Michael Ward
Michael R. Ward’s is a general civil litigator who practices throughout Virginia in both state and federal courts. Mr. Ward has represented defendants, and plaintiffs from time to time, in personal injury actions of all varieties, including automobile accidents, premises liability, and commercial accidents. He has taken or defended hundreds of depositions of fact and expert witnesses, and has extensive trial experience. His personal injury practice has also included the defense of brain injury cases, and he has successfully tried two of these to verdict.
Mr. Ward has experience defending products liability actions including those involving personal injuries. He has defended products including tree felling machines, leashes, busses, tractors, chemicals, cans, conveyor belts, industrial forges, and power tools. As with the rest of his practice, this has included defending all phases of the case including investigation, discovery, and trial.
Mr. Ward represents financial institutions on issues arising from foreclosures, the Fair Credit Report Act, and consumer credit issues. He has experience in administrative matters, and successfully sued the Department of Social Services on behalf of several martial arts facilities. He has also represented local governmental officers in civil rights and prisoner litigation.
Mr. Ward regularly defends professional liability matters. He has represented attorneys accused of malpractice and ethical violations. He has defended corporate officers accused of wrongdoing. From time to time he has also defended employment litigation claims.
Mr. Ward has an interest in appellate litigation, and he has handled appeals to the Virginia Supreme Court, Fourth Circuit, and the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Mr. Ward was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He earned an undergraduate degree in history from Vanderbilt University in 1990. He earned his law degree from Tulane Law School in 1995, graduating magna cum laude and Order of the Coif. While in law school, he was a Justice of the Moot Court Board, and was awarded the American Jurisprudence Award and Corpus Juris Secundum Award. He is a member of Phi Delta Phi.
Mr. Ward and his wife, Virginia have two sons. He enjoys activities with his sons, reading, and running in his spare time.
Morris & Morris
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Education
- Tulane Law School
- Magna Cum Laude Vanderbilt University
Bar Admissions
- Virginia
- North Carolina
- U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
- United States Supreme Court
Memberships
- Richmond Bar Association
- Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys
- Defense Research Institute
Representative Cases
- Conyers v. Martial Arts World of Richmond, Inc., 639 S.E.2d 174 (Va. 2007)
- Schrager v. Isquith, 2006 WL 2022185 (Richmond Cir. Ct. July 18, 2006)
- Atlantic Mach. & Equip., Inc. v. Tigercat Indus., Inc., 427 F. Supp.2d 657 (E.D. Va. 2006)
- Atlantic Mach. & Equip., Inc. v. Tigercat Indus., Inc., 419 F.Supp.2d 856 (E.D. Va. 2006)
- Schager v. Isquith, 2005 WL 2546648 (Richmond Cir. Ct. Aug. 19, 2005)
- Schager v. Isquith, 69 Va. Cir. 31 (Richmond Cir. Ct. May 3, 2005)
- Carytown Jewelers, Inc. v. ADT Security Serv., Inc., 2005 WL 1147800 (E.D. Va. 2005)
- School Board of Norfolk v. International Truck and Engine Corp., 62 Va. Cir. 466 (Norfolk Cir. Ct. Sept. 3, 2003)
- Arnlund v. Smith, 210 F. Supp.2d 755 (E.D. Va. 2002)
- Tibbetts v. Yale Corp., 2002 WL 31123873 (4th Cir. 2002)
- Lynch v. Droody, 2002 WL 337709 (4th Cir. 2002)
- Dickson v. Virginia, 2000 WL 232055 (4th Cir. 2000)
- State v. Marshall, 660 So.2d 819 (La. 1995)