Rebecca B. Hurst

Rebecca Hurst is a founding partner and the Managing Partner of Smith Hurst, PLC. 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. 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.