Michael Ashton

General commercial litigation counsel

Mike Ashton helps clients resolve commercial disputes. When litigation arises, he draws on his many years of experience as a federal law clerk in the Eastern District of Wisconsin. Mike’s passion for legal analysis provides an edge when developing case theories, crafting pretrial motions and arguing appeals. Being well-versed in the rules of procedure, Mike advises clients about all aspects of litigation in state and federal courts. He has experience related to:

• Commercial litigation
• Products liability
• Insurance coverage
• Appellate

While working for the federal court, Mike dealt with a wide range of commercial-litigation matters, including motions to dismiss securities-fraud complaints under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act (PSLRA), patent claim-construction disputes, multidistrict and class-action litigation alleging product defects and antitrust violations, complex insurance coverage issues and franchise disputes arising under the Wisconsin Fair Dealership Law (WFDL).

• Drafted motion for summary judgment for a manufacturer in a product liability matter that persuaded plaintiff to settle on favorable terms rather than risk an adverse decision on the motion.
• Developed defenses for a commercial auto insurer faced with significant personal injury liability arising out of dump truck accident. Obtained summary judgment declaring that there was no coverage under the main coverage form, that the insurer had no duty to defend and that the insurer’s liability was limited to the MCS-90 endorsement.