McNeil, Ryan R.

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 has been recognized by Chambers USA’s Guide to America’s Leading Lawyers for Business in the area of Real Estate and was selected as a Rising Star in the area of Real Estate 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.  Mr. McKinney also served on 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), Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas.

Mr. McKinney was 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 many 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 chairing the 2011 Annual Meeting (which set a record attendance of over 1500 people), co-chairing the 2010 Mid-Year Meeting, serving in the House of Delegates, 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, and remains active in the organization.  Mr. McKinney is also a member of the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas.