We speak the law.
We speak your language.
Ashford & Merritt is a full-service international law firm built around a simple proposition: every client leaves a meeting understanding what is happening to them and why — in plain English, in any jurisdiction, for any matter the firm handles. With 22 offices and over 400 attorneys qualified in more than 60 jurisdictions, we cover the full spectrum of legal practice.
Initial consultations are confidential and held without obligation. We respond within one business day.
Direct Path
What brings you here today?
Eight common situations. Choose the one closest to yours and we will route you to the attorneys who handle it — no chatbot, no funnel.
i
Corporate & Commercial
M&A, business formation, corporate governance, commercial contracts, securities, and private equity — the legal architecture of business.
- Business Formation
- Commercial Contracts
- Corporate Governance
- Mergers & Acquisitions
- Private Equity & Venture Capital
- Securities
ii
Banking, Finance & Tax
Banking, tax, restructuring, investment funds, insurance, and capital markets — capital, structured and protected.
- Banking & Finance
- Bankruptcy & Restructuring
- Capital Markets
- Insurance
- Investment Funds
- Tax
iii
Litigation & Dispute Resolution
Civil litigation, international arbitration, class actions, mediation, and appellate — disputes resolved with judgment.
- ADR & Mediation
- Appellate
- Civil Litigation
- Class Actions
- International Arbitration
iv
Real Estate & Construction
Commercial and residential real estate, land use, construction, and real-estate finance — property transactions that hold their value.
- Commercial Real Estate
- Construction Law
- Land Use & Zoning
- Real Estate Finance
- Residential Real Estate
Plain-English explanations of the questions our clients ask most often.
Cross-Border M&A in Emerging Markets: Five Things Buyers Get Wrong
From currency risk to local-partner dynamics, the recurring patterns in cross-border deals that fail — and how experienced counsel spots them before the letter of intent is signed.
Bankruptcy is not a moral failure: a primer on Chapters 7 and 13
Personal bankruptcy is a legal tool, not a verdict on character. Here is what Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 actually do, who they are for, and what they are not.
The Arbitration Clause Most Companies Sign Without Reading — and Why It Matters
Most commercial contracts include an arbitration clause pulled from a precedent no one remembers writing. Here is what actually matters when you choose a seat, rules, and panel.
Three offices. Fourteen attorneys. One standard: every client leaves a meeting understanding what is happening and why.
“The first hour with a client should be spent in their language, not ours. We have a global firm and decades of precedent to draw on; they have a problem to solve this week. Our job is to make the law intelligible, wherever it applies.” Margaret Ashford, Global Chair, 2003
Not sure where to start?
Tell us what is happening. We will tell you what we think.
Tell us what's happening in two or three sentences. We'll read it, route it to the right attorney, and reply within one business day. There is no charge for the initial routing conversation.