Emily Ward is a business litigation attorney focusing on complex and high-dollar business disputes in Arizona. She concentrates on business litigation, public policy, and appeals, litigating high-stakes cases for both plaintiffs and defendants in federal and state courts across the country.  Emily has extensive experience litigating and trying all kinds of cases and has a track record of winning even the most challenging cases before trial on motion or, when necessary, following a trial.

As a trial lawyer, Emily is known for her ability to simplify complicated issues and build persuasive narratives in the courtroom. She knows that in today’s world: a picture says a thousand words.  She has a particular creative talent for designing compelling visual presentations that bring her clients’ positions to life, helping judges and juries clearly see the story behind the case.

Emily has earned recognition in Super Lawyers® from 2023 to 2025 and was named a Rising Star from 2016–2022. Chambers also recognized her as an “Up and Coming” attorney in Appellate Practice in 2022 and 2023.  In 2022, she was featured in Phoenix Magazine’s Top Lawyer’s issue for her trial work, and in 2024, she received the Phoenix Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award.

Her legal work has been featured on ABC15, Fox10, and 3TV.

Emily serves on the Greater Phoenix Chambers Board of Directors, one of the largest and most influential business organizations in Arizona. In this role, she works with business and community leaders to promote economic growth, advocate for pro-business policies, and strengthen the region’s position as a thriving hub for innovation and opportunity.  Emily also serves on the Board of Directors for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central and Northern Arizona, which provides housing, meals, and support to families traveling to Phoenix for their children’s medical care. In this role, she helps advance the organization’s mission of keeping families together and supported during some of their most challenging times.

When she’s not working, Emily enjoys happy hour at Buck & Rider with her husband, Mike, or going on a Target run with her two girls, Violet and Daphne.

• J.D., summa cum laude, University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law
• B.A., summa cum laude, University of Arizona
• Order of the Coif

OTHER EXPERIENCE

• Appellate
• Business Torts
• Litigation

• Successfully defended the constitutionality of a tax on the business of leasing vehicles against challenges under the Dormant Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution and the Anti-Diversion provision of the Arizona Constitution. Saban Rent-A Car LLC v. Ariz. Dep’t of Revenue, 246 Ariz. 89 (2019)
• Represented State of Arizona and Secretary of State in action brought by advocacy group challenging campaign finance laws and received favorable ruling against Voter Protection Act challenge. Arizona Advocacy Network Found. v. State, 250 Ariz. 109 (App. 2020), as amended (Nov. 9, 2020)
• Achieved victory on summary judgment against a challenge to Arizona’s ESA program brought by public interest group.
• Obtained multi-million-dollar settlement for breach of contract against prominent network marketing company
• Represented a large solid waste company against a national landfill gas producer. The dispute involved a dispute over license fees and royalties from two landfills.  Forced extremely favorable settlement for client.
• First-chaired bench trial representing commercial tenants at in a 6-day trial against prominent Phoenix landlord regarding common-area expenses and obtained a ruling awarding tenants all improperly assessed costs and attorneys’ fees
• Argued before Arizona Court of Appeals on scope of notice required for premises liability action and obtained judgment reversing trial court’s grant of summary judgment.
• Successfully helped obtain multi-million-dollar settlement for breach of contract against prominent multi-level marketing company.
• Argued that subcontractor had contractual duty to defend and obtained favorable ruling requiring subcontractor to pay all attorneys’ fees and costs.
• Represented dermatopathologist against former practice for breach of employment agreement and achieved very favorable settlement
• Represented young woman who co-owned house with ex-boyfriend who refused to buy her out after his infidelity.  Forced him to refinance house for her payment to avoid partition sale and even made him Venmo client additional money for her wasted time dealing with the issue.
• Represented client against $2.5 million damages claim from multi-level marketing company for alleged fraud and settled for $50,000.

• Best Lawyers in America®, Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, 2024 and 2025
• Southwest Rising Stars^®, Business Litigation, 2016-2024
• 40 Under 40, Phoenix Business Journal, 2024
• Best Lawyers in America®, Ones to Watch – Appellate Practice, Commercial Litigation, 2022-2023
• Chambers USA, Leading Lawyers for Business, Up and Coming, 2021-2023

• Featured, “Meet the 2024 class of 40 Under 40,” Phoenix Business Journal, August 8, 2024
• Featured, “Meet the Phoenix Business Journal’s 2024 40 Under 40 honorees,” Phoenix Business Journal, May 7, 2024
• Author, “A business owner’s guide to lawsuit settlement,” Greater Phoenix Chamber, September 25, 2023
• Author, “A litigator’s prime to a lawsuit settlement,” Arizona Capitol Times, July 6, 2023
• Author, “A business owner’s guide to lawsuit settlement,” Phoenix Business Journal and AZ Big Media, June 2, 2023
• Featuring, “Are you “overemployed?”, KOLD News 13, January 25, 2023
• Interview, “Top Lawyer 2022: Emily A. Ward, Business Litigation,” Phoenix, September 2, 2022
• Interview, “Supreme Court Appears Ready to Overturn Roe V. Wade,” AZ Fox 10, May 5, 2022
• Quoted, “They knew this would cause an uproar”: Phoenix constitutional law attorney analyzes impact of seismic SCOTUS leak,” News Break, May 5, 2022
• Co-author, “Must Attorneys’ Fees Be Included in Supersedeas Bond Amounts?” Arizona Attorney Magazine, April 2021
• Co-author, “Decision and Post-Decision Proceedings in the Court of Appeals,” Arizona Appellate Handbook 2.0, 2020
• Quoted, “Let’s Celebrate Random Acts of Kindness Day,” Fennemore Blog, February 18, 2021
• Speaker, “Living Through Change: How the New Civil Practice Rules Are Working, And How They Will Affect You,” State Bar of Arizona 2019 Annual Convention, June 27, 2019
• Speaker, “Not So Stranger Things: Becoming Acquainted with Arizona’s New Civil Rules,” State Bar of Arizona 2018 Annual Convention, June 27, 2018

• Member, O’Connor Institute Emerging Leaders Network
• Board Member, Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project
• Member, Civil Practice and Procedure Committee, State Bar of Arizona
• Volunteer, Chrysalis Domestic Violence Shelter, 2014–present
• Volunteer, Volunteer Lawyer’s Program
• Member, Board of Directors, Arizona Industries for the Blind

• Arizona
• U.S. District Court District of Arizona
• U.S. District Court Western District of Texas
• U.S. Court of Appeals Ninth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals Tenth Circuit
• U.S. Supreme Court