. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his law school degree was from Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, J.D., 1978. His experience also includes clerking for Judge Richard S. Arnold, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Mindy Pipkin joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2019. Mindy works in the University of Arkansas System office and advises several campuses in matters involving academic affairs, student affairs, Title IX, policies, contracts, FOIA, athletics and employment issues. She also develops and provides training. Prior to joining the University of Arkansas System’s General Counsel’s office, Mindy served in the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) General Counsel’s office from 2017-19. At UCA, Mindy also served at the Title IX coordinator. Mindy began her career in private practice, handling litigation in state and federal courts. Mindy earned her undergraduate and master’s degrees from UCA. She earned her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Amber Schubert joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2023. Amber handles litigation matters representing system campuses in state and federal court and before the Arkansas Claims Commission. Amber’s litigation practice includes employment law, civil rights issues, and breach of contract claims. Amber also assists with reviewing contracts and advising campuses as needed. Prior to joining the General Counsel’s Office, Amber served as a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, and as General Counsel for the Arkansas Division of Community Correction. Prior to working in state government, Amber worked in private practice representing plaintiffs in collective action wage and hour cases. Amber earned her undergraduate degree from Westminster College in Fulton, Mo., and her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law.
Ed Armstrong joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2024. Ed handles general contract matters for the campuses, excluding those campuses that have lawyers on campus, and shares some responsibilities with Harold Evans on specialized contract matters. Ed also assists the various campuses on procurement issues, capital construction projects, general real estate transactions, and gift agreements. Prior to joining the General Counsel’s Office, Ed worked as the State Procurement Director, as General Counsel at Arkansas Tech University, and at the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, where he served in both the civil litigation and the state agencies divisions under two different administrations. His experience also includes more than a decade of private practice at Wright, Lindsey, & Jennings, LLP, where he had the opportunity to represent a diverse group of clients in a broad range of commercial, probate estate, and real estate matters. Ed earned his Juris Doctor degree, with honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Wiliam H. Bowen School of Law.
Andrés Rhodes joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2024. Andrés advises the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR), the University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM), and the Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA). Before joining the Office of General Counsel, Andrés served as the Chief Legal Counsel to the Arkansas Department of Education, Deputy Legal Counsel to Governor Asa Hutchinson, Assistant Attorney General to Attorneys General Tim Griffin and Leslie Rutledge, and Associate General Counsel to Secretary of State Mark Martin. Andrés earned his undergraduate degree from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts and his law degree from the University of Arkansas School of Law in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Gwen Johnson joined the General Counsel’s Office in 1997. She serves as the assistant to attorneys at the System Office. Gwen graduated from UA Little Rock with a BBA in Management.
UA-Little Rock
Charles Lyford joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2023. He is assigned to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, advising UA Little Rock in all day-to-day matters. This includes employment issues, contract review, administrative hearings, and policy drafting. Charles also coordinates representation of UA Little Rock in litigation with the UA System Office. Before joining the General Counsel’s Office, Charles worked in the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office as a Senior Assistant Attorney General. Prior to that, he served as General Counsel for Arkansas Rehabilitation Services and other agencies within the Arkansas Department of Commerce. Charles began his legal career in private practice, representing insurance carriers and insureds in civil litigation. He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and his law degree from the University of Arkansas.
UAMS
Mark A. Hagemeier joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2006. Mark is the managing attorney for the UAMS campus and the regional programs. Mark provides legal advice in the areas of employment, the FOIA, contracts, university- and campus-wide policies, and medical/hospital related issues. Mark also serves on the Chancellor’s Cabinet. Mark graduated from Baylor University and University of Arkansas School of Law. After graduating from law school, Mark clerked for Chief United States District Judge Stephen M. Reasoner for over five years, and immediately prior to joining the University, he served as the Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Litigation Division of the Arkansas’ Attorney General’s Office. Mark has also taught for over a decade at the Bowen School of Law in Little Rock as an adjunct faculty member.
Sherri L. Robinson joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2012. Sherri serves as lead attorney in campus litigation matters handling cases before both state and federal courts, the Arkansas State Claims Commission, and the Arkansas Public Service Commission. Sherri’s litigation practice includes personal injury matters, except for physician negligence claims, employment cases, breach of contract claims, and utility matters. Sherri also advises on employment issues and risk management issues. Before joining the General Counsel’s Office, Sherri served as an Assistant Attorney General for 15 years in the Civil Department of the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office providing legal counsel and litigating cases on behalf of state agencies. Sherri is a graduate of Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law.
Greg Downs joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2022. Greg’s responsibilities include legal matters related to UAMS colleges and educational programs, FOIA, and contracts. Greg served as Arkansas State Police General Counsel before joining the University. After graduation from law school, Greg was a law clerk for Justice Tom Glaze and Justice Elana Wills on the Arkansas Supreme Court, and United States Magistrate Judge John F. Forster, Jr. Prior to law school, Greg served over ten years active duty in the United States Army as an enlisted Infantryman and commissioned Infantry officer, and is a graduate the Army Ranger School, Airborne Course, and Combined Arms and Services Staff School.
Catherine Corless joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2019. Catherine serves as the hospital attorney for UAMS Medical Center, including matters involving the Peer Review Fairness Act, the Patient Safety Act, the Health Care Quality Improvement Act, and the Healthcare Decisions Act. Catherine is the legal advisor to multiple hospital committees and departments, and is involved in UAMS policy creation and timely review. Further, she provides guidance on professional staff licensing issues and training on various healthcare laws, regulations, and best practices. Catherine received her undergraduate degree from the University of Central Arkansas and her law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School. For 16 years prior to joining UAMS, Catherine litigated on behalf of hospitals, physicians, and drug and medical device manufacturers in private practice.
Dori Wong Scoggins joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2016 as the Senior Research Contracts Attorney at UAMS after working for 10 years in this position under the Vice Chancellor of Research. Dori serves as a point of contact for UAMS researchers, external research sponsors and collaborators, and contract research organizations involved in university research. She reviews and negotiates non-disclosure agreements, clinical trial agreements, informed consent forms, grants, HIPAA data use agreements, data transfer agreements, material transfer agreements, collaborative research agreements and other research-related contracts. Dori engages closely with various UAMS research administration offices and policy committees, and she serves on the CLARA Steering Committee and the CTSA Contracts Working Group for the Cancer Institute. Prior to joining UAMS, Dori spent time in economic development in Arkansas and investment banking compliance in Hong Kong. Dori is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and the McGeorge School of Law at the University of the Pacific.
Philip R. Principe joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2022. Philip’s primary role is to draft, review, and negotiate Revenue, No-Cost, and Procurement Contracts, as well as University research related contracts and corresponding legal documents. Philip originally joined UAMS in 2015 as the first-ever Director of Export Control in the Office of Institutional Compliance. During his time in Institutional Compliance, he served as Director of the Conflict of Interest Office in addition to Export Control and then as Director of the Office of International Compliance & Conflict of Interest. Prior to joining UAMS, he worked in a variety of other areas — as Chief Deputy Clerk for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Arkansas, private practice, clerk for Judge Audrey R. Evans of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, and active duty as a JAG in the U.S. Air Force. Philip received his law degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC and his Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University. Philip continues to serve as a JAG in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, with a current rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
L. Joseph (“Joe”) Underwood joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2021. Joe serves as a point of contact for UAMS investigators and their collaborators. He drafts, reviews and negotiates University research related contracts and general contracts, grant agreements, and corresponding legal documents. Prior to joining the General Counsel’s Office, Joe served as a Senior Research Contracts Attorney at UAMS under the Vice Chancellor of Research and as the Associate Director of Licensing for UAMS’s technology transfer office. Joe is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Arkansas School of Law, and he is registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Jennifer L. Smith joined the General Counsel’s office in 2024. Jennifer has 15 years of experience practicing health law. She manages provider liability claims and provides legal advice in the areas of medical malpractice defense, professional licensing issues, and other legal and regulatory matters involving healthcare providers. Jennifer also provides education and training on issues impacting healthcare providers. She has 15 years of experience practicing health law including medical staff privileging and peer review, healthcare contracting, medical malpractice defense, and compliance with various healthcare laws and regulations such as the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA, EMTALA, and the fraud and abuse laws. Jennifer is also a Registered Nurse and Certified Emergency Nurse. Prior to joining the General Counsel’s office, Jennifer was a partner at a local law firm and specialized in health law. Jennifer earned her undergraduate degree from Arkansas State University and her law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law.
Shelly McGhee joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2017. She serves as the paralegal and legal assistant to the legal team at UAMS. Shelly has an A.A.S. in Legal Studies from Hilbert College in Hamburg, NY and a B.A. from the State University of NY at Fredonia. Shelly has over 25 years of experience in private law practice with a focus on litigation.
Jacqueline Mosier joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2020 as a Contracts Administrator for Revenue, No-Cost, and Procurement Contracts, as well as to assist with Research Contracts. She started at UAMS in the Contracts Administration Department in 2017 and organized the implementation of the contracts management system, Ntracts including rollout, training, and management. Prior to joining UAMS, Jacqueline spent time in the non-profit world as a Grants Administrator. She is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans.
Megan Walker joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2023. Megan serves as a Contracts Administrator, assisting with Research Contracts.
Arthur Jefferson joined the General Counsel’s office in 2024. Arthur works closely with UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute to support the development of sponsored clinical trials. In this role, he negotiates and reviews a broad variety of research-related contracts including clinical trial agreements, collaborative research agreements, material transfer agreements, and others. Arthur was a full-time legal intern with UAMS as a law student and worked in private practice for several years prior to re-joining the General Counsel’s office. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.
UA, Fayetteville
Bill Kincaid joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2000. Bill is the coordinating attorney for the Fayetteville office, and has the primary role in matters involving academic affairs, University policies, and legislation impacting the University. His work with academic affairs includes work relating to faculty service, academic cooperation agreements and international programs. Bill also advises on employment issues, FOIA, ethics, conflict of interest, and reviews Greek leases and gift agreements. Bill serves as a legal advisor to the Chancellor’s Executive Committee and serves as a liaison for our office to the UA Foundation. Bill received his undergraduate degree from Yale University, his master’s of public affairs from Princeton University, and his law degree from the University of Virginia.
Matt McCoy has more than 17 years representing public institutions, including numerous colleges and universities throughout the state, joined the General Counsel’s office in 2009 and the Fayetteville office in December 2015. Matt has the primary role on all non-litigation matters involving intercollegiate athletics, which includes but is not limited to providing guidance on trademark licensing issues (in consultation with Harold Evans in the System Office), reviewing coaches’ contracts and other Athletics-related agreements, providing advice and counsel on FOIA, employment and compliance issues, and providing relevant training to employees in the athletic department and to student-athletes. Matt is the campus representative to the Southeastern Conference lawyers group. Matt received his undergraduate and law degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Mike Martz joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2016. Mike has the lead role on all general contract matters, excluding those specifically being handled by other attorneys. He also works closely with the campus’s procurement office, he takes the lead on FOIA requests involving contracts, advises on general real estate transactions, and serves as legal advisor to the campus Public Art Advisory Committee. Mike has an undergraduate degree in computer science and a law degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and he has an LLM in Intellectual Property Law and Technology from Washington University. Before joining the Fayetteville staff, he spent time in private practice focused primarily on commercial- and property-oriented transactions and litigation.
Joe Cordi, who has practiced law for more than 26 years, including 20 with the Arkansas Attorney General’s Office, joined our office in early 2017. Joe serves as lead attorney in campus litigation matters and takes the lead in advising on employment matters outside of the Athletic Department. Joe also provides HR training to administrators and supervisors across the campus, serves as legal advisor to the campus OEOC Advisory Committee, and provides advice and counsel on FOIA issues, subpoena compliance, and other matters. He earned his undergraduate degree from Hendrix College and his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law.
Erin Walcutt joined our staff in the summer of 2017. Erin has practiced law for over ten years, most recently with the General Counsel’s office at the University of Connecticut. Erin has the primary role on student affairs matters for our Fayetteville office, including disciplinary matters and Title IX. Erin also has the lead on campus safety matters, including the Clery Act, and on FOIA matters involving student records and law enforcement records, and reviews housing contracts. She does extensive training, especially with regard to student conduct and student records (FERPA), and sexual assault awareness and prevention. Erin serves as legal advisor to the campus Behavioral Intervention and Threat Assessment Team (BIT-TAT). Erin earned her undergraduate degree from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont and her law degree from Syracuse College of Law.
Amelia Hoke joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2023. Amelia focuses her practice on contracts, leases, and property matters, and also works on clinical placement agreements and gift agreements. She earned her undergraduate degree from Pittsburg State University and her law degree from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Before joining the University of Arkansas, she spent time in private practice and in-house for a property management company.
Tony Weigel joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2024. Tony focuses his practice on employment-related immigration matters. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Before joining the University of Arkansas, he served another university system and spent many years in private practice. Tony is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA).
Patty Doyal joined the General Counsel’s Office in 2013. She serves as an assistant to the attorneys at the Fayetteville campus.