Brandon B. Cate

Brandon Cate is a litigation attorney based in the firm’s Northwest Arkansas office. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, including litigation involving ERISA, employment law, insurance coverage, real estate disputes, mortgage servicing, media law, and class action defense.

Some of Mr. Cate’s notable successes include securing a declaratory judgment for landowners in a 27-acre adverse possession dispute near Harrison and securing a trial victory for Fayetteville homeowners in a real estate contract dispute. He has obtained summary judgment on behalf of national companies facing employment discrimination and retaliation claims in Northwest Arkansas and has defended multiple ERISA-benefits providers in both trial and appellate courts. He successfully defended a national wireless company in litigation brought in Fayetteville, followed by a successful defense of the judgment on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He represented a natural gas pipeline company in securing a right-of-way across half the State of Arkansas through eminent domain proceedings.  He also advises media organizations and government entities on defamation, First Amendment, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters, including litigation arising from those matters.

Prior to joining the firm in 2003, Mr. Cate served as a law clerk to the Honorable G. Thomas Eisele of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Recognition
The Best Lawyers in America® (2013-present)
Super Lawyers (2012-2015 and 2023-present)
Benchmark Litigation (2012-present)
Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent®

Admissions
State of Arkansas
State of Tennessee
State of Oklahoma
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth and Eighth Circuits
United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Arkansas
United States District Courts for the Eastern, Middle, and Western Districts of Tennessee

Associations and Affiliations
Sustaining Fellow, Arkansas Bar Foundation
Member, DRI
Member, Arkansas Association of Defense Counsel
American Bar Association
Arkansas Bar Association
Washington County Bar Association

Community
Fayetteville Public Education Foundation, Inc., Board of Directors and Steering Committee
Arkansas Law Review, Inc. Board of Directors

Education
University of Arkansas School of Law (J.D., summa cum laude, 2001)
Editor in Chief, Arkansas Law Review, 2000-01
Member, School of Law Board of Advocates, 2000-01
First Place, School of Law Client Counseling Competition, 1999

Vanderbilt University (B.A., cum laude, 1998)