LONGVIEW, Texas – Former Federal Judge T. John Ward of Longview, Texas-based Ward & Smith has joined the roster of arbitration and mediation panelists at Federal Arbitration Inc. (FedArb), a nationwide provider of Federal Rules-based dispute resolution services.
Judge Ward will work with other former federal judges on the FedArb team to help clients resolve cases involving patent, intellectual property, commercial litigation, oil and gas litigation, product liability and general tort liability disputes.
“I am delighted to be joining as a FedArb arbitrator and mediator,” says Judge Ward. “FedArb’s focus on applying precedent and applicable legal standards is a logical fit for the experience that I bring from my many years on the bench.”
Prior to joining Ward & Smith in 2011, Judge Ward served 12 years with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. During his time on the bench, Judge Ward presided over more than 150 jury trials and more than 3,000 cases overall, including hundreds of patent infringement claims. His work as a federal judge included more than 150 claim construction hearings, numerous complex commercial litigation claims and nationwide class-action lawsuits. He is widely credited with establishing the efficient rules that have made the Eastern District of Texas one of the most popular venues in the nation for patent infringement disputes.
Judge Ward served as a member of the Judicial Conference Committee on Court Administration and Court Management from 2003-2009 and as a member of the National Patent Jury Instruction Project.
Prior to his service as a Federal District Judge, Judge Ward worked as a trial attorney for 31 years, personally trying more than 250 cases with a focus on patent and other complex commercial cases in addition to mediation and arbitration proceedings. Judge Ward’s numerous professional honors include being named Trial Judge of the Year by the Texas chapters of the American Board of Trial Advocates (TEX-ABOTA); one of the nation’s “Top 25 Most Influential People in IP” by the publishers of The American Lawyer; Baylor University’s “Baylor Lawyer of the Year”; and Managing Intellectual Property magazine’s “Outstanding Achievement in Intellectual Property.”
Judge Ward earned his B.A. in chemistry in 1964 from Texas Tech University before securing his law degree at Baylor Law School in 1967.
Longview, Texas-based Ward & Smith has earned a national reputation in high-stakes cases involving complex commercial litigation, intellectual property law, oil & gas disputes, and serious personal injury claims. Ward & Smith frequently assists lawyers nationwide in complex cases before East Texas juries.
