Richard F. Hatfield (Dick) has a statewide practice exclusively in the areas of trust and estate litigation and administration.
He has been a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Council (ACTEC) since 1988. Dick is authorized to practice law in all of the Arkansas state courts, U.S. Tax Court, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court. He has devoted a substantial amount of time to the Arkansas Bar and other professional organization and served as President of the Arkansas Bar Association in 1986-1987.
His areas of practice include the prosecution and defense of will and trust contests, compensation disputes, fiduciary liability claims, tortious interference claims, estate and trust accounting proceedings, incapacity proceedings and claims in trusts and estates. Dick is a lifelong Arkansas resident.
A native of Helena, he graduated from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville in 1965 with a B.S.B.A. (Accounting) and in 1967 from the University of Arkansas School of Law. He was a three year football letterman for the Arkansas Razorbacks, who were national champions in his senior year, 1964. He served from 1967 to 1969 as U.S. Army (Armor) Officer stationed at the Football Office, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York. In addition to his practice, Dick regularly conducts seminars and classes for ACTEC, the Arkansas Bar Association, the Probate Law Section of the Bar, National Business Institute and other continuing legal education providers.
Curriculum Vitae
Richard F. Hatfield
Born - Texarkana, Texas Married - Melissa McMath Hatfield Children - Elizabeth Hatfield Williams and Jeffrey Hatfield Grandchildren - Matthew, Jackson and Henry Cole, Meredith and Garrett Hatfield Stepson - Carl Keller, III Education Helena, (Arkansas) Central High School (1960) University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) B.S.B.A. (Accounting) (1965)
Education
Helena, (Arkansas) Central High School (1960) University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) B.S.B.A. (Accounting) (1965)
Honors
University of Arkansas Omicron Delta Kappa - Leadership Fraternity President, Vice President, Secretary Beta Alpha Psi - Honorary Accounting Fraternity n Pi Mu Epsilon - Honorary Mathematics Fraterity Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities (1965)
Athletics
Varsity Football Letterman - University of Arkansas ( 1962-63-64) One of Team Captains - 1964 National Collegiate Football Champions - 1964 Sigma Chi Fraternity, 1961 to date, (Secretary- 1963 )
University of Arkansas (Fayetteville) School of Law, (1967) LL.B.
Military
Distinguished Military Graduate - ROTC (1965)
Honorable Discharge - U.S. Army, First Lieutenant (Armor)
Active Duty with Football Office, Army Athletic Association,
U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York (1967-69)
Law Practice
West Memphis, Arkansas, May, 1969 to May, 1972
Searcy, Arkansas, May 1972 to November 1983
Searcy and Little Rock, Arkansas, November 1983 to June, 1988
Little Rock, Arkansas, June, 1988 to date
Fayetteville, Arkansas, July, 2010 to date
Bar Association Activities
President -1986-87
Chair -Judicial Liaison Committee, 1996-2000, 2001 to date
Chair -Executive Council, 1982-83 Golden Gavel Award, 1976
Chair -Probate Law Section, 1979-81
Chair -Trust, Taxation and Estate Planning Section, 1977-78
Chair -Prepaid Legal Services Committee, 1975-77
Chair -Young Lawyers Section, 1972-73