Ashley McMillian is a seasoned trial lawyer and trusted legal strategist with a national practice in complex commercial litigation. Her clients range from individuals to Fortune 500 companies, and her cases span intellectual property disputes, fraud and securities claims, business partnership breakdowns, and high-value contract litigation.
McMillian has deep experience litigating cases in the energy sector, including regulatory disputes, oil and gas contract disputes (onshore and offshore JOAs, producer-gatherer agreements, AMIs, ORRIs, and midstream participation agreements), and electricity and power contract disputes. She has tried multiple cases to federal judges and juries involving offshore operations, won defense judgments against claims for $100s of millions of dollars in disputes relating to onshore operations, and secured over $60 million in pretrial settlements for plaintiffs involved in midstream disputes. She’s also successfully represented energy clients in several confidential international arbitrations. McMillian has served on the steering committee for the Winter Strom Uri MDL, and represented clients in disputes involving ERCOT Ancillary Services, natural gas trading, and power trading.
Lawdragon Honors
McMillian has also represented clients in several significant personal injury disputes. Recently, she served as Defense Liaison Counsel while representing Live Nation in the Astroworld Multidistrict Litigation and frequently argued on behalf of over 50 defendants.
While the best results for her clients sometimes involve out-of-court resolution or early motion practice to avoid continued litigation, McMillian is passionate about trying cases and has done so across the country before judges, juries, and arbitration panels: from Louisiana federal court to Delaware Chancery Court, and all over Texas.
In addition to trying numerous cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators, McMillian has significant pro bono experience, including work with nonprofit Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) in the representation of unaccompanied children at risk of gang violence if deported, and representation of women who are victims of sexual assault. McMillian has also been in charge of all attorney training at Susman Godfrey, has chaired Susman Godfrey’s diversity committee, and has served on the firm’s employment committee.
McMillian joined Susman Godfrey after clerking for a federal district judge in Austin, Texas. She grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.