Overview

Clients rely on Tim Ford to bring clarity and control to high-pressure legal matters, especially those in public view. Whether navigating fast-moving political disputes or high-stakes litigation, Tim focuses on solutions that protect legal outcomes and reputations.

Tim Ford helps clients navigate politically charged and publicly scrutinized disputes with strategic focus and calm direction. Recognized for his work before Pennsylvania’s appellate courts, including the Supreme and Commonwealth Courts, Tim is frequently called on for matters of statewide significance, especially in election and other constitutional cases. He has secured precedential wins in Pennsylvania’s appellate courts five years in a row. Clients value his ability to think several moves ahead while keeping their broader strategic and public interests front and center.

A recognized leader in political law, Tim works with businesses, elected officials, government entities, and political committees. His matters often involve election litigation, ballot access disputes, recounts, and campaign finance enforcement. Tim also advises on political compliance, helping clients navigate the intersecting rules governing ethics, lobbying, and political activity. Clients appreciate his ability to offer legal and political insight, especially when outcomes and strategies impact public perception.

Tim brings a proactive, grounded approach to every engagement, often guiding clients through uncertainty involving media scrutiny, fast-breaking legal challenges, or reputational risk. His ability to break down complex legal frameworks into clear, actionable guidance helps clients feel supported and confident under pressure.

At Dilworth, Tim leads the Election Law Committee, responsible for the firm’s political compliance, and he also serves on the Diversity Committee and Political Involvement Committee. Before joining Dilworth, he clerked for the Hon. Timothy J. Savage of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and practiced in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.

Representative Experience

  • Represented the President of the Lower Merion School Board on appeal and secured a precedential decision reversing the trial court, allowing the candidate to remain on the ballot. The Commonwealth Court clarified that multiple amendments to a Statement of Financial Interests do not constitute, by themselves, evidence of bad faith and interpreted, for the first time, the Ethics Act’s requirement to disclose real estate interests. In re Sautner, 338 A.3d 211 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2025).
  • Won a precedential ruling on the qualifications of presidential electors, establishing that minor political parties must nominate a qualified elector for each electoral vote to appear on Pennsylvania’s ballot. In re De la Cruz, 324 A.3d 632 (Pa. Cmwlth.), aff’d, 322 A.3d 883 (Pa. 2024).
  • Secured an adverse inference against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a hearing challenging his Pennsylvania ballot access, based on his representations about his residency. In re Kennedy, No. 386 M.D. 2024 (Pa. Cmwlth.).
  • Represented a county board of elections and successfully defeated a preliminary injunction on the eve of an election, preserving the board’s authority to count ballots delivered by a designated agent for multiple voters in the same long-term care facility. The ruling prompted the Pennsylvania Department of State to revise its Voting Fact Sheet for Long Term Care Facilities and Voting Procedures for the Elderly and Handicapped. Republican Committee of Chester County v. Chester County Board of Elections, No. 2024-03305-MJ (Pa. C.C.P. Chester Cty. Apr. 22, 2024).
  • Served as General Counsel to both the campaign and transition teams of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Philadelphia’s 100th and first woman mayor.
  • Successfully defended an online publication in a defamation case by arguing that the contested statements were opinions, not facts, and secured affirmance on appeal. Schillinger v. Pennsylvania Spotlight, 301 A.3d 894 (Pa. Super. 2023).
  • Obtained a precedential decision recognizing the use of unsworn declarations in place of notarized affidavits for nomination petitions. In re Turner, 291 A.3d 519 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2023).
  • Played a key role in litigating a $350 million professional negligence case, winning summary judgment based on the statute of limitations and affirmance on appeal. Nupson v. Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Civ. A. No. 18-2505, 2022 WL 4635943 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 30, 2022), aff’d, No. 22-3401, 2023 WL 4168893 (3d Cir. Feb. 3, 2023).
  • Defended a real estate seller in a breach of contract dispute, securing summary judgment and affirmance on appeal. Nowicki v. Crown Financial Corp., 284 A.3d 957 (Pa. Super. 2022), appeal denied, 297 A.3d 397 (Pa. 2023).
  • Won an appeal reversing the dismissal of nomination petition objections for defective service. In re Bingham, 275 A.3d 1108 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2022).
  • Defended a Magisterial District Judge candidate and prevailed on appeal in a challenge under the Ethics Act’s two-filing rule for financial disclosures, allowing the candidate to remain on the ballot. In re Griffis, 259 A.3d 542 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2021).
  • Represented a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas candidate and secured Supreme Court affirmance of the dismissal of nomination petition objections based on noncompliance with a case management order. In re Nomination Petition of Caroline Turner, 248 A.3d 415 (Pa. 2021).
  • Successfully intervened on behalf of a county political committee to preserve 592 mail-in ballots challenged for incomplete addresses, under Pennsylvania election law. Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Montgomery County Bd. of Elections, No. 2020-18680 (Pa. C.C.P. Montg. Cty. Nov. 13, 2020).
  • Represented the City of Philadelphia in a constitutional challenge to private election administration grants, securing dismissal for lack of standing and preserving grant use. Pennsylvania Voters Alliance v. Centre County, 496 F. Supp. 3d 861 (M.D. Pa. 2020), aff’d, No. 20-3175, 2020 WL 9260183 (3d Cir. Nov. 23, 2020), cert. denied, 141 S. Ct. 1126 (2021).
  • Litigated and argued a line-by-line challenge to a Pennsylvania Senate nomination petition, winning before the Commonwealth Court and securing affirmance by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In re Nomination Petition of Elvira N. Berry, No. 150 M.D. 2020 (Pa. Cmwlth.), aff’d, 227 A.3d 905 (Pa. 2020).
  • Successfully intervened on behalf of voters, political party chairs, and congressional candidates in a high-profile partisan gerrymandering challenge, participating in trial and argument before Pennsylvania’s appellate courts.
  • Advised federal, state, and local candidates on financial disclosure requirements across various jurisdictions.
  • Represented parties in public ethics investigations before the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, Judicial Conduct Board, and City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics.

Professional & Community Activities

  • Board of Trustees, Community College of Philadelphia, 2024-Present
      • Business Affairs Committee; Audit Committee; Policy Working Group
  • Adjunct Law Professor, Temple University Beasley School of Law, 2024–Present
    • Election Law
  • Co-Chair, Voting Rights and Election Integrity Advisory Committee, Moving Montco Forward (Montgomery County Commissioners Jamila Winder and Neil Makhija), 2024
  • Hearing Committee Member, Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 2023–Present
  • Board of Directors, Committee of Seventy, 2022–Present
    • Co-Chair, Policy Committee; Executive Committee; Finance Committee; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
    • Buchholz Fellow, 2020–2021
  • Solicitor, Montgomery County Democratic Committee, 2019–Present;
    • Judicial Screening Committee, 2019, 2021, 2025
    • Committeeperson, 2018–2021

Speeches & Presentations

  • April 17, 2025, “Business for Impact Workshop: Changing DEI Standards Without Changing Values,” Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia
  • October 14, 2024, “Careers in Voting and Election Law,” American Constitution Society, Temple University Beasley School of Law
  • June 4, 2024, Course Planner and Panelist, “Reform Strikes Back? Campaign Finance and Disclosure After Citizens United,” Election Law Update 2024, Pennsylvania Bar Institute
  • April 11, 2022, Panelist, “Voter Security or Voter Suppression?—An Examination of Election Legislation and Litigation Trends,” Election Law Update 2022, Pennsylvania Bar Institute

Publications

Professional Recognition

  • Pennsylvania Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2024-2025

Representative Experience

  • Represented the President of the Lower Merion School Board on appeal and secured a precedential decision reversing the trial court, allowing the candidate to remain on the ballot. The Commonwealth Court clarified that multiple amendments to a Statement of Financial Interests do not constitute, by themselves, evidence of bad faith and interpreted, for the first time, the Ethics Act’s requirement to disclose real estate interests. In re Sautner, 338 A.3d 211 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2025).
  • Won a precedential ruling on the qualifications of presidential electors, establishing that minor political parties must nominate a qualified elector for each electoral vote to appear on Pennsylvania’s ballot. In re De la Cruz, 324 A.3d 632 (Pa. Cmwlth.), aff’d, 322 A.3d 883 (Pa. 2024).
  • Secured an adverse inference against Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a hearing challenging his Pennsylvania ballot access, based on his representations about his residency. In re Kennedy, No. 386 M.D. 2024 (Pa. Cmwlth.).
  • Represented a county board of elections and successfully defeated a preliminary injunction on the eve of an election, preserving the board’s authority to count ballots delivered by a designated agent for multiple voters in the same long-term care facility. The ruling prompted the Pennsylvania Department of State to revise its Voting Fact Sheet for Long Term Care Facilities and Voting Procedures for the Elderly and Handicapped. Republican Committee of Chester County v. Chester County Board of Elections, No. 2024-03305-MJ (Pa. C.C.P. Chester Cty. Apr. 22, 2024).
  • Served as General Counsel to both the campaign and transition teams of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, Philadelphia’s 100th and first woman mayor.
  • Successfully defended an online publication in a defamation case by arguing that the contested statements were opinions, not facts, and secured affirmance on appeal. Schillinger v. Pennsylvania Spotlight, 301 A.3d 894 (Pa. Super. 2023).
  • Obtained a precedential decision recognizing the use of unsworn declarations in place of notarized affidavits for nomination petitions. In re Turner, 291 A.3d 519 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2023).
  • Played a key role in litigating a $350 million professional negligence case, winning summary judgment based on the statute of limitations and affirmance on appeal. Nupson v. Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Civ. A. No. 18-2505, 2022 WL 4635943 (E.D. Pa. Sept. 30, 2022), aff’d, No. 22-3401, 2023 WL 4168893 (3d Cir. Feb. 3, 2023).
  • Defended a real estate seller in a breach of contract dispute, securing summary judgment and affirmance on appeal. Nowicki v. Crown Financial Corp., 284 A.3d 957 (Pa. Super. 2022), appeal denied, 297 A.3d 397 (Pa. 2023).
  • Won an appeal reversing the dismissal of nomination petition objections for defective service. In re Bingham, 275 A.3d 1108 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2022).
  • Defended a Magisterial District Judge candidate and prevailed on appeal in a challenge under the Ethics Act’s two-filing rule for financial disclosures, allowing the candidate to remain on the ballot. In re Griffis, 259 A.3d 542 (Pa. Cmwlth. 2021).
  • Represented a Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas candidate and secured Supreme Court affirmance of the dismissal of nomination petition objections based on noncompliance with a case management order. In re Nomination Petition of Caroline Turner, 248 A.3d 415 (Pa. 2021).
  • Successfully intervened on behalf of a county political committee to preserve 592 mail-in ballots challenged for incomplete addresses, under Pennsylvania election law. Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. v. Montgomery County Bd. of Elections, No. 2020-18680 (Pa. C.C.P. Montg. Cty. Nov. 13, 2020).
  • Represented the City of Philadelphia in a constitutional challenge to private election administration grants, securing dismissal for lack of standing and preserving grant use. Pennsylvania Voters Alliance v. Centre County, 496 F. Supp. 3d 861 (M.D. Pa. 2020), aff’d, No. 20-3175, 2020 WL 9260183 (3d Cir. Nov. 23, 2020), cert. denied, 141 S. Ct. 1126 (2021).
  • Litigated and argued a line-by-line challenge to a Pennsylvania Senate nomination petition, winning before the Commonwealth Court and securing affirmance by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. In re Nomination Petition of Elvira N. Berry, No. 150 M.D. 2020 (Pa. Cmwlth.), aff’d, 227 A.3d 905 (Pa. 2020).
  • Successfully intervened on behalf of voters, political party chairs, and congressional candidates in a high-profile partisan gerrymandering challenge, participating in trial and argument before Pennsylvania’s appellate courts.
  • Advised federal, state, and local candidates on financial disclosure requirements across various jurisdictions.
  • Represented parties in public ethics investigations before the Pennsylvania State Ethics Commission, Judicial Conduct Board, and City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics.

Insights