Attorney Biography
The best way to prevail in litigation is to anticipate it. Ashley started her legal career representing lenders in court when something went wrong-the borrower or the lender failed in some way leading to lawsuits. She recognized a need to help businesses do things right on the front end to avoid litigation on the back end. So, in 2013 she began expanding her practice to include legal and regulatory compliance, vendor management, and corporate governance. Ashley provides flexible outside general counsel services to small and medium sized businesses. She assists business owners and management with entity formation, contract drafting and review, vendor management, policies and procedures, training, and risk mitigation. Ashley’s practice also includes litigation, compliance, and regulatory matters involving banks, credit unions, credit card issuers, product distributors, debt buyers, mortgage servicers, hard money lenders, and small businesses. She regularly represents businesses in commercial litigation in state and federal court. She represents lenders in residential and commercial foreclosures. She advises depository institutions and their affiliates, mortgage companies, sales finance companies, brokers, and non-bank lenders on federal and state consumer and commercial finance, and licensing issues. These include but are not limited to: Banking Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering (BSA/AML), Truth in Lending Act (TILA), Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA), Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), Telemarketing Sales Rule, Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices (UDAAP), Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA). Further, she drafts bespoke transactional documents, joint venture agreements, credit agreements, and other documents for lenders and retail sellers with needs that go beyond routine forms. Personal Background Ashley was born in Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1970s to loving and supportive parents who encouraged and supported her, even after she manifested an apparent desire to remain in school indefinitely. She grew up in Indialantic, Florida in Brevard County. She quickly realized she would never be a skilled surfer, so she moved to Orlando in 1998 to pursue her education. Before law school, she taught sociology at the University of Central Florida for several years. In 2006 she moved her family to St. Petersburg to attend Stetson University College of Law. She worked as a staff attorney for the 6th Judicial Circuit before embarking on a career representing institutional lenders. She lives in St. Petersburg with her awesome son and fabulous 3-legged dog, Hopper.
