Stuart Jackson has been practicing in the employment law field for more than thirty years and focuses his practice on advising employers on compliance with civil rights laws and developing personnel policies (including policies on medical marijuana), employment agreements and covenants not to compete.

He is also a passionate advocate for STEAM education, serving as chair of the Board of Directors for the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock in 2018 and 2019 and presently serving on its Capital Campaign Committee.

Jackson also defends employers in federal and state court litigation and appeals, including claims under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Fair Labor Standards Act, 42 U.S.C. Sections 1981 and 1983 and state law claims involving trade secrets, non-compete agreements, arbitration agreements, wrongful discharge, the Arkansas Civil Rights Act and the Arkansas Minimum Wage Act.

Jackson’s more recent experience includes:

• Counsel for an Arkansas bank defending an EEOC age discrimination charge (the charge was dismissed) and assist the same bank with a review of its employee handbook.
• Co-counsel for a telecommunications company in a disability discrimination and retaliation case. The jury returned unanimous defense verdicts on the disability claims, and the Court granted the defense a directed verdict on the retaliation claim. The Court of Appeals upheld the decisions of the jury and the Court in full.
• Co-counsel in a contested race and disability discrimination case. The jury returned defense verdicts on the discrimination claims.
• Co-counsel for an Arkansas hospital facing claims of due process violations. The court granted the hospital’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.
• Counsel defending four separate companies (an energy industry company, a mental health provider, a rent-to-own company and an oil & gas company) in wage and hour claims asserting both collective and class actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act and Arkansas Minimum Wage Act. The Courts (one state and three federal) in all four cases denied the plaintiffs’ motions for certification of a collective action or class.
• Lead counsel for a medical insurance provider in a race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit. The court granted the provider’s motion for summary judgment and the Eighth Circuit affirmed the district court’s ruling.

Jackson has been recognized as a Band 1 “Leader in their Field” in employment law by Chambers USA; a top-rated employment lawyer by Mid-South Super Lawyers in Employment Litigation: Defense; and a “Labor and Employment Star” by Benchmark Litigation.

Jackson also has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America^© in the categories of Employment Law – Management (including “Lawyer of the Year” designations for 2022 and 2025), Civil Rights Law (“Lawyer of the Year” designation for 2024), and Litigation – Labor and Employment (“Lawyer of the Year” designations for 2023 and 2020). Only a single lawyer in each practice and designated metropolitan area is honored as the “Lawyer of the Year.”

He also has an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review Rating through LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Ratings.

In 2009, Governor Mike Beebe appointed Jackson to serve as a Special Justice on the Arkansas Supreme Court to hear the case Arkansas Department of Correction v. Williams. He was elected in 2012 to serve a three-year term on the Arkansas Bar Foundation Board of Directors and re-elected in 2015 to serve another three-year term.

Jackson frequently presents seminars for clients and human resources groups on various employment laws and was awarded the Arkansas SHRM 2024 Russell Gunter Legislative Advocacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of legislative initiatives and education that benefit the human resources profession. Jackson was selected for his ongoing efforts to educate human resources professionals about medical marijuana in the workplace.    

Jackson was a member of the Board of Directors for the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock and served as chair in 2018 and 2019. He was co-chair of the Museum of Discovery’s main fundraising event for 2011, Uncorked, and served on the planning committee for the event and its successor (Spark!) for a number of years. He was a member of the First United Methodist Church Board of Trustees from 2007 to 2009, serving as chair in 2009, and was a member of the Hendrix College Alumni Association Board of Governors from 2005 to 2008. He was also chair of the American Diabetes Association Central Arkansas Leadership Council from 2003 to 2004, a member of its Leadership Council from 2001 to 2007, and chair of the 2004 Tour de Cure.