John R. Elrod
Overview
John Elrod helps businesses and individuals resolve complex disputes and navigate high-stakes litigation matters, with particular experience in environmental law and regulatory-related litigation.
For more than 50 years, John has represented clients in state and federal courts throughout Arkansas and Oklahoma. His practice focuses on litigation and dispute resolution, helping clients address complex legal challenges through strategic advocacy and practical problem-solving. Clients value his ability to manage significant matters efficiently while remaining focused on their business and operational objectives.
John is a trial lawyer. He has tried over 100 cases to verdict in the courts of states from California to Indiana. A significant part of his practice includes representing clients in agricultural issues, complex environmental disputes as well as antitrust matters. He was also instrumental in creating the first greenfield airport since Denver International, the Northwest Arkansas National Airport, having established its legal framework and providing representation for its first 25 years.
John’s leadership and public service experience further inform his practice. He has served in numerous leadership roles within the legal profession and government, including service as a Special Justice and Special Chief Justice of the Arkansas Supreme Court, providing him with a unique perspective on dispute resolution and the judicial process.
Credentials
Education
- Georgetown University Law Center, 1971 (J.D.)
- Westminster College, 1968 (B.A.)
Court Admissions
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1982
- U.S. Tax Court, 1972
- Represented two named plaintiffs in one of the largest civil anti-trust settlements in U.S. jurisprudence.
- Served as co-counsel for a Fortune 500 company in theft of trade secrets claims resulting in a $20 million jury verdict.
- Defended a poultry company in a case brought by a state attorney general asserting violation of RCRA, CERCLA, common law nuisance, and other environmental claims. The case was tried for 54 trial days over four months resulting in dismissal of all monetary claims on motion.
- Represented a plaintiff in a fraud and products liability case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana involving the design of a grain and forage silo resulting in a plaintiff’s verdict of $2.4 million.
- Represented a plaintiff in a fraud and products liability case in Missouri state court involving the design of a grain and forage silo resulting in a plaintiff’s verdict of $1 million.
- Represented a poultry company in Arkansas state court defending claims of cancer and other physical diseases allegedly caused by the inhalation of arsenic in land applied poultry litter resulting in a defense verdict.
- Represented a poultry company in a multiple defendant case which asserted pollution of one of the largest lakes in Oklahoma caused by the land application of poultry litter as fertilizer. The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals reversed the trial court’s certification of a class consisting of 3,500 littoral property owners.
- Westminster College, Board of Trustees, Vice Chair
- First National Bank, Siloam Springs, Former Director and Secretary
- Arkansas Board of Corrections, Member and Secretary, 1976-1981
- Siloam Springs Chamber of Commerce, President, 1975
- Chambers USA, Arkansas, Litigation: General Commercial, 2019-2026
- S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, Richard S. Arnold Award for Lifetime Achievement
- Westminster College, Alumni Achievement Award, 2017
- Best Lawyers in America, Commercial Litigation, 2010-2026
- American Bar Association
- Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River Compact Commission
- Arkansas-Oklahoma Environmental Task Force
- Arkansas Bar Association, Environmental Law Committee, Chair, 1975-1976; CLE Committee, Chair, 1994-1995
- Arkansas Bar Foundation, Board of Directors, 1983-1986
- Arkansas Supreme Court, Special Justice, 1980; Special Chief Justice, 1988
- Benton County Bar Association, President, 1976-1977
- Benton County, Arkansas Deputy Prosecuting Attorney, 1973-1975