Leading Corporate Litigator Joins DLA Piper

April 9, 2014 – DLA Piper announced today that Ashley R. Altschuler will join the firm's Litigation practice as a partner in Wilmington, Delaware, with an office also in New York.

Altschuler is a seasoned practitioner with more than 15 years of experience litigating corporate, securities and complex business matters at the trial and appellate levels in state and federal jurisdictions across the US, including the Delaware Court of Chancery and the Delaware Supreme Court. His practice includes defense of shareholder derivative actions, mergers and acquisitions litigation, federal and state securities class actions, commercial litigation, arbitrations, and bankruptcy-related litigation, as well as counseling boards of directors with respect to corporate governance, business judgment, executive compensation and regulatory issues. 

Altschuler has successfully litigated cases relating to multi-billion dollar buyouts, investment stakes, tender offers and contests for corporate control, breach of fiduciary duty, financial and accounting fraud, insider trading, requests for company books and records, stock option backdating, as well as many of the largest corporate bankruptcies in history. 

“Ashley brings a level of sophisticated litigation skills and related corporate governance and securities experience that are essential to servicing the needs of our clients, in Delaware and beyond,” said Robert Mathias, joint global leader and US chair of DLA Piper’s Litigation practice. “His background as a member of the Delaware and New York bars, including his experience as a partner in a major international law firm and as a Delaware Supreme Court clerk, will help drive the continued growth of our Wilmington office and the various clients and practices it supports.”

“Ashley has a proven ability to handle the multitude of business litigation cases that we manage in Delaware, as well as matters across the country that apply or look to Delaware law for guidance. Together with John Reed, he adds significant bench strength to our local platform,” said Stuart Brown, managing partner of DLA Piper’s Wilmington office. “As a Wilmington native, Ashley’s credibility and recognition in the market will be tremendous assets to our platform.”

Altschuler joins DLA Piper from Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he was a partner in the Securities Litigation practice group in New York. "I am thrilled to be joining DLA Piper in Wilmington, where I clerked and my family relocated two years ago," said Altschuler. "The firm has a world-class reputation in all of the fundamental practice areas, including a top-tier corporate governance and securities group. It is an honor to be joining such an accomplished team. I am also grateful for my 15 years of outstanding experience at Weil and look forward to working with my friends and colleagues there for years to come."

Before joining Weil, Altschuler served as judicial clerk to a former Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, E. Norman Veasey, and as legislative correspondent to now-DLA Piper partner Mike Castle when he served as a member of the US House of Representatives. Altschuler is a member of the Board of Advisors of the University of Delaware Weinberg Center for Corporate Governance. He has lectured on corporate governance and securities topics at The Millstein Center for Corporate Governance and Performance and at the Yale School of Management, and is the author of various publications on corporate law matters. He is the recipient of numerous awards for his pro bono legal services, including the Lawyers Alliance for New York’s Award for Pro Bono Leadership and the Cornerstone Award.

Altschuler earned his J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center, where he won a national moot court competition and served as the symposium co-chair of the Law & Policy in International Business Journal.  He is a graduate of Trinity College, Hartford, CT (with honors), where he serves as a member of the Board of Fellows.

About DLA Piper

DLA Piper is a global law firm with 4,200 lawyers located in more than 30 countries throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, positioning it to help companies with their legal needs anywhere in the world. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.