Attorneys

Member

T. Morgan Ward Jr.

Louisville, KY

502-681-0406

Morgan Ward is a member of the firm’s Business Litigation Service Group. His practice focuses on commercial litigation, regulatory litigation (including the laws and regulations pertaining to real estate professionals and the banking industry), constitutional law, real estate litigation, commercial lease litigation, condemnation and eminent domain, trust and estates litigations, title insurance defense litigation, insurance coverage litigation for both insureds and insurers, bad faith litigation, trial practice, arbitration, mediation, and appellate practice.

Morgan has argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Kentucky Supreme Court and the Kentucky Court of Appeals. He has tried numerous cases to jury and bench verdicts.

Capabilities

Practice Areas

Airport Law

Appellate Advocacy

Arbitration, Mediation & Alternative Dispute Resolution

Aviation

Business Litigation

Class Action, Mass Action & Multi-District Litigation

Financial Services Litigation

Hemp and Medical Cannabis

Intellectual Property Litigation

Litigation & Appeals

Real Estate & Land Use Litigation

Real Estate General Practice

Securities Litigation

Recent News, Articles & Speaking Engagements

Title Agencies Did Not Violate RESPA Affiliated Business Rule

The Title Insurance Law Newsletter, American Land Title Association, September 2017 with Michael Denbow, David B. Owsley II and Richard A. Vance

Fight Over Defunct Colgate Factory States in Ind. Federal Court

by Isaac Monterose, Law360.com, July 6, 2023

with Chelsea Stanley

Indiana Town Sues to Get Former Colgate-Palmolive Factory

by Isaac Monterose, Law360.com, April 21, 2023

Town of Clarksville pursues eminent domain to acquire historic Colgate clock property

by Rae Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, March 19, 2023

Louisville attorneys are pitching in to help accelerate expungement process

by Steve Kaufman, Louisville Business First, March 22, 2019

RESPA Developments: CFPB v. Borders and Borders

Mortgage Bankers Association of America, Litigation Committee Conference, July 25, 2017 with Richard A. Vance

Addressing Enforcement Actions

panel member, MBA's Legal Issues & Regulatory Compliance Conference 2016, Denver, Colorado, May 1-4, 2016

CFPB Rulemaking, Enforcement, CIDs, Examinations, Administrative Actions and Penalties and How to Adapt Your Practice as a Result

co-presenter, American Conference Institute's 25th National Conference on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, Los Angeles, CA, April 7-8, 2016

CFPB Enhanced Oversight and Heightened Scrutiny of the Industry: Evaluating Lessons Learned from Recent Enforcement Actions, Preparing for Investigations and Examinations and Looking Ahead to Rulemaking Updates

American Conference Institute's 20th National Forum on Consumer Finance Class Actions & Litigation, October 23-24, 2014

Case Law and Legislative Update

Old Republic National Title Insurance Company 2012 Kentucky Agency Seminar, June 19, 2012

Exclusion 3(a) & 3(b) - Recent Trends in Title Insurance Coverage Litigation

Co-Speaker, ABA Torts Trial & Insurance Practice Section Annual Spring CLE and Leadership Forum, May 21, 2011

Condemnation and Eminent Domain in Kentucky

Kentucky Real Estate Law and Practice, College of Law of the University of Kentucky (1996)

Recent Assignments

Serves as lead litigation counsel to defend a law firm against RESPA claims filed by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) in pending litigation before the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

Won rulings on behalf of commercial real estate brokers and investors in a series of constitutional challenges under the Commerce Clause, which resulted in federal court rulings to invalidate “turf state” laws that restricted interstate brokerage and impaired the national market for commercial real estate. See Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Inv. Brokerage Co. v. Skeeters, 395 F. Supp. 2d 541 (W.D. Ky. 2005); River Oaks Mgmt. v. Brown, 2007 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 65286 (W.D. Ky. 2007); GLOBE STREET, “Marcus & Millichap Wins ‘Turf State’ Lawsuit” (September 13, 2007)(“The entire industry is expected to benefit from the victory in a federal lawsuit challenging Kentucky’s law prohibiting cooperation with out-of-state brokers”).

Successfully represented commercial real estate firms and brokers in a variety of contract and business tort litigation matters.

Served as second chair (in third year of practice) before the U.S. Supreme Court in Intel Containers International Corp. v. Huddleston, 113 S.Ct. 1095 (1993) regarding the constitutionality of state taxes on cargo containers used in international commerce.

Significant experience litigating a variety of cases connected to the Louisville Airport Improvement Program, the $780 million expansion of Louisville’s International Airport for which Stites & Harbison served as lead counsel, and he currently represents the Louisville Regional Airport Authority in active litigation matters.

Has handled several trust and estate litigation matters, including pending matter to preserve a substantial bequest to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Bar Admissions

Kentucky

U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky

Firm Leadership

Louisville Office Recruiting Committee, Member

Memberships

American Bar Association

Kentucky Bar Association

Louisville Bar Association

Community Involvement

Personnel Board, State of Kentucky (2021-26)

Louisville Metro Government Historic Landmarks and Preservation Districts Commission (2019-present; Chair, 2021)

Legal Aid Society, Board of Directors (previous Board Chair)

Leadership Kentucky, Class of 2003

Bingham Fellow Program of Leadership Louisville (2015)

Olmstead Parks Conservancy, Inc., former Trustee

Education

J.D.,

1989

University of Kentucky College of Law

Org / Honor

Kentucky Law Journal, 1987-89

Corpus Juris Secundum Award for Significant Legal Scholarship, 1989

Roy S. Moreland Scholarship, 1988-89

Best Brief Award, First-Year Moot Court Program, 1987

B.A., Economics,

1985

Davidson College

Org / Honor

Included a summer at Cambridge University, studying the history, literature and art of England’s Age of Revolution and Romanticism

More Than Stites & Harbison

Morgan serves the community as a member of the Board of Directors for the Legal Aid Society (where he previously served as Board Chair), and as a Trustee for the Olmsted Parks Conservancy in Louisville. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Louisville Bar Association, and currently serves on an LBA committee to monitor the integrity of judicial elections. Morgan coordinates much of the firm’s pro-bono work in the Louisville office, and has been recognized as an Outstanding Volunteer Lawyer by the Legal Aid Society. He is also a past member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition. Morgan is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky (2003) and the Bingham Fellows Program of Leadership Louisville (2015).

Morgan enjoys tennis, running, cycling, skiing, backpacking, rock climbing, and adventures with his two sons. In 1996, Morgan completed the Annapurna Circuit, a 200-mile trek in Nepal.

Accolades

Martindale-Hubbellยฎ AV-Preeminentยฎ Peer Review Rated

Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Commercial Litigation; Litigation – Insurance; Litigation – Real Estate; Litigation – Trusts and Estates (2013-25)

Best Lawyers in Americaยฎ, Louisville Area Lawyer of the Year for Litigation – Real Estate (2025)

Kentucky Super Lawyersยฎ (2007, 2012-25)

Litigation Counsel of America, Fellow

2020 Outstanding Volunteer Award, Legal Aid Society of Louisville

Contact Resources

T. Morgan Ward Jr.'s PDF T. Morgan Ward Jr.'s Contact VCF
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T. Ward's LinkedIn Profile

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Press Releases

Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 47 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2025

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2025 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 47 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 34 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 13 attorneys to the Rising Stars list. A number of Stites & Harbison attorneys...
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

December 27, 2024

Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2025 Best Lawyersยฎ Publications

Honorees Include 12 as “Lawyer of the Year,” 98 in Best Lawyers in America® and 31 in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 98 of its lawyers are included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®....
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

August 16, 2024

Press Releases

Kentucky Super Lawyersยฎ Honors 49 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2024

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2024 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers® recently honored 49 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 35 attorneys to the Super Lawyers® list and 14 attorneys to the Rising Stars® list. A number of Stites & Harbison attorneys...
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

January 12, 2024

Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2024 Best Lawyersยฎ Publications

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 101 of its lawyers are included in the 2024 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence according to the publication....
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

August 24, 2023

Press Releases

Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 49 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2023

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2023 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 49 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 37 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and 12 attorneys to the Rising Stars list. A number of Stites & Harbison attorneys...
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

January 12, 2023

Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2023 Best Lawyersยฎ Publications

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 98 of its lawyers are included in the 2023 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers® has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence according to the publication....
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

August 18, 2022

Press Releases

Kentucky Super Lawyers Honors 37 Stites & Harbison Attorneys for 2022

LOUISVILLE, Ky.—The 2022 edition of Kentucky Super Lawyers recently honored 37 Stites & Harbison, PLLC attorneys in the Covington, Frankfort, Lexington and Louisville, Ky., offices. The publication named 29 attorneys to the Super Lawyers list and eight attorneys to the Rising Stars list. A number of Stites & Harbison attorneys...
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

January 11, 2022

Press Releases

Stites & Harbison, PLLC Lawyers Named to 2022 Best Lawyersยฎ Publications

Honorees Include 11 as “Lawyer of the Year,” 93 in Best Lawyers in America and 14 in “Ones to Watch” LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Stites & Harbison, PLLC is pleased to announce that 93 lawyers are included in the 2022 Edition of The Best Lawyers in America©. Since it was first published...
by Stites & Harbison, PLLC

September 01, 2021

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