Mr. Matthew P. Ward

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Matthew P. Ward</strong> is a partner with Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP in Wilmington, Del., and the former leader of its Finance, Bankruptcy, and Restructuring practice group. He has experience serving as primary counsel for numerous public and private companies, guiding them through all aspects of complex chapter 11 and chapter 7 proceedings, assignments for the benefit of creditors, or reorganizations out of court. Mr. Ward also has regularly represented official committees of unsecured creditors as lead counsel. Additionally, his experience includes work for numerous private companies, money-management firms and private-equity funds as bidders/purchasers in bankruptcy proceedings, acquisitions of distressed assets and change-of-control transactions. Finally, Mr. Ward has represented numerous public and private companies, hedge funds and governmental entities as creditors or other stakeholders in litigation. He has served as the office managing partner for the firm’s Wilmington office, has served on the firm’s Management Committee, and was selected by the firm’s practice group leaders to chair the Nominating Committee to select the firm’s current chair and CEO. Mr. Ward is one of only seven attorneys in the State of Delaware certified by the American Board of Certification in Business Bankruptcy Law, and he has consistently been listed in <em>Chambers USA</em> for bankruptcy matters. He has been selected on several occasions to give presentations on a variety of topics of bankruptcy law. Additionally, the Delaware State Bar Association chose him as the statewide winner of the DSBA Community Service Award, based on his demonstrated commitment to leadership and service in activities that enrich and strengthen the community over a substantial period of time. The National Diversity Council also presented him with the Leadership Excellence in the Law award based on his dedication to racial integration and providing opportunities to racial minorities. Mr. Ward received his B.A. <em>magna cum laude</em> from Ohio Wesleyan University and his J.D. <em>magna cum laude</em> from Washington and Lee University School of Law, where he was senior articles editor of the <em>Washington and Lee Law Review</em> and was inducted into the Order of the Coif.</p>