Robert C. Ward, Jr.

Mr. Ward joined the firm in 1994 and became a shareholder in 1998. He practices general civil litigation and is licensed to practice in both Alabama and Georgia. Prior to joining the firm he served as a senior prosecutor in the Montgomery County District Attorney's office from January 1992 to October 1994. He also worked as an assistant attorney general assigned to the Criminal Appeals Division from July 1991 to January 1992. Mr. Ward clerked for the Honorable William Bowen of the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals from July 1989 to July 1991.

Before embarking on a legal career, Mr. Ward served as Regional Credit Manager for the retail finance division at General Electric Credit Corporation in Metairie, Louisiana until October 1983. He then joined the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development in New Orleans as a bureau chief, where he was responsible for the monitoring of community development block grant funds. 

Practice Highlights

Odom v. Safeway Insurance Company of Alabama: successfully argued motion for summary judgment; judgment granted on claim of wantonness.

Odom v. Safeway Insurance Company of Alabama: received defense verdict in case involving personal injuries sustained in an automobile accident predicated upon an underinsured policy provision.

C&S Wholesale, Inc., etc. v. First Tuskegee Bank, et al.: foreclosure on property resulting from default on loan. Judgment in favor of plaintiff; verdict in favor of plaintiff for nominal damages of $5,000.

Candace Grose, Adm. of the Estate of Jakob Grose, deceased v. Billy Gene Michael, Joey Barnes d/b/a Bad J Trucking Company: obtained defense verdict in wrongful death lawsuit stemming from an accident.

Weyerhaeuser v. Southeastern Crane and Gajjar Engineering: obtained defense verdicts for crane inspection companies in a case involving indemnification between defendant and plaintiff; plaintiff paid more than $1 million to resolve underlying claim and made jury demand for same.

R. Edward Massey v. Billy Moore:  obtained defense verdict for lawyer in legal malpractice matter stemming from the settlement Mr. Moore received after the death of his son.

Presentations

Mr. Ward has spoken at numerous continuing education events regarding mediation, opening statements and closing arguments, and trying personal injury cases.

Honors and Awards

Mr. Ward has been AV peer review rated in Martindale-Hubbell and was selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America® (2009–2013). A member of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association Board of Directors, he is also the recipient of the ALI Certificate of Appreciation. Mr. Ward also served as a member of the American Trial Lawyers Association and Alabama Trial Lawyers Association, where he was Vice-President of the Alabama Chapter at the University of Alabama Law School. While in law school, Mr. Ward was a member of the Trial Advocacy Board as well as the Frederick Douglass Moot Court Team; he was declared Best Advocate at the regional competition.

Mr. Ward has been elected into the Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel (FDCC). FDCC membership is by invitation only. It is composed of recognized leaders in the legal community who have achieved professional distinction. FDCC is dedicated to promoting knowledge, fellowship, and the professionalism of its members as they pursue the course of a balanced justice system and represent those in need of a defense in civil lawsuits.

Best Lawyers, the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession, has named Mr. Ward as “2012 Montgomery Best Lawyers Insurance Law Lawyer of the Year”.  The lawyers being honored as “Lawyers of the Year” have received particularly high ratings in the publication's surveys by earning a high level of respect among their peers for their abilities, professionalism, and integrity.

Mr. Ward was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Alabama Defense Lawyers Association for the 2012-2013 term.

Mr. Ward is a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), which is by invitation only and requires extensive experience as lead counsel in numerous civil trials.

Mr. Ward has recently been included in the 2013 edition of Alabama Super Lawyers for Civil Litigation Defense.

Community Involvement

Mr. Ward is the Past President of the Boys and Girls Club of Montgomery and serves on the Board of Directors, and he serves as a volunteer for the community’s Meals on Wheels program.