Jany Martínez-Ward is the co-founder and CMO of the Ward Law Group, one of Florida’s largest Personal Injury law firms. The firm represents car accident victims who suffer injuries because of the negligence and wrongful action of others.
Photo Credit: Ward Law Group
Celebrating her recent announcement as one of the latest additions to the Haute Lawyer Network, Mrs. Martínez-Ward recently sat down with Haute Lawyer to explain her beginnings as a lawyer and what her background and upbringing mean to her practice and approach.
Haute Lawyer: Why Personal Injury? What attracted you to that sector of law?
Jany Martínez-Ward: The first time I ever dealt with the law was when I crossed the border. I was immediately faced with immigration issues and my fate was placed in someone else’s hands. Someone had to decide whether I would stay here or get sent back to my country. I was eventually placed in a foster home. Naturally, that really stuck with me and left a profound mark on my life. My first time in the United States was connected with facing the law. I think already from that point, I knew I wanted to be a lawyer but I was still not sure what kind of law I wanted to practice.
When I later graduated from law school, I realized that health really was the most valuable thing in life. If you file for bankruptcy, you could always get back up and try to start all over. If you go through a divorce, you can potentially still find love again or turn a new page. However, when there’s a serious health issue and you can longer provide for your family and lead a fulfilling life, that’s certainly more harmful. I wanted to make sure that I specialized in an area of law that truly mattered to me and I knew that it would also benefit the immigrant community. I wanted to dedicate my career to helping others like me who might come face to face with the law and need proper guidance.
HL: Would you say your experience and perspective as an immigrant lawyer gave you a deeper appreciation for law, and more specifically, the American justice system?
JMW: It certainly did. Over the course of my experience entering the country, I felt like the American justice system was very kind to immigrants. While I did not understand the language 19 years ago, I did feel like I was being treated with kindness and fairness. What I always aim to do, is not only return that fairness and kindness to others in similar situations, but to also explain the process.
I wish I had somebody who could have explained the process to me in simple terms while I was seeking my legal status. That’s what we at the Ward Law Group do day in and day out with our clients. Not only do we care and speak for them in their native language, Spanish, but we explain the legal process in a simple and accessible way so the person going through these experiences can understand the impact each decision might have on them and their family.
HL: The Ward Law Group is spearheaded by you and your husband. Could you explain how that came to be and what you think about that experience?
JMW: My husband used to work on the legal side of Insurance companies. We met through a faith-based spiritual experience which altered his perception of working in defense of these companies. While he would win cases and his clients were happy, he felt he wasn’t doing the right thing by winning cases in which the victims were receiving zero retribution for their loss and damages.
We quickly realized it would be a great idea to open a firm together and join forces. So now he uses all the experience he gained working for the defense and helps the victims of these auto injuries. So, we combined his 15 years of experience with my background and understanding of the culture and language of these victims and their families, and I think that has been one of the keys to our success.
HL: What else would you say distinguishes your firm from the rest?
JMW: We aim to serve Spanish-speaking clients, who went through an experience similar to mine. I understand exactly what they are going through. About 95% of our team is comprised of native Spanish speakers and that makes a huge difference. Most firms will provide a translator at best. This is especially true considering that we’re located in Miami. You would be surprised to find out how many firms in the area do not cater to Spanish speaking immigrants.
Additionally, our firm has seven core values, the main one being “service, service, service.”
For us, this means providing service to each other, as a team, service to our clients and service to our community. While helping our clients is a form of helping the community, we also offer additional services and initiatives. For example, every year we provide back packs and school uniforms throughout underprivileged communities, among several other initiatives. Impacting our community at large is extremely important to the Ward Law Group.
