Former East Texas Federal Judge T. John Ward Named Intellectual Property Icon

LONGVIEW, Texas, July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Former U.S. District Judge T. John Ward of the East Texas law firm Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC, is being recognized by the legal publication Law360 as one of the nation's Top 25 Icons of Intellectual Property Law.

Judge Ward represents clients in patent cases and a variety of complex commercial litigation, including handling mock patent trials and Markman hearings. He previously served 12 years with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, including presiding over more than 150 jury trials and more than 3,000 cases overall. He is widely credited with establishing the efficient rules that have made the Eastern District one of the most popular venues in the nation for patent infringement disputes.

In a profile article (subscription only), Law360 quotes an attorney who worked in the Eastern District when Judge Ward's new rules began attracting more patent cases.

"Patents are hard, not just for litigants, but for the court," the lawyer told Law360. "They're a tremendous amount of work, which is why a lot of judges don't like them. Judge Ward and his colleagues were willing to put in the time and do the work, and that makes all the difference in the world."

To read more about Judge Ward, click here: http://www.wsfirm.com/attorneys/t-john-ward/.

Judge Ward previously was 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 & 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: http://www.wsfirm.com/.

For more information, please contact Bruce Vincent at 800-559-4534 or [email protected].

SOURCE Ward, Smith & Hill, PLLC

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