Ken Ashton advises start-up, emerging growth, and mature companies in a variety of business transactions.
Significant Experience
Representing private equity funds, and public and private companies in merger and acquisition transactions and joint ventures, including transactions involving industrial manufacturing, telecommunications, energy, and commercial retail
Advising various companies in private placement transactions and in federal and state securities laws
Assisting start-up and mature companies in entity formation and corporate/organizational governance, including limited liability companies and partnerships
Representing various clients in the negotiation and preparation of various types of commercial contracts, including agreements for supply/distribution, technology license, outsourcing service contracts, and other general commercial agreements
Advising various commercial banks and private lenders in secured lending transactions and corporate financings
Assisting in preparing and negotiating buy-sell agreements, structuring management or equity buy-outs, and resolving shareholder/management disputes
Advising in the formation, organization, and governance of non-profit organizations and related matters
Selected Recent Transactions
Counsel to seller and purchasers in the transfer of ski resorts (outside and inside Utah)
Counsel to private investment company in the restructuring, reorganization, and sale of certain portfolio investments (commercial and real estate)
Counsel to a minority equity holder in its purchase of a controlling interest in a golf course enterprise
Counsel to a minority equity holder in its purchase of a controlling interest in a private vocational school
Counsel to private fund in various acquisition of equipment leasing companies
Counsel to national ski resort operator in recent bank lending and operational matters
Counsel to purchaser in recent $90 million asset acquisition of an industry competitor
Counsel to a Utah-based agriculture company in the sale of its business to an industry competitor
Counsel to local CBD-based company in the sale by its stockholders to a new equity buyer
Counsel to grocery store operator in various strategic acquisitions
Counsel to leading manufacturer and supplier of wheel component parts in a variety of joint venture, development agreements, and other commercial transactions, including in the acquisition of an industry competitor and divesture of non-core business
Counsel to management group in compensation/equity roll-over in the sale of a Utah-based manufacturing company to private equity buyer
Counsel to a public company in the sale of its farm equipment division to a strategic buyer
Counsel to commercial retailer in the partial divesture of its business to an industry competitor
Counsel to a private equity investor of its acquisition of a specialty metals company
Counsel to stockholders in their sale of equity interest in a colocation business to an industry competitor
Counsel to first aid supply company in the sale of its business to an international conglomerate
University of Texas (J.D., 2001)
University of Utah (B.A., Economics, Business minor, cum laude, 1998)
State Bar of Utah
Business Section, Chair (2015-2016)
American Bar Association
Snell & Wilmer Legal Opinion Committee, Member
“Professionalism & Civility for Transactional Attorneys,” Co-Presenter, Utah State Bar Summer Convention, Utah Bar Section of General Counsel (2018)
"Legal Entities," Presenter, Utah Association of Professional Landmen Meeting (April 2014)
"Mid-Career Crisis or Success? The Business Lawyer’s Essential Toolkit Part 2," Co-Presenter, Utah Bar Convention (July 18, 2013)
Author and proponent of various amendments and modifications to Utah entity statutes
The Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Law (2020-2023); Corporate Governance Law (2021-2023), Business Organizations (including LLCs and Partnerships) (2023)
Utah State Bar Business Law Section, Practitioner of the Year (2019)
Utah Legal Elite: Corporate Law and Transactions, Utah Business Magazine (2016)
Up and Coming (2012)
Utah State Bar Business Section Leadership (2012-2016)