Anthony Ashley

Anthony J. Ashley is a Shareholder and Chair of the Litigation practice area based in Chicago. Mr. Ashley has been serving clients for over 30 years with a global, complex commercial litigation and employment law practice, which includes counseling and litigating in geographically diverse U.S. federal and state courts, international courts and tribunals, and arbitration forums. He has also served for the past 15 years as outside general counsel to multiple organizations that range in size and industry.

Mr. Ashley routinely advises clients ranging in size from start-up enterprises to Fortune 100 companies. He also regularly counsels C-suite executives, company founders and high net worth individuals in high-profile negotiations and disputes. With a national reputation for successfully resolving complex commercial litigation matters, Mr. Ashley has filed or defended lawsuits involving nearly all types of causes of action, including but not limited to breach of contract, fraud, tortious interference, civil conspiracy, defamation and minority shareholder oppression, among other commercial and employment claims. He also has extensive experience defending product liability claims, and has previously served as national coordinating counsel for the defense of a wide spectrum of product liability claims and multidistrict litigation. As a founding member of the Litigation practice area’s subgroup on Restrictive Covenants and Trade Secrets, Mr. Ashley has litigated and tried many cases both domestically and internationally involving post-employment or sale of business restrictive covenants, trade secrets, unfair competition, and intellectual property rights infringement, and has extensive experience prosecuting and defending motions for temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction, among other emergency proceedings. Additionally, he regularly defends employment claims alleging discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation. While he prides himself on his ability to achieve strategic business resolutions to most commercial and employment disputes, Mr. Ashley is equally skilled at trial work. He has tried numerous cases to verdict in courtrooms and arbitration forums across the country and internationally, and has consistently obtained favorable trial outcomes for his clients. He has appeared or argued before the Illinois Appellate and Illinois Supreme Court, the Fifth, Seventh and Tenth Circuit Courts of Appeals, and is licensed to practice before the United States Supreme Court. Outside General Counsel and Strategic Legal Advisory Services Mr. Ashley has represented several companies from inception, and served as outside general counsel for these entities and organizations throughout their growth and development in a mix of industries, including logistics, transportation, software and cannabis. In this role, he has served as a strategic legal advisor on a wide variety of matters including strategic and private equity investment, acquisition and divestiture, corporate structure and formation, employment, intellectual property, contract negotiation, litigation and many other legal issues facing today’s fast-growing companies. Several of these entities have achieved valuations or ultimately been sold for over a billion dollars. As a result of these representations, he has developed a wealth of knowledge of best practices for emerging companies and knows how to eliminate pitfalls that prevent early stage companies from thriving. Mr. Ashley also has extensive experience advising companies and senior executives on how to effectively transition between competitors, and developing creative best practices, hiring protocols and strategies to navigate or escape from post-employment or sale of business restrictive covenants. He additionally has extensive experience negotiating executive employment contracts, and he frequently represents companies and senior executives in connection with employment arrangements and separation. Mr. Ashley regularly counsels corporations and individuals on how to safeguard corporate assets, including key employee retention and protecting integral customer relationships, trade secrets and other confidential information, and other legitimate business interests.

Master of the Bench, Chicago Inn of Court Member, American Bar Association Member, Chicago Bar Association Member, Seventh Circuit Bar Association

DePaul University College of Law, J.D., 1992 Miami University, B.S., 1988