Robert Ginnaven was born in Memphis where his parents first met on stage in a Shakespeare production at Front Street Theater. His parents were witnesses to the birth of rock and roll, and him about 9 months after they met. The family moved to Little Rock in 1960 where his dad became an early pioneer in the television industry, first as a weatherman at KATV and later as an advertising creative director.

Robert’s parents were instrumental in helping create the Arkansas Arts Center and Robert had the good fortune of growing up backstage watching them rehearse and perform for enthusiastic crowds thirsting for live theater when Arkansas’ reputation did not include fostering arts and cultural initiatives. His father was an actor on the side and appeared in many movies with notable actors including Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Charles Durning, Dolly Parton, Billy Bob Thornton, Bill Paxton, Shirley MacLaine, Sally Field, and Joanne Woodward. It is no wonder that Robert found his niche as a trial lawyer nearly forty years ago, and has been directing real life drama in the courtrooms of Arkansas ever since.

Growing up in Little Rock in the 60s and 70s, Robert attended school at Jefferson Elementary, Forrest Heights, Pulaski Heights, Booker, and Hall High School before graduating from Catholic High School in 1978. His historically significant, varied public education experiences gave him an understanding of the diverse nature of the people of Arkansas and a keen insight into what an Arkansas jury will do with the facts of any given case.

Robert’s father instilled a work ethic in him at age 13 when he was a paperboy for the Arkansas Gazette. Robert has worked hard ever since. He stayed on at the Gazette downtown taking complaints from folks who didn’t get their morning paper. He then ushered and popped corn at the Breckenridge Village movie theater during high school. He ran a camera in the production studio at KATV while earning a Bachelor of Arts in English at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, and operated the slo-mo instant replay machine during college football and basketball games when Lou Holtz and Eddie Sutton were at the helm.

After graduating from law school, Robert became an Assistant Attorney General representing the State of Arkansas on appeals from the Circuit Courts, followed by cutting his teeth in the courtroom in a bath by fire as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Pulaski County, where he learned how to try a case to a jury, again and again. Once in private practice Robert developed experience in complex commercial litigation, as well as catastrophic personal injury cases involving medical malpractice, legal malpractice, product liability, premises liability, car wrecks and natural gas explosions. Robert has developed a reputation as a fearless advocate for his clients with a “take no prisoners” attitude.

Aside from practicing law, Robert’s best day is standing waist deep in the rivers and streams of the Ozarks angling for smallmouth bass and playing with his grandchildren.