John K Baker

Practice Areas

John Keeling Baker has extensive experience in successfully trying and appealing a variety of business tort, contract, real estate, taxation, and class action suits before state and federal trial courts, Arkansas appellate courts, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis, Missouri. He frequently works on behalf of clients on both sides of the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). He routinely advises governmental clients on open meetings and public records compliance requirements under the FOIA. He also litigates against FOIA violations on behalf of non-governmental clients when wrongfully denied access to public records under the FOIA.

-Obtained winning 52 page Judgment in 12 years long, twice-tried lawsuit to restore church congregation to property from which they were displaced. Connor Chapel AME Church et al. v. Ricky Hicks et al.; Pulaski County Circuit Court; Case No. 60CV-13-2008.

-Secured trial court judgment on behalf of regional hospital successfully exempting seven real estate parcels from ad valorem taxation and affirmation of judgment on appeal. Diffey v. N. Ark. Reg’l Med. Servs., Inc., 2019 WL 4729624 (Ark. Ct. App., 2019).

-Secured preliminary injunction to open road on theory of prescriptive easement and affirmation of injunction on interlocutory appeal. Anita G, LLC v. Centennial Bank, 2019 Ark. App. 217 (Ark. Ct. App., 2019).

-Successfully defeated attempted intervention by class member objecting to approved class settlement in Wartick v. USAA, 2017 Ark. App. 329 (2017).

-Served as federal court-appointed liaison counsel for European litigants in federal court multidistrict litigation in In Re Genetically Modified Rice Litigation, MDL 1811 (E.D. Mo.).

-Successfully defeated attacks on general election ballot access for Saline County, Arkansas voters on alcohol sale issue in Our Community, Our Dollars v. Bullock, 2014 Ark. 457 (Ark. 2014).

-Successfully secured dismissal of class allegations in nationwide consumer electronic goods class complaint against client in Jarrett v. Sanyo Mfg. Corp., 4:12-CV-00739-SWW (E.D. Ark.).

-Successfully secured six figure monetary judgments for client against former employees sued for breach of fiduciary duty and embezzlement in Helena Chemical Company v. Skinner et al., 4:11-cv-00691-BRW (E.D. Ark.).

-Successfully defeated attacks upon trial court’s approval of nationwide class settlement of 250,000 insureds Hunter v. Runyan, 2011 Ark. 43 (2011).

-Successfully secured reversal of federal court’s denial of remand of state court action in Usery v. Anadarko Petroleum Corp., 606 F.3d 1017 (8th Cir. 2010).

-Successfully obtained dismissal by summary judgment of Franchise Practices Act claim and three remaining causes of action brought against client by former agent in Gunn v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, 2010 Ark. 434 (Ark. 2010).

Professional Memberships

-Pulaski County Bar Association

-Arkansas Bar Association

-Eighth Circuit Bar Association

-Court-Appointed Member, Arkansas Supreme Court Committee on Civil Practice

-Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel

-United States Supreme Court Historical Society

-Sedona Conference Working Group 1, Federal Rule 45 Brainstorming Team and Drafting Team

-Member, Past President, Quapaw Quarter Association, Inc.

-Co-Founder and Board Member, Tomfoolery Foundation Inc., host of annual Hillcrest Pumpkin Roll & Great Southern Stone Skipping Championships

-Co-Founder, Past President and Member, Tree Streets, Inc.

-Past Board Member and Treasurer, Arkansas Urban Forestry Council, Inc.

-Past Board Member, Pulaski County Historical Society

-Past President and Board Member, Camp Aldersgate, Inc.

-Past Board Member and Past Secretary/Treasurer, St. Thomas More Society of Arkansas, Inc.

Education