LONGVIEW, Texas – Accomplished attorney and former U.S. District Judge T. John Ward of Longview, Texas-based Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, is being honored by the top two legal publications in Texas based on his decades of work in the legal industry.
The Texas Lawbook is recognizing Judge Ward in the publication’s Lions of the Texas Bar series, which honors “50 of the state’s legendary business lawyers who have made significant contributions to the legal profession.” Texas Lawyer newspaper is recognizing Judge Ward as one of only 22 recipients of the publication’s 2015 Professional Excellence Award: Lifetime Achievers. The Lifetime Achievers honorees are described by the publication as representing “the very best the Texas legal community has to offer.”
Judge Ward joined Ward, Smith & Hill in 2011 after retiring from the U.S. District Court of the Eastern District of Texas, where he served for 12 years following an appointment by then-President Bill Clinton. Judge Ward is largely credited for the Eastern District’s speedy “rocket docket” in patent infringement cases, which has helped the district become one of the most popular patent venues in the U.S.
To learn more about Judge Ward, click here: https://wsfirm.com/attorneys/t-john-ward/.
Judge Ward currently represents clients in the Eastern District and across the nation in intellectual property litigation, including patent infringement disputes; oil and gas disputes; and complex commercial litigation. He also maintains a busy mediation and arbitration practice.
Last year, Judge Ward worked with a team of attorneys to win a $175 million verdict in the Eastern District of Texas on behalf of a whistleblower plaintiff and the U.S. government against Dallas-based Trinity Industries Inc. for selling dangerous guardrail systems to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration. The jury award was tripled by the trial court under provisions of the False Claims Act before being entered as a $663.4 million judgment in June.
Longview, Texas-based Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, has tried more than 350 cases to verdict, earning a national reputation in high-stakes claims involving complex commercial litigation, intellectual property law, oil and gas matters, bad faith insurance claims, and serious personal injury claims. The firm frequently assists lawyers nationwide in complex cases before Texas juries. To learn more about the firm, click here: https://wsfirm.com/.
