Professional Experience
Adrienne Baker is the Chief Operating Officer for Wright Lindsey Jennings. Her practice centers on commercial litigation, including banking and commercial lending, creditors’ rights and collections, contract disputes and surety law. She also regularly provides contract drafting and review services to a variety of businesses. Baker’s more recent experience includes:
- Defense of banks in lender liability lawsuits alleging wrongful termination of lines of credit, wrongful failure to lend, wrongful failure to cash checks, failure to monitor use of loan proceeds, fraud, intentional interference, estoppel and violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act (ADTPA).
- Defense of bank in multi-million-dollar lawsuit by receiver attempting to attach liability to bank for acts of its customer account-holder related to a Ponzi scheme.
- Defense of bank in several multi-million-dollar lawsuits by wrongful death plaintiffs attempting to attach liability to bank for acts of its customer borrower in operating nursing homes purchased or operated with bank financing.
- Defense of $2-3 million lender liability claim and successful foreclosure with award of all attorney fees and costs to client.
- Defense of officers and directors of banks and other businesses from claims involving professional liability, breach of duty, fraud and negligence, among others.
- Represent banks in complex, disputed commercial foreclosures including workout negotiations before and during litigation.
- Represent businesses in commercial dispute lawsuits and alternative dispute resolution on claims involving fraud, negligence, intentional interference, breach of contract, promissory estoppel, and deceptive trade practices.
- Defense of energy industry-adjacent business in $5 million claim for losses arising from alleged negligent weather proofing of rental units.
- Defense of background screening company from claim that company was liable for wrongful death damages caused by tenant because applicant background screening allegedly did not reveal pertinent criminal history.
- Represent president and putative majority shareholder of family owned business in lawsuits arising from dispute over ownership of stock.
- Defense of a steel manufacturer in arbitration proceeding initiated by former contractor alleging failure to pay for services and conversion of raw materials and seeking approximately $900,000 in damages.
- Defense of a title company in lawsuit alleging negligence in loan closing, violation of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), conspiracy and fraud.
- Represent neurological rehabilitation facility in action against former patient, patient’s conservators, and trustee of patient’s special needs trust for payment of approximately $2.1 million debt for services provided, where payment was secured by lien on proceeds of patient’s medical malpractice actions, over $12 million of proceeds were transferred to a special needs trust, and trustee of trust, patient, and patient’s conservators refused to pay.
- Defense of numerous lawsuits against creditors, loan servicers, debt collectors, law firms and lawyers alleging violations of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), Federal Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), abuse of process, malicious prosecution and other claims.
- Advise employers, banks, and others regarding garnishments and subpoenas, and prepare and file answers to writs of garnishment and responses to subpoenas on their behalf.
- Represent title insurance companies in resolving real estate disputes and correcting problems with chains of title, title documents, mortgages and the like.
- Defense of a community foundation in a case alleging wrongful amendment of a scholarship endowment agreement.
- Defense of publishers and their employees in a defamation actions.
- Represent creditor in post-judgment attempts to collect judgment in excess of $10 million.
Adrienne is out for blood! She has passionately served the Red Cross for almost nine years, currently serving as chair of the Board Engagement and Recruitment Committee after having completed her term as Chair of the Board.
Recognition
In 2020, 2019 and 2018, Baker was named as one of the Arkansas 250 most influential business leaders by Arkansas Business. In 2017, Arkansas Business named Baker to its “40 Under 40” list of business and political leaders. In 2017 and 2015, Baker was voted one of the Top 100 Lawyers in Little Rock by the readers of Soiree, a high-profile publication distributed in Central Arkansas. She has also been named a “Rising Star” by Mid-South Super Lawyers each year since 2012. In 2014, she was recognized as one of twenty-seven “Women to Watch” by Soiree.
Community Involvement
Baker serves as chair of the Board Engagement and Recruitment Committee of the board of directors of the American Red Cross Serving Greater Arkansas, having completed her term as Chair of the Board. She is also a graduate of Leadership Greater Little Rock, Class XXXI and the Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy.