Member

T. Morgan Ward Jr.

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.

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

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T. Ward's LinkedIn Profile