"A tremendous, positive, constructive force and a talented strategist,” Ward is "an accomplished litigator...." Articulate in the courtroom, he is "aggressive yet polite," with "the unique ability to get inside the other parties' strategy." He "is regarded as a strong presence in the marketplace."
Chambers USA
Edward D. (Ward) Johnson is a litigator who represents clients — often technology, telecommunications and Internet companies — in complex commercial litigation, antitrust and intellectual property disputes as well as in large scale consumer class actions.
Chambers reports that Ward “is commended for his courtroom skills, with clients . . . praising his ability to ‘
distil technical concepts into an easily understandable form.”’
Chambers USA 2012.
Ward, who serves as partner-in-charge for the firm’s Palo Alto office, has successfully handled jury and bench trials and argued appeals ranging from complex commercial matters to libel and criminal cases. He regularly serves as counsel in litigation where antitrust and intellectual property issues converge. Ward often acts as lead counsel for license programs holding essential patents relating to a technology standard and where the standard setting body has imposed obligations to license on FRAND terms. He has won several post-eBay injunctions on behalf of technology innovators.
Ward also serves antitrust counsel for clients in litigation as well as providing advice in obtaining merger clearance from US federal, state and European regulators for major transactions in the mass media, oil, pharmaceutical and retail industries (e.g., Universal/PolyGram, Sony/Cineplex Odeon, BJ Services/Western, BJ Services/Nowsco, American Home Products/American Cynamid, Stop & Shop/Royal Ahold and Food 4 Less/Ralphs).
Prior to joining Mayer Brown, Ward served as Deputy Solicitor General of New York State; and as Law Clerk to the Honorable John D. Butzner, Jr., US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.