Biography:

LEGAL EXPERIENCE

ASHMAN LAW OFFICES, LLC, Member: Founding member of AV-rated business law and litigation boutique concentrating in complex commercial and business litigation; securities and commodities litigation; corporate transactions; class actions; civil rights; shareholder, partnership and employment disputes; insurance litigation; corporate counseling and internal corporate investigations; and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act litigation and counseling. Office locations in Chicago, New York, and Lincolnshire, Illinois. August 2001 to present.

ASHMAN & GRIFFIN, LLC, Member: Founding member of Chicago- and New York-based law firm, concentrating in complex commercial and business litigation; class actions; securities and commodities litigation; insurance litigation; civil rights; shareholder, partnership and employment disputes; corporate counseling and internal corporate investigations; and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act litigation and counseling. July 1997 to August 2001.

LEBOEUF, LAMB, GREENE & MACRAE, L.L.P., Litigator: Served as senior litigation associate managing, strategizing and overseeing complex commercial and business litigation, including the defense of life insurance companies in class action lawsuits alleging, among other claims, fraud, breach of contract, and statutory causes of action arising out of the sale of life insurance and annuity products. November 1995 to July 1997.

HONORABLE FREDERIC BLOCK, United States District Judge, E.D.N.Y., Law Clerk: Duties include drafting judicial decisions and orders; selecting civil juries; performing legal research and rendering legal advice; assisting in civil and criminal trials; conducting civil conferences; drafting jury charges; participating in settlement conferences; and managing case load. November 1994 to November 1995.　

WEIL, GOTSHAL & MANGES, LLP, Business & Securities Litigator: Experienced or participated in virtually all phases of litigation. Represented corporate and individual clients in federal securities litigations, white collar criminal matters, breach of contract actions and governmental investigations, among other matters. Pro bono counsel to commodities fraud defendant in administrative disciplinary proceeding. October 1990 to November 1994.

KECK MAHIN & CATE, Summer Associate: Researched and drafted memoranda for one of Chicago’s formerly largest firms on issues relating to state sales and use taxes, civil RICO and the husband-wife privilege. May 1989 to August 1989.

OFFICE OF THE ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL, Summer Associate: Researched and drafted various documents in the areas of constitutional, criminal, property and administrative law. June 1988 to August 1988.

 

EDUCATION

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, New York, New York Visiting Student, Academic year 1989-90; Approx. "A-" Average

Honors: • Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy • Member, N.Y.U. Mock Trial Team Activities: Participant, Criminal Law Simulation Clinic　

BOSTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW, Boston, Massachusetts, J.D., May 1990; Approx. "B" to "B+" Average Honors: • Topics Development Editor, Boston University International Law Journal • Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award for Excellence in International Trade Law • Best Brief, First Year Moot Court Writing Seminar (Tied). Activities: Staff Writer, Law School Newspaper; Advisor, First Year Law Students; Producer, "Legal Follies"

ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Tempe, Arizona, B.A.E., cum laude, December 1983

Honors: National Freshman Honorary Society, National Senior Honorary Society, National Political Science Honorary Society, Golden Key National Honor Society, Dean's List

Admitted to practice in Illinois and New York. Rated "AV" by Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory.

　

PRESENTATIONS/SPEECHES

Panelist, Illinois State Bar Association, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section, Countering Litigation Gamesmanship (October 1, 2010)

Panelist, American Bar Association, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division, Annual Solo Day, Practicing the Practice of Law (August 6, 2010)

Panelist, Illinois State Bar Association, Corporation, Securities & Business Law Section, Partnership Law Update (March 2, 2010)

Featured Speaker, Chicago Bar Association, Corporation & Business Law Committee, Continuing Legal Education, Attorney Liability to Third Parties Under State and Federal Law (September 2, 2009)

Program Coordinator and Featured Speaker, Illinois State Bar Association, Corporation, Securities & Business Law Section, Attorney Liability to Third Parties (April 24, 2009)

Moderator and Featured Speaker, Illinois State Bar Association, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section, Hanging Out Your Shingle (Without Hanging Yourself) (March 27, 2009)

Featured Speaker, 2008 Seventh Annual City of Chicago Treasurer’s Small Business Expo (August 1, 2008)

Featured Speaker, SCORE Presentation (April 1, 2008)

Featured Speaker, American Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, International Arbitration Subcommittee, Confirming Domestic Arbitral Awards: What to Do After the Decision (August 11, 2007)

Featured Speaker, 2007 Sixth Annual City of Chicago Treasurer’s Small Business Expo (August 3, 2007)

　

PUBLICATIONS

Kenneth J. Ashman, Litigation Gamesmanship, Chicago Daily Law Bulletin at 5 (Dec. 1, 2010)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Bardia Fard, Attorney Liability Under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, American Bar Ass’n, GP Solo & Small Firm Division, Law Trends & News, Vol. 6, No. 3 (Spring 2010)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Michael F. Arvia, The Fine Print of Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance Policies, American Bar Ass’n, GP Solo & Small Firm Division, Law Trends & News, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Winter 2010)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Bardia Fard, You Say Tomato, I Say Tomahto: Court Holds Illinois Securities Act Applicable to Guarantors, American Bar Ass’n, GP Solo & Small Firm Division, Law Trends & News, Vol. 6, No. 2 (Winter 2010), and Illinois State Bar Ass’n, Corporation, Securities & Business Law Forum, Vol. 55, No. 4 (June 2010)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Neal D. Kitterlin, Establishing Actual Damages in Legal Malpractice Cases, Illinois Sate Bar Ass’n, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm, ISBA Vol. 38, No. 1 (July 2009)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Neal D. Kitterlin, Survival of Arbitration Clauses After Termination of Contract, American Bar Ass’n, GP Solo & Small Firm Division, Law Trends & News, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Spring 2009)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Neal D. Kitterlin, Attorneys Who Prolong the Life of Insolvent Corporate Clients Do So at Their Peril, American Bar Ass’n, GP Solo & Small Firm Division, Law Trends & News, Vol. 5, No. 3 (Spring 2009)

Kenneth J. Ashman and Bardia Fard, The Misunderstood Limited Liability Partnership: A Comparison to Limited Liability Companies, Illinois Sate Bar Ass’n, Corporation, Securities & Business Law Forum, ISBA Vol. 54, No. 4 (March 2009)

Kenneth J. Ashman, Neal D. Kitterlin, and Rizwan Syed, Confirming Domestic Arbitral Awards: What to Do After the Decision, American Bar Association, Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee, International Arbitration Subcommittee (August 11, 2007)

Kenneth J. Ashman, The Sky is Falling: Recovery of Lost Profits Caused by Construction Disasters, Outside Counsel, N.Y.L.J., Aug. 9, 1999, at 1 col. 1;

Kenneth J. Ashman, Class Action Settlements After Amchem, Outside Counsel, N.Y. L.J., Aug. 11, 1997 at 1, col. 1

Otto G. Obermaier, Timothy E. Hoeffner and Kenneth J. Ashman, The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in White Collar Crime: Business and Regulatory Offenses, Chapter 16 (Obermaier & Morvillo eds., 2000 (updated periodically))

Dennis J. Block, Stephen A. Radin and Kenneth J. Ashman, Delaware Supreme Court Decides Landmark GM-Perot Case, in Corporation (Prentice Hall Law & Bus. June 11, 1991)

Dennis J. Block and Jonathan M. Hoff, The Internal Affairs Doctrine and Choice of Law Issues, N.Y. L.J., May 16, 1991 at 5, col. 1 (assisted in preparation)

Kenneth J. Ashman, Note, The Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988 -- The Section 301 Amendments: Insignificant Changes From Prior Law?, 7 B.U. Int'l L. J. 115 (1989)

　

TELEVISION/RADIO

"How a Lawyer Can Help," Illinois Law Cable Television Program, Chicago Access Network Television, originally aired on February 23, 2010

"America’s Best Lawyers," Sky Radio Network, Forbes In-Flight Radio (2005)

　

MEMBERSHIPS

American Bar Association

Section of Business Law

– Business and Corporate Litigation Committee, Member

– Class and Derivative Actions Committee, Member

– Corporate Counsel Committee, Member

– Cyberspace Law Committee, Member

– Intellectual Property Committee, Member

– Litigation Management Committee, Member

Section of Litigation

– Class Actions and Derivative Suits Committee, Member

– Corporate Counsel Committee, Member

– Intellectual Property Litigation Committee, Member

General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division

– Annual Solo Day Program Committee, Vice Chair (2009-11)

– Business Advise & Financial Planning Committee, Member (2008-09)

– Business, Business Opportunities & Commercial Law Committee, Chair (2008-11)

– Corporate Counsel Committee, Member (2008-11)

– GP Business Law Committee, Member (2008-09)

– GPSolo Leadership (2008-11)

– Intellectual Property Law Committee, Member (2008-09)

– Law Trends & Practice E-Newsletter, Member (2010-11)

– Litigation Committee, Member (2008-09)

Illinois State Bar Association

Section Council Representative and Vice Chair for the Corporation, Securities & Business Law Section (2008-11)

Section Council Representative for the General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section (2008-11)

Chicago Bar Association

Commercial Litigation Committee, Member

Corporate Law Departments Committee, Member

Corporate and Business Law Committee, Member

Class Litigation Committee, Member

Law Practice Management & Technology Committee, Member

Solo/Small Firm Practitioners Committee, Member

Television Committee, Member

Lake County Bar Association

Civil Trials & Appeals Committee, Member

Corporate Counsel Committee, Member

Decalogue Society of Lawyers

Judicial Evaluation Committee, Member