W. Thomas Baxter

W. Thomas Baxter is a highly respected estate planning lawyer and partner at Friday, Eldredge & Clark LLP. With a legal career spanning decades, he helps individuals, families, and businesses with complex matters related to trusts, estates, taxes, and wealth transfer. He is known for his deep understanding of estate planning, probate, and tax law, and for guiding clients through high-stakes decisions with confidence and clarity. As a Fellow in the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC), Tom is recognized nationally for his professional excellence.

Tom earned his B.A. from the University of Arkansas, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to receive his J.D. and LL.M. in Tax from Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Tom has built a reputation for helping clients protect their assets and plan for the future. His work includes drafting wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, life insurance trusts, and charitable trusts. He assists with gift, estate, and generation-skipping tax planning to ensure smooth multi-generational wealth transfers. He has advised many clients on the transfer of family businesses, the administration of trusts and estates, and filing estate and gift tax returns. In addition, he represents clients before the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration and the IRS in tax controversies.

W. Thomas Baxter previously led the firm’s Trust and Estate Planning department and taught estate and gift taxation as an adjunct professor at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. He is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell and has been consistently recognized by Best Lawyers in America and Chambers High Net Worth for Trusts and Estates and Tax Law. His trusted advice and dedication make him a key resource for clients seeking practical, results-driven legal guidance.

Law Office Affiliations

• Partner, Friday, Eldredge & Clark, LLP
• Member, Arkansas Bar Association (1979 – present)
• Member, American Bar Association (1979 – present)
• Member, Arkansas Bar Foundation (2015 – present)
• Member, Pulaski County Bar Association
• Past Chair, Arkansas Tax Advisory Council
• Board of Directors, Arkansas Children’s, Inc. (2015 – present)
• Board of Directors, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Inc. (1995-2019)
• Board of Directors, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation (1998-2012)
• Member, Arkansas Children’s Physician Hospital Organization (1995-2007)
• Board of Directors / Past Member, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pulaski County
• Member, Blue Key
• Member, Phi Delta Phi
• Member, Sigma Alpha Epsilon

Licensed State

• Arkansas

Education

• Southern Methodist University School of Law
  Master of Law (LLM)
• Southern Methodist University School of Law
  Juris Doctor (JD)
• University of Arkansas
  Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Awards & Badges