Joel F. Hoover
Arkansas
Newland and Associates, PLLC
2228 Cottondale Lane
Suite 220
Little Rock, AR 72202
Tel: 501.221.9393
Email:
jhoover@newlandassociatespllc.com
Web:
www.newlandassociatespllc.com
Joel Hoover is the Managing Member of Newland & Associates, PLLC and an accomplished construction lawyer who has represented contractors and other construction industry participants in transactional and litigation matters since 2001. He regularly advises clients on legal issues arising in the course of their businesses while also representing them when disputes develop, including construction defect, personal injury, and surety claims related to construction activities.
Joel has extensive experience litigating, arbitrating, and mediating construction disputes. He practices in state and federal courts throughout Arkansas and before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. His trial experience includes both jury and bench trials involving heavy highway construction, utilities, airport construction, and multimillion-dollar commercial building disputes.
His construction practice also includes work at the legislative and regulatory level. During the 2015 Arkansas General Assembly, Joel served in an advisory capacity in connection with revisions to Arkansas’s hold harmless statute governing construction contracts. He has also assisted with revisions to the state’s surety statute, adding a policy and statutory dimension to his broader construction law practice.
Joel has also contributed to construction law education. He formerly served as an adjunct professor of Construction Contracts & Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s Department of Construction Management and Civil Engineering. His professional affiliations include the Construction Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association, the American Bar Association’s Construction Law Section, Associated General Contractors, and Associated Builders and Contractors, where he served as Central Council Chairman in 2015.
Joel has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers for both Business Litigation and Construction Litigation, including recognition as a Rising Star in 2013 and as a Super Lawyer in Construction Litigation from 2014 to the present. He earned his J.D., with honors, from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law and his B.S. in Accounting from the University of Arkansas.
- Prosecution of False Claims Act suit against bank for falsely certifying compliance with Federal requirements in order to obtain insurance on FHA mortgage loans, resulting in $11.6 million settlement. U.S. ex rel. Shackleford v. Iberia Bank, No. 4:15-cv-00416-BRW (E.D. Ark. 2017)
- Obtained arbitration award in favor of general contractor in defense against owner’s breach of contract claim on $815,000 commercial project. Awarded full amount of attorneys’ fees, including surety’s legal fees, for complete successful defense.
- Successful appeal to Arkansas Court of Appeals on behalf of principal and surety in payment bond claim dispute. Travelers Casualty & Surety Co. v. Cummins Mid-South, LLC, 2015 Ark. App. 229
- Successful appeal to Arkansas Supreme Court on behalf of surety in matter of first impression. Established Arkansas precedent that “pay-if-paid” clause constitutes express condition precedent to subcontractor’s right to payment. Travelers Cas. & Sur. Co. of Am. v. Sweet’s Contracting, Inc., 2014 Ark. 484
- Successful appeal before Arkansas Court of Appeals in favor of business owner in malpractice suit against former accountant. United Systems of Ark., Inc. v. Beason & Nalley, Inc., 2014 Ark. App. 650
- Successful defense and prosecution of counterclaim on behalf of contractor in breach of contract arbitration regarding multi-million dollar commercial construction project.
- Defended employer against wrongful termination suit, establishing Arkansas precedent that an employer may recover attorneys’ fees from employee who unsuccessfully sues for wrongful termination. Marlow v. United Systems of Ark., Inc., 2013 Ark. 460
- Imperato v. McMinn, 406 F.3d 987 (8th Cir. 2005)
Newland and Associates represents owners, contractors, construction managers, developers, design professionals, sureties, insurance companies, and suppliers across all stages of the construction process. The firm advises on bidding, licensing, contract formation and negotiation, project financing, performance issues, warranties, claims, mechanics’ and materialmen’s liens, bond matters, and construction litigation.
The team has particular experience drafting and negotiating prime contracts and subcontracts, including provisions addressing progress payments, retainage, pay-if-paid and pay-when-paid terms, indemnification, insurance, and dispute resolution. Its attorneys also advise on contractor licensing, bonding capacity, real estate acquisitions, construction loans, permanent financing, and newer project delivery arrangements such as Building Information Modeling and Integrated Project Delivery agreements.
When disputes arise, Newland and Associates represents clients in state and federal courts and before private arbitrators. The firm handles matters involving delay damages, critical path analysis, design errors, differing site conditions, subcontractor defaults, payment and cancellation issues, materialmen’s liens, and payment and performance bond claims. Its attorneys combine construction industry knowledge with litigation experience to pursue either negotiated resolution or formal adjudication depending on the circumstances of the dispute.
Newland & Associates, PLLC is an Arkansas law firm providing legal counsel to businesses, organizations, individuals, and families across a broad range of commercial and personal matters. The firm combines legal experience with an understanding of business and financial considerations, enabling its attorneys to provide practical advice tailored to each client’s particular circumstances and objectives.
The firm’s multidisciplinary practice encompasses business and corporate law, litigation and dispute resolution, construction law, real estate, contracts, tax, estate planning, probate and estate administration, and related matters. Its attorneys advise businesses throughout their development and operations while also assisting individuals and families with property, financial, estate, and other personal legal needs. When disputes arise, the firm represents clients through negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and litigation.
Newland & Associates emphasizes personalized service and long-term client relationships, taking the time to understand the broader considerations underlying each legal matter rather than addressing issues in isolation. By combining transactional, advisory, and litigation capabilities within a single practice, the firm provides coordinated legal support designed to help clients manage risk, resolve disputes, protect their interests, and pursue their longer-term goals.
“Joel Hoover brings a well-rounded construction practice that combines transactional advice with substantial litigation experience. Clients benefit from his ability to understand the business issues behind a dispute and to move confidently between negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and trial.”