Shawnee’s oldest law firm just got a little younger. Effective April 1, the law firm of Stuart and Clover was renamed Stuart, Clover, Duran & Thomas LLP. In addition to the name change, the firm also announced the addition of two partners, Robert S. Duran, Jr. and Mathew L. Thomas.
Addressing the changes taking place at the firm, senior partner Jim Stuart stated “we are very pleased to have Rob and Mat join our practice. Their addition marks a new and exciting chapter in the life of our firm. We have provided legal services to individuals and businesses in the Shawnee area for over 100 years and, by adding new partners, we plan to continue our provision of those services during the next century.”
Mike Clover, another of the firm’s senior partners, commented that “by adding Rob and Mat to the firm, we have an expanded platform by which we can represent our clients in courtrooms and boardrooms throughout Oklahoma and Texas. Rob and Mat are a perfect fit for our firm – they were both raised and educated in Shawnee and they share our firm’s historical commitment to practicing law with the highest degree of ethics and professionalism.”
Founded by Roscoe Arrington in 1904, the firm is Shawnee’s oldest continuously-operated law firm and is one of the oldest law firms in Oklahoma. Since its inception, the firm has engaged in a broad-ranging civil practice. The new firm will continue to assist clients with their litigation, probate, estate planning, corporate, oil and gas, and real property needs. In addition, the firm will expand its service offerings to include family law, federal court litigation, arbitration, and mediation.
With the addition of Duran and Thomas, the firm now has four members. Stuart joined the firm in 1979 and was elevated to partner in 1980. A Shawnee native, he is a graduate of Shawnee High School, Central State University (now the University of Central Oklahoma), and the Tulsa University College of Law.
Stuart is a member of the Board of Governors of the Oklahoma Bar Association and serves as an editor for the Oklahoma Bar Journal. In addition to his full caseload and his positions with the Oklahoma bar, he serves on the boards of numerous civic organizations including the Shawnee Economic Development Foundation and the Oklahoma Baptist University Shawnee Advisory Board. Stuart and his wife Kathy live in Shawnee. Their three adult daughters, Emily, Rachel and Sarah, live in Dallas, Texas, Edmond, and Norman, respectively.
Clover joined the firm in 1990 and became a partner in 1993. He is a graduate of Eufaula High School, Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, and Central State University.
After teaching and coaching in the Shawnee public schools for several years, Clover earned his juris doctorate from the Oklahoma City University School of Law. Separate and apart from his practice, Clover also serves as an attorney for the City of Shawnee and for the Shawnee Civic and Cultural Development Authority.
Clover serves in a variety of leadership positions with civic organizations including the YMCA and the Kiwanis Club. He is married to Terri Clover, with whom he makes his home in Shawnee.
Duran joined the firm in 2008. He was raised in Shawnee and is a graduate of Shawnee High School. After high school, Duran graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with summa cum laude with honors. He then attended, and was awarded a law degree by Vanderbilt University Law School in Nashville, Tenn., where he graduated with honors.
Since graduating from law school, Duran has worked as an attorney with international law firms in Houston and Dallas, Texas, and a leading regional law firm in Oklahoma City.
Licensed to practice law in state and federal courts throughout Oklahoma and Texas, Duran focuses his practice on civil litigation, corporate law, estate planning, and arbitration.
Duran is married to the former Kellie Sperry. The Durans live in Shawnee with their two children, Kaitlyn and William.
Thomas just joined the firm earlier this year. He is a Shawnee native who graduated from Shawnee High School.
Thomas is a cum laude graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and obtained his juris doctorate with honors from the Dedman School of Law at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Prior to joining the firm, he worked with a leading family law and estate planning firm in Dallas, Texas. Thomas maintains a general civil practice, with special emphases in family law, estate planning, and alternative dispute resolution.
Thomas is married to the former Lauren Garlow who is an Accounting/System Manager with Shawnee Milling Co. She and Mat and their daughter Emerson, make their home in Shawnee.
Although under construction, the law firm continues to office at its downtown Shawnee location at 128 N. Broadway.
