Varnum partner and trial attorney Ron DeWaard has been named to the 2026 edition of Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America, marking the third consecutive year he has received this recognition.
DeWaard, former Chair of the firm and past leader of Varnum’s Litigation and Trial Practice Team, was recognized for his work in white-collar investigations and civil litigation. He is among a select group of Michigan attorneys included on the list.
The Lawdragon 500 recognizes top courtroom advocates from across the country in commercial litigation, financial and securities matters, white collar and investigations, intellectual property, and data privacy.
DeWaard concentrates his practice on civil and white-collar litigation, as well as internal investigations. He has tried cases nationwide, securing multimillion-dollar verdicts and settlements for plaintiff businesses, along with defense verdicts in high-damage cases. He was part of the General Motors DOJ monitorship team for the ignition switch failure prosecution and led Varnum’s team in conducting an independent investigation with Guidepost Solutions into the Oxford High School shooting.
Before joining Varnum, DeWaard served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida in Miami, where he prosecuted and tried several large criminal cases. He was also Deputy Chief of the Major Crimes Division from 2000 to 2001.
A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the American Board of Trial Advocates, DeWaard has also been recognized by Best Lawyers®, Super Lawyers®, Benchmark Litigation©, and Michigan Lawyers Weekly as one of Michigan’s leading litigators.
More information about the Lawdragon 500 Leading Litigators in America can be found here.
