Rebecca brings over two decades of legal, tax, and business experience to Emeraude and a passion for helping people with what matters most – their family and their businesses. Rebecca is widely recognized as one of the top attorneys in Arkansas by Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers in America and Mid-South Super Lawyers in multiple practice areas, including Closely-held Companies and Family Business Law, Tax Law, Trusts and Estates, Nonprofits Law, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law and
Mergers and Acquisitions.

In addition to founding Emeraude, for the past fifteen years, Rebecca has served as the managing partner of Smith Hurst, PLC, an award winning regional law firm that has
been recognized both for its excellence in business by the Fayetteville, Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, and in the practice of law, as a Tier 1 rated Law Firm in Arkansas in the fields of Mergers and Acquisitions, Corporate Law, Real Estate Law, Tax Law and Trusts and Estates by Best Law Firms in America and Chambers and Partners USA. While leading Smith Hurst, Rebecca also has developed a practice
deeply rooted in the needs of high net worth individuals, private foundations, and family-
owned enterprises. Her legal practice organically expanded from estate planning and philanthropic counsel to serving as general counsel and trusted advisor across her clients' business, investment, and real estate activities.

Rebecca has extensive experience advising on mergers and acquisitions, private placements, complex entity structures, corporate finance, contract negotiation, and
strategic transactions, often serving in an outside general counsel for family offices. Rebecca also advises a broad range of tax-exempt organizations, including public charities, agricultural associations, and political action committees, and remains at the forefront of the intersection between private enterprise, wealth, and philanthropy. In addition to her professional practice, since 2007 Rebecca has served as an adjunct professor and guest lecturer at the University of Arkansas School of Law, where she teaches advanced courses in Federal Estate and Gift Tax, Estate Planning, and
Nonprofit Organizations. Her early career as an accountant with Beverly Enterprises gave her a foundational understanding of financial operations in regulated industries, which continues to inform her holistic and pragmatic approach to client service.
Rebecca obtained her Masters of Law in Taxation degree (LL.M.) from New York University School of Law and graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas School of Law where she was the executive editor of the Arkansas Law Review and a Charles Thomas Pearson fellow. She attended Arkansas State University (Fort Smith Campus) where she graduated magna cum laude and first in her degree and was honored with the Outstanding Accounting Student Award.

Rebecca has been recognized by Mid-South Super Lawyers as one of the Top Fifty Lawyers in the State of Arkansas. Rebecca has been recognized by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal as part of its C-Suite Honors and as one of the Top Ten
Women in Business, both awards being given to the top business executives in the region. Rebecca was also recognized by the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal as
a member of its Forty Under 40 list of business leaders and successful individuals and was chosen as the Outstanding Young Alumnus by the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Alumni Association.

In addition to her professional career, Rebecca is active in the community and the arts.
Rebecca was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to serve on the Advisory Council to the Arkansas Arts Council. Rebecca is also a member of the Corporate Leadership
Council for the Walton Arts Center, the Board of Directors of the University of Arkansas Fort Smith Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Morgan Nick Foundation, and is
pleased to be serving on the Dean’s Executive Advisory Board at the University of Arkansas School of Law.