Hon. Leah Ward Sears (Ret.) is an arbitrator and mediator with extensive ADR, trial, and appellate experience in the fields of contracts, torts, construction, eminent domain, local government law, product liability, professional malpractice, public utilities, title to land, torts, and wills. She is a partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell, and a member of the law firm’s Executive Committee. She previously worked at Schiff Hardin LLP from 2009-2016, where she was also a partner.

Justice Sears was the first woman to hold a position on the Superior Court of Fulton County, Georgia. In 1992, she was appointed to Georgia’s Supreme Court as the first woman and youngest person ever to sit on that court. She was also the first woman to win a contested statewide election in Georgia, retaining a seat on the state’s Supreme Court. In 2005, she was sworn in as Chief Justice of Georgia’s Supreme Court.

Her experience on the bench provides a unique and valuable perspective on ADR matters and she sets herself apart through a steadfast dedication to work and an impressive array of professional achievements. As a result of her illustrious career, Justice Sears has become a dependable counselor for a variety of legal issues. Her deep roots in the South provide valuable insight into the legal landscape of the region. She provides legal counsel to private and public entities, especially in high-stakes investigations and other sensitive matters. Her experience with appellate work makes for an ideal adviser when complex issues are involved, and a creative strategy is needed.

Justice Sears has ten years of experience as a neutral in the practice of arbitration and mediation, concentrating in complex commercial transactions and labor and employment matters. While serving on the Supreme Court, she participated in the resolution of over 26,000 disputes, most of them civil, resulting in over 1,000 published opinions. The subject matter of many published opinions includes arbitration, class actions, contracts, corporate law, domestic relations/family law, employment contracts, insurance law, libel, local government, product liability, professional malpractice, title to land and torts.

Justice Sears has heard hundreds of oral arguments before the Georgia Supreme Court and has participated in numerous law school moot courts.