Eric J. Ward, Partner

Practice Focus and Experience

Mr. Ward is a founding member of the firm and seasoned trial attorney. He has tried over 50 jury cases, and has won more than 90% of them. Mr. Ward has represented clients in federal and state courts across the country, including in all the major New York metropolitan areas, California, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota and West Virginia. His experience encompasses a wide variety of disputes, such as commercial, medical malpractice, product liability, toxic exposure and employment discrimination litigation.

Mr. Ward’s commercial experience includes intellectual property disputes, breach of contract cases and employment discrimination cases. Mr. Ward recently represented an international corporation in a multi-jurisdictional litigation over the ownership of patents, and has handled cases involving copyright infringement and trade secret misappropriation. Mr. Ward also has represented corporations in employment and benefit disputes brought under Title VII, the ADEA, the ADA, various State laws and ERISA. He has successfully defeated efforts to obtain class certification and consolidation of pre-trial proceedings before the Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

In the personal injury arena, Mr. Ward has handled complex product liability cases involving pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and industrial chemicals. Mr. Ward has acted as regional counsel to a national organization providing blood products, handling the defense of cases involving alleged transfusion-associated disease. As regional counsel to a computer keyboard manufacturer, Mr. Ward successfully tried one of the first so-called cumulative trauma disorder cases in the country. Mr. Ward regularly handles serious medical malpractice cases for a major medical center and its physician.

Mr. Ward has worked with experts in a variety of technical fields, including nearly every medical specialty, mechanical and electrical engineering and economics. He is accomplished in handling issues that arise in the introduction of expert evidence, including exclusion of expert testimony under the Daubert and Frye doctrines. Mr. Ward is a frequent lecturer on evidence and trial practice.

Education

• Washington and Lee University, J.D., cum laude, 1982
• Albion College, B.A., cum laude, 1978

Bar Admissions

• New York, 1983

Court Admissions

• U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
• U.S. District Courts of New York (All Districts)

Professional Activities & Memberships

• Defense Research Institute
• National Association of College and University Attorneys
• New York State and Monroe County Bar Associations

Professional Recognitions & Awards

• American Board of Trial Advocates
• Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers (Corporate Counsel Edition) and New York Super Lawyers
• Martindale-Hubbell AV rating