Ashley Smith is an associate in the Milwaukee office and a member of both the Corporate Practice Group and Startups and Venture Capital Team. Ashley’s practice focuses on various aspects of corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, commercial financing, corporate governance and general corporate matters representing businesses in a variety of industries. Ashley enjoys helping early-stage companies and founders navigate the common pitfalls of entrepreneurship. As a member of the Startups and Venture Capital Team, Ashley often assists investors in connection with both equity and debt financing.
Prior to joining the firm full time, Ashley worked two summers as a summer associate at Godfrey & Kahn. While in law school, Ashley worked as a pro bono volunteer at the Milwaukee Volunteer Legal Clinic and was inducted into the Pro Bono Honor Society after completing more than 50 hours of pro bono work. She served as president of Marquette’s Black Law Student Association and was the Midwest Black Law Student Association Regional Secretary. She was also a leader and national competitor of Marquette’s Moot Court program. She interned at the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, District I and provided legal counsel to entrepreneurs and startup businesses on transactional matters as a student associate of Marquette’s Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic.
ADMITTED TO PRACTICE
Wisconsin - 2018
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Milwaukee Bar Association
State Bar of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers
ACTIVITIES
United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County Emerging Leaders
Godfrey & Kahn’s Fellowship Committee
Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, Board of Directors (2019 – Present)
Fuel Milwaukee, Member (2019 – Present)
United Way, Inc. 2019
Marquette University Law School Alumni Diversity Recruitment, Recent Graduate Reception Planning, Annual Diversity Reception Committees
Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative, Attorney Volunteer
Milwaukee Legal Volunteer Clinic, Volunteer
The Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
State Bar of Wisconsin, Leadership Development Committee (2019 – Present)
State Bar of Wisconsin Leadership Summit 2019
Wisconsin Association of African-American Lawyers, Board of Directors (2019 – Present)
HONORS
Member, Pro Bono Society
The Milwaukee Times Black Excellence Awards Special Honoree in Law, 2020
Honored as a National Black Lawyers’ Top 40 Under 40 Black Lawyers in Wisconsin (2020)
Practice Areas
Corporate Law
Startups & Venture Capital
