Tom Ward brings more than 19 years of courtroom litigation experience to his practice, which focuses on criminal defense, white-collar defense, and civil litigation in state and federal courts.
Tom began his legal career in 1997 when he graduated from the University of Colorado School of Law. After an internship with the ACLU of Colorado, he served as a Deputy State Public Defender for the Colorado Public Defender’s Office in both their Denver and Pueblo offices.
During this time, Tom represented thousands of accused individuals and developed a reputation as a tenacious and innovative courtroom litigator. Tom served as lead counsel in jury trials for defendants charged with offenses ranging from misdemeanors in county court to serious felony matters including first-degree murder and sexual assault.
From 2001 – 2016, Tom worked as the owner and Managing Attorney for The Ward Law Firm, P.C. Based in Denver, The Ward Law Firm, P.C. developed a reputation statewide for providing highly-skilled, aggressive, results-oriented representation in both criminal and civil cases, and was twice named to U.S. News and World Report’s Best Law Firms in the field of White Collar Criminal Defense.
While with The Ward Law Firm, Tom successfully represented individuals and corporate entities in a wide variety of cases including white-collar prosecutions in United States District Court, drug trafficking and serious violent felonies in state courts, and regulatory investigations and proceedings conducted by the Attorney General and other agencies. Tom has litigated numerous high-profile cases including a Jefferson County first degree murder trial that was featured on CBS 48 Hours.
Tom stays active in the legal community as member of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Colorado Lawyers Committee.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Intern, ACLU of Colorado (Spring – Summer 1997)
- Public Defender, Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, Denver Office (1997 – 1998)
- Public Defender, Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, Pueblo Office (1998 – 2001)
- Partner, The Ward Law Firm P.C. (2001 – 2016)
- Partner, McDermott Stuart & Ward LLP (2016 – present)
HONORS/DISTINCTIONS
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Best Lawyers in America (2016 – present)
- Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent Rated (2013 – present)
- Colorado Super Lawyers (2014 – present)
- 10/10, AVVO (2017)
- Colorado Rising Stars, Super Lawyers (2009, 2010)
- Community Contribution Award, Colorado Lawyers Committee (2004)
- Winner, Rothgerber Moot Court Competition, University of Colorado School of Law (1997)
COMMUNITY SERVICE
- Volunteer, Homeless Court, Project Homeless Connect Convention (2013 – present)
- Board of Directors, Colorado Lawyers Committee
LECTURES & PUBLICATIONS
- Lecturer, Felony Murder, Hunter S. Thompson and the Last Gonzo Campaign, West LegalEdcenter (2011)
- Lecturer, Medical Marijuana and the Federal Non-Enforcement Policy, West LegalEdcenter (2011)
- Interview, "Featured Alumni: Dru Nielsen ('97) and Tom Ward ('97)", Colorado Law, University of Colorado Boulder (2019)
- Interview, “Criminal Risk Assessments in Colorado,” Super Lawyers Magazine (2018)
- Interview, “A Blurry Picture,” Law Week Colorado (2017)
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2014 – present)
- Member, Colorado Bar Association (2002 – present)
- Member, Criminal Justice Act Panel, U.S.D.C for the District of Colorado (2002 – present)
- Member, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar (2001 – present)
