Distinguished Leader: Brett S. Ward
Brett S. Ward, who serves as co-chair of the firm’s Matrimonial & Family Law practice group, was recognized as a 2022 Distinguished Leader by the New York Law Journal. Brett's honoree profile, as published in the New York Law Journal, is copied in full below.
What are some of your proudest recent achievements? In 2022, after a lengthy trial that spanned 20 trial dates over four years (both in-person and virtual during COVID), I secured a dismissal of a Family Offense Petition which had been brought against my client by his ex-wife. The decision came down to the court’s finding that my client’s ex-wife was not credible—the direct result of my examination of her. My client cried tears of joy when we got the decision, as he had been subject to a four-year Temporary Order of Protection based on totally false allegations.
In 2021, I convinced a New York appellate court to recognize (for the first time) a grandparent’s right to an expedited hearing as a matter of constitutional due process in a pro bono matter. My efforts helped a grandmother rescue her grandchildren from an abusive foster home and obtain full custody.
In 2020, three months into the pandemic, I conducted one of the first virtual custody trials in New York and after I cross-examined the neutral forensic custody evaluator for one day, the opposing party gave up and agreed to my client’s proposal to resolve the case in its entirety.
In 2012, I helped a client obtain custody of her adopted child in New York’s first instance of a judge granting custody to a same-sex, non-biological partner over the birth mother. This was a groundbreaking decision for LGBTQ families that paved the way for many cases to follow.
Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you. I am fortunate to have been mentored by my former bosses Norm Heller and Sheila Riesel. Both taught me so much—Norm was a quiet leader, but he walked the walk, and everybody followed him because he was fair, kind, equitable, smart and universally respected. Sheila was a fierce advocate for her people. She is 5 ft. 2 in. with a 6 ft. 5 in. aura when she walks in a room. She is a brilliant lawyer and a strong advocate who raises up everybody practicing with her.
How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future? While technology has impacted the field of law far less than many other occupations, COVID-19 has sped up its integration. Virtual meetings, conferences and court appearances are now the norm. Lawyers who connected with clients and judges in person must adapt those skills to virtual platforms.
What is the best advice for someone considering a career in law, or someone already in the profession who is seeking to make a greater impact? Success in the legal world is directly linked to effort. Almost every attorney gets from the law what they put into it. Those who commit themselves to the profession and put real passion and effort behind their practice should find great success.