(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
KENOSHA, Wis. — A Kenosha-based attorney with a history of discipline from the Wisconsin Supreme Court is again drawing attention for his aggressive fee collection tactics and controversial contract provisions, echoing the very conduct that led to public reprimands on three occasions in the past.
Attorney John Anthony Ward, who has received multiple reprimands over his career for professional misconduct, has more recently obtained a court judgment against a former client for unpaid legal fees in a family law matter. In that case, Ward alleged the client owed thousands of dollars beyond the terms of a flat-fee agreement, and he cited a breach of “office policies” as further justification for withdrawing from the case.
While that matter has since been resolved, it is far from unique. Court records and billing documents suggest Ward routinely relies on aggressive contract terms, high hourly rates, and seemingly punitive withdrawal clauses—raising concerns among legal observers.
Three Reprimands, Same Concerns
In 1999, Ward received a private reprimand from the Office of Lawyer Regulation for misconduct in his law practice. In 2005, the Wisconsin Supreme Court issued a public reprimand after finding he charged unreasonable minimum fees, failed to diligently handle a client’s case, and refused to refund unearned fees after being discharged. He insisted on keeping a $10,000 minimum fee, even though the client terminated him early. In assessing Ward’s claimed hours and work, the referee wrote that his explanation was “not credible” and described portions of his research as “of questionable necessity, not on point, and of no value.”
In 2012, the Supreme Court again publicly reprimanded Ward for mishandling client money in multiple matters. In one case, he accepted a $5,000 advanced fee, did not place the money in his trust account, and failed to provide the client with the written notice required when a lawyer does not hold advanced fees in trust. He was also found to have kept portions of advanced fees without adequate explanation and delayed issuing refunds for months.
Despite these prior sanctions, Ward’s current billing practices bear many of the same hallmarks.
Failed Judicial Bid
Ward, known in the local legal community by the nickname “JAWS,” ran for judge in 2017. The campaign ended in a landslide loss, with Ward receiving just 2,145 votes compared to current Judge Jodi Meier’s 12,386.
High Rates, Steep Minimums
According to one written fee agreement Ward filed in court, Ward charged an initial flat fee of $8,000, which covered only the first 20 hours of attorney time. After that, he billed at a rate of $400 per hour for his own time, $200 per hour for paralegals, and $150 per hour for support staff.
The agreement imposed strict billing minimums, regardless of how long a task actually took:
* Phone calls: billed at 0.3 hours minimum = $120 per call
* Reading or responding to an email: also 0.3 hours = $120
* Court appearances: billed at 1.1 hours minimum = $440
* Meetings: billed at 1.0 hour minimum = $400
* Reviewing documents: billed at 0.5 hours minimum = $200
These minimums appear repeatedly in his court-filed invoices. One entry shows Ward charged $120 to confirm by phone whether court was scheduled. Another billed $440 for a single court appearance—regardless of how brief.
Withdrawal Clauses and “Policy Violations”
Perhaps more alarming are the terms allowing Ward to move to withdraw from representation and retain all fees paid if the client violates his office policies. The contract specifies that any of the following may constitute a breach:
* Failing to update contact information within 24 hours
* Making disparaging remarks about staff or the attorney
* Missing appointments or failing to confirm meetings
* Not responding to emails in a “timely” manner
If the attorney decides that any such violation has occurred, the agreement states that the entire flat fee becomes earned in full, even if the client has received little benefit. Clients are also required to give five days’ written notice before terminating the attorney—otherwise they forfeit their right to a refund.
These provisions allow Ward to both exit the case and seek additional payment, as he has done in multiple cases.
Not an Isolated Case
The fee collection tactics revealed in recent court filings do not appear to be an isolated incident. The same contract language is used broadly across Ward’s client base, and invoices filed in court show similar patterns: rigid billing minimums, rapid depletion of the flat fee, and subsequent attempts to collect unpaid balances through court motions.
This pattern in reminiscent of what drew disciplinary in the past. While Wisconsin’s ethics rules now permit flat-fee structures if properly explained, critics say the way Ward applies them amounts to legalized exploitation, especially of family law clients who are often emotionally and financially vulnerable.
Prior Discipline Was Never Publicized—Until Now
Although Ward’s past misconduct was formally disciplined by the Wisconsin Supreme Court and documented by the Office of Lawyer Regulation, the reprimands have never been the subject of press coverage—until now.
The 1999 private reprimand, the 2005 public reprimand, and the 2012 public reprimand are buried in legal archives, accessible only through state bar publications or court databases. This article marks the first known attempt to connect Ward’s past discipline, his failed judicial campaign, and his current billing behavior.
Ward continues to operate John Anthony Ward, LLC in Kenosha County and advertises representation in family, civil, and criminal cases.
With a documented record of three reprimands, a failed judicial bid, and several judgments against his own clients over disputed fees, the question remains: how many more clients will be subject to the same treatment?
30 Responses
Fashion tip: Business shirts should be white, blue, or patterned. Black shirts really don’t work.
I beg to differ
His fees are no different then say Muras….. who files against her clients too, or Racine lawyers that practice in Kenosha.
Perhaps. But neither Mura nor most attorneys have 3 OLR sanctions…..
Are these recent? This lawyer is terrible.
Mura is what a terrible lawyer looks like.
I’ve heard terrible things about her.
I was told that he pays a service to clean up his bad reviews online.
Lawyer reviews are generally quite unreliable due to manipulation, even those by Martindale-Hubbard. Finding the best lawyer (advocate) for your case, especially if it’s criminal, is an art requiring skepticism, sharp instincts and accurate judgment. Run of the mill lawyers are a commodity today and forced into high competition for client revenue. Bottom fishers with shaky to lousy characters and reputations are a greater proportion of the legal profession than in the past. A generally good starting baseline metric to judge attorney quality is what law school they graduated from. A WI-Madison, Marquette, Northwestern, or Chicago Law alumni is of much higher octave quality than a Roosevelt or Valpo Law troll.
Maybe the legal system should police their own a little better than meaningless reprimands, and disbar him from practicing in the state.
This should be applied to many attorneys; the individual currently under discussion serves merely as an example. Consider petty and corrupt attorneys such as David Celebre, or even William Michel who was regarded as one of the worst defense attorneys in town until a few judges decided they needed someone to run their errands and appointed him as commissioner.
This Lawyer is not a good one, I used him he is terrible, His tactics are to pro long the case as long as possible, and charge for all the delays then in court he doesn’t fight he just goes with the flow, and when it looks bad, he turns to the GOD And religion tactic. Plays a lot of Games. Anyone who uses this guy i feel very fearful for your outcome in the case he is Handling.
Mura not much better, there not fight for right or wrong or justice it’s all a scam.
these attorneys play the game with the courts, An attorney once said to me, I can only fight so much I still need to practice in this town. And i can’t be black balled.
Exactly. They care more about being invited to lunch than working on their cases.
There are lawyers who do care about their clients and their cases so it’s unfair to blame everyone for a bad apple in the bunch.
Having said this, the comment about lunch is off the mark. The reality is these days very few lawyers do go out to lunch with other lawyers and almost never on a regular basis. Why does this matter? Because they used to resolve cases by talking to each other. Many lawyers today don’t know how to do that and clients suffer because of it.
People have the wrong idea that lawyers who pound the table and fight it out are going good for their clients. Seldom is that the case. Sometimes cases have to be fought hard but otherwise it’s a lawyer’s professional and personal reputation as well as honesty and integrity that wins cases. Lawyers who b.s. are known for that and rarely do well for the client.
There are quite a few who hang out together. Everyone knows who is friends with whom. It sounds like you are in same profession, so you should also be aware.
Exactly why I said this. We know who the good lawyers are — and aren’t.
The best lawyers rarely have to fight and drag out cases. They know their stuff and others lawyers know that they know. They get things done in a phone call and, yes, over lunch.
And bill the clients for the lunch!
…and if it made money for the client…why not? 🙂
I can’t speak about this attorney, but when your profession becomes more about the dollars, you know your outcome with that attorney may take a back seat. Passionate attorneys are hard to come by, it’s a business at the end of the day. Is there a score card that keeps tabs on Attorneys success ratio’s? That would be interesting.
There is no “score card” because lawyers can’t (despite the implication of some ads) know in advance how a judge or jury will rule. They can, and should, do their best and do what is right for the client without the bounds of the law. Practicing law is a business but so is auto repair. You don’t want your mechanic billing you for unnecessary work and you don’t want your lawyer to do so, either.
JAWS is his nickname and he likes it. I was told that he sets aside time on his calendar to meet with new clients. I found that odd for a seasoned attorney, but soon realized it is because he churns and burns his clients.
Yes. He is a terrible attorney. If he wins a case, it is not due to skill. Stay away from this one.
I have had two contacts with this gent. In my opinion, he is dangerous. It’s sad because his mother, Rose Ward, was a highly respected foster parent in the Kenosha County Social Service system. Something has gone off the rails.
Interesting. A case of character over time fully revealed. I knew of this person in his 20s while in college. He was an “envelope pusher” then, though very smart and capable (he was an arrogant, intellectually sadistic professor’s favorite), I sensed he would come to public prominence later in a negative light. This expose is consistent with my observations from that time long ago.
Finally, when and if any lawyer or politician pulls out the religion and God/Jesus card, you can be sure that situationally or deliberately, your being and interests are being fattened up like a hog for the slaughterhouse.
What is an “envelope pusher”?
I have never heard that term.
This pusillanimous pile of porcein pustules should have to collect his fees postumously. 😎
when you try that hard to sound smart, it comes out the opposite
Ye of short dick and small brain , oh and bald
And what’s going to happen to him? more than likely nothing, I did notice that his office is no longer in the same location, it looks to be a doctor office or something.
Maybe he is in financial trouble, maybe to many fancies trips.