J. Cliff McKinney II
Member
Real Estate, Green Building, Land Use and Business Transactions
Cliff McKinney is a transactional attorney at Quattlebaum, Grooms, Tull & Burrow PLLC. He has dedicated the majority of his career to the practice of real estate law, obtaining a level of education, skill, and experience in this area matched by few others which enables him to deliver an exceptional level of service to his clients. Mr. McKinney was recently recognized by Chambers and Partners’ Directory of America’s Leading Business Lawyers in the area of Real Estate for 2010 and selected as a Rising Star in the area of Real Estate for 2008 and 2009 by Mid-South Super Lawyers.
Mr. McKinney's primary focus is the development of commercial property, and he also has experience on real estate-related litigation matters. In addition to working on the transactional aspects of a project, he assists clients with financing, business organization, environmental and land use issues. Mr. McKinney has served as lead counsel on dozens of multi-million dollar transactions throughout the mid-South region. His projects include the largest real estate transaction in the corporate history of a major global retailer.
Mr. McKinney has dedicated significant time developing skills to assist clients in navigating the regulatory approval process. He has undergone advanced training on Section 106 Compliance, which is the regulatory framework for dealing with culturally significant properties that could be adversely impacted by real estate development, and his experience includes the successful representation of a National Historic Landmark in a major utility routing case.
Mr. McKinney was the first attorney in the State of Arkansas to obtain the status of LEED® Accredited Professional, which affords him the unique ability to assist clients with environmentally friendly green building projects. Mr. McKinney is active in the U.S. Green Building Council Arkansas Chapter and serves as the association's Secretary and Treasurer. In 2009, Mr. McKinney was appointed to the Arkansas General Assembly's Legislative Task Force on Sustainable Building Design and Practices.
Mr. McKinney attended the University of Arkansas where he obtained his Juris Doctor (cum laude) and a Master of Public Administration degree, which gives him insight into the administrative workings of the governmental entities that regulate real estate development. His focus on real estate began while he was a student at Southern Methodist University earning a Master of Laws degree emphasizing real estate. Prior to law school, Mr. McKinney was a National Merit Scholar at Baylor University. He is licensed to practice law in Arkansas (2002, highest score), Texas (2003) and Mississippi (2004).
Mr. McKinney has been elected Chair of the Real Estate Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association for four consecutive terms. In that capacity, he spearheaded the creation of the Arkansas Real Estate Review and currently serves as one of its editors. Mr. McKinney has also been active in the legislative process through this role and his service on the Arkansas Bar Association's Jurisprudence and Law Reform Committee. He has testified before the Arkansas General Assembly on several occasions and been involved in drafting and vetting real estate-related legislation. Mr. McKinney chaired the committee for the third edition of the Standards for Examination of Real Estate Titles in Arkansas. His service to the Arkansas Bar Association also includes co-chairing the 2010 Mid-Year Meeting and serving on the Law School and Unauthorized Practice of Law committees.
Mr. McKinney is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law where he teaches Real Estate Finance, Real Estate Transaction Skills and Neighborhood Development. Mr. McKinney served as Board Chairman of Arkansas Rice Depot, a statewide foodbank, from 2008-2009.
Education
Southern Methodist University (LL.M., emphasizing Real Estate Financing, 2003)
University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., cum laude, 2002)
University of Arkansas (M.P.A., 2002)
Baylor University (B.A., 1999)
Associations and Affiliations
American Bar Association, Arkansas Bar Association (Chair, Real Estate Law Section, 2006-Present), Pulaski County Bar Association, Mississippi Bar Association, State Bar of Texas, American Society for Public Administration, International Council of Shopping Centers and Christian Legal Society
Civic Activities:
Arkansas Rice Depot, Board of Directors, 2005-Present (Chair, 2008-2009).
Publications:
Chair, Standards for Examination of Real Estate Titles in Arkansas (3rd edition).
Editor, Arkansas real Estate Review, a Publication of the Arkansas Bar Association (2007 – Present).
Are You Trying to Imply Something?: Understanding the Various State Approaches to Implied Covenants of Continuous Operation in Commercial Leases, 31 UALR L. Rev. 427 (2009).
Wild Instruments, Surveyors Gone Bad, Confused Courthouses and Strip Clubs: Four Reasons to Use Caution When Drafting Deeds, THE ARKANSAS LAWYER, Vol. 42, No. 2 (2007).
As Long as It Doesn't Cost ME Anything: The Legitimacy and Politics of Impact Fees in Arkansas, with Kenneth Hansen, Ph.D., THE MID-SOUTH POLITICAL SCIENCE REVIEW, Vol. 8 (2005).
Factoring the Ambiguity: A Futile Attempt to Understand the Ambiguous Nature of the Integration Doctrine's Five Factor Test, 31 SECURITIES REGULATION LAW JOURNAL 337 (2003).
Speeches:
Negotiating "Green" Contracts, 2009 International Council of Shopping Centers Law Conference, Roundtable Discussion, Phoenix, Arizona, October 24, 2009.
Historic Preservation: Sustainability, Tax Issues & Terminology, U.S. Green Building Council—Arkansas Chapter Central Branch, Little Rock, Arkansas, September 17, 2009.
Arkansas Real Estate Review, 2009 Best of CLE, Arkansas Bar Association, Little Rock, June 25, 2009.
Retail Incentives, UALR Institute for Economic Advancement, Retail Analysis and Development Course, Little Rock, Arkansas, October 9, 2008.
Understanding the 2007 Revisions to Arkansas's Quiet Title Statutes, Arkansas Bar Association, Little Rock, Arkansas, June 30, 2008.