Title: Founding and Managing Partner, Chief Marketing Officer
Company: Ward Law Group, PL
Education: Certified Legal Intern, State Attorney’s Office, 17th Judicial Circuit, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2012); Legal Intern, U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Seltzer, United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Federal Courthouse, Fort Lauderdale, FL (2011); Legal Intern, Put Something Back, Legal Aid, Miami, FL (2010); Judicial Intern, Honorable Reemberto Diaz, 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Miami, FL (2010); JD, Nova Southern University Shepard Broad College of Law (2011); BS in Psychology, University of Florida (2009); BA in Spanish Literature, University of Florida, Cum Laude (2009); Diploma, Barbara Goleman Senior High School, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami Lakes, FL
Career History: Founding and Managing Partner, Chief Marketing Officer, Ward Law Group, PL, FL (2012-Present); Law Clerk, Law Office of Doumar, Allsworth, Laystrom, Voigt, Wachs, Adair & Bosack, LLP (Now Doumar, Allsworth, Laystrom, Voigt, Wachs, Adair & Dishowitz, LLP, Attorneys at Law), Fort Lauderdale, FL (2011); Law Clerk, The Law Offices of Diana Santa Maria, P.A., Davie, FL (2010); Guardian ad Litem (2006-2008)
Jany Martínez-Ward, Founding and Managing Partner, Chief Marketing Officer at Ward Law Group, PL, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of law.
Ms. Martínez-Ward overcame numerous obstacles throughout her life to ultimately become one of the most prominent Hispanic attorneys in Florida and the establisher and leader behind one of the state’s largest and most successful personal injury law firms. Originally from Cuba and a resident of Venezuela, she crossed the Texas-Mexico border with her mother and eight-month-old brother when she was 15 due to a feeling of danger in her home counties and a yearning for a safer environment. Devastated to leave her life behind and confused not knowing English, she witnessed her mother being arrested and while their legal issues were being resolved, she and her brother were placed in a foster home. She struggled to understand the law and language of the country and it was during these difficult times that she became exposed to the complex and intimidating legal system in the United States and aware of the barriers Hispanic people faced upon arriving. It was then that her interest in law began to develop and over the course of her immigrant journey, her purpose was ignited, inspiring her to serve her community’s legal needs.
Thankfully, Ms. Martínez-Ward’s mother was released after a month of detainment and they officially settled in Florida as political asylum seekers. Despite even her first English teacher doubting her ability to grasp the language, she studied hard in school and diligently picked it up. After graduating from high school at the top of her class, she received a scholarship to attend the University of Florida—where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Literature and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, and graduated cum laude in 2009. She subsequently chased her dream at Shepard Broad College of Law within Nova Southern University. She not only attained a JD there in 2011 but also met her husband, Gregory Ward, who had been practicing law for 15 years at the time. Fresh out of law school, after she gained experience clerking for some firms, the two established the Ward Law Group in 2012. Ever since, the firm has been dedicated to providing personal injury law to Hispanic immigrants who have been in car accidents due to the negligence of others.
As founder, managing partner, and chief marketing officer at the Ward Law Group, Ms. Martínez-Ward strives to advocate for and represent the Hispanic community to the best of her ability—creating awareness about changing laws and regulations regarding auto accidents and providing legal representation. In addition, she engages Spanish-speaking audiences every week across the radio and television—through which she interacts with them, answers their legal questions and concerns, and gains a deeper understanding of their needs. At the firm, she handles everything from assisting clients with paperwork and counseling them negotiating settlement claims directly with insurance companies to ensure her clients receive just compensation for any financial loss, work interruptions, and emotional distress; and overseeing 15 managers and more than 140 employees—all the while ensuring that clients are receiving outstanding service. On top of the extensive legal services they provide to vulnerable and displaced immigrants, she and her husband feel just as strongly about building relationships with those they serve and going the extra mile to get involved and give back.
For several years, they were active members and supporters of the church, Alpha & Omega, and have since partnered with different churches to sponsor countless events to help families and youth groups reach their full potential. Additionally, the firm supports an annual Back-to-School donation drive that helps orphans and underprivileged children and she co-founded a Thanksgiving turkey giveaway program, which donates 1,500 meals and turkeys to families every year. They’ve also seen to it that numerous Venezuelan children had warm meals during the holidays. Despite the numerous accolades she has accrued over the course of her career—including being named Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers in 2022—and even being invited by the Florida Bar Association to contribute a chapter to the 10th edition of Florida Civil Practice Before Trial, bettering the lives of her clients and community as a whole has been her most rewarding achievement.
In the future, Ms. Martínez-Ward’s goals include serving 800 clients a month, exceeding their current revenue of $50 million a year, and expanding their operations to Texas, New York, and New Jersey. Her additional aspirations are to advocate for displaced people around the world who are unable to defend themselves and support individuals who are fighting for basic human rights. Ultimately, she hopes to establish a nonprofit whose mission would be to assist and protect displaced immigrants so they can live dignified lives. The motto that has motivated Ms. Martínez-Ward throughout her life has been “All things are possible with faith.”
