William D. Ashwell

Practice Areas

Criminal and Civil Litigation
Domestic Relations
Business & Commercial Law
Land Use & Zoning
Appellate Advocacy

William D. Ashwell is a career litigator who has built a regional and statewide reputation for assisting clients in the most serious of situations and in high profile matters. A native of Warrenton, Mr. Ashwell has solidified himself as a leader in the field of civil and criminal litigation and beyond. A steadfast believer in giving back to the community, Mr. Ashwell balances his time between his family and giving back to the community that he calls home. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College and the University of Dayton School of Law, Mr. Ashwell serves Northern Virginia, Piedmont region, and clients statewide, continuing to be a staple of the courtroom.

Education

University of Dayton School of Law, Dayton, Ohio
- J.D. – 2012
- Honors: Moot Court – Team Member, 2010-2011
Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
- B.A. – 2008
- Major: English

Bar Admissions

Virginia, 2012
U.S. District Court Eastern District of Virginia
U.S. District Court Western District of Virginia
U.S. Court of Appeals 4th Circuit
U.S. Court Eastern District of Virginia
Supreme Court of the United States of America

Professional Associations

Virginia State Bar
Virginia State Bar, 7th District Disciplinary Committee
Fauquier Bar Association

Reported Cases

Chacey v. Garvey, 781 S.E.2d 357, (2015).
Shepherd v. Conde, 797 S.E.2d 750 (2017)
United States v. Bosyk, 933 F.3d 319 (4th Cir. 2019), cert denied, 140 S. Ct. 1124 (U.S. Feb. 24, 2020)(No. 19-860), 2019.
Weatherholt v. Commonwealth, 839 S.E.2d 492 (2020).
Spell v. Commonwealth, 851 S.E.2d 83 (2020)
St. John v. Thompson, 854 S.E.2d 648 (2021)

Unpublished Cases

Bd. of Supervisors v. Long, 2023 Va. App. LEXIS 547 * | 2023 WL 5207304 (2023)
Kamga v. Commonwealth, 2024 Va. App. LEXIS 11 * | 2024 WL 157539 (2024)
Ahmed v Imperial Auto, LLC, 2024 Va. App. LEXIS 181 * | 2024 WL 1381766 (2024)
Renberg v. Renberg, 2024 Va. App. LEXIS 234 * | 2024 WL 1724034 (2024)

Representative Cases

Successfully represented corporate and individual defendants in a $63 million municipal fraud lawsuit through litigation to settlement on appeal.
Represented members of the Foxfield Racing Association, Inc., in resolving a dispute over the future of the races and development of the properties held by the association.
Represented equine association related to corporate sale of assets.
Successfully represented landowners in the seeking injunctive and declaratory relief to protect their use of deeded easements.
Represented a nonprofit in a multimillion-dollar land acquisition and negotiated with the municipality to ensure that affordable housing remained in place for hundreds of families.
Obtained a defense verdict on a six-figure personal injury claim after the conclusion of the plaintiff’s evidence during a motion to strike.
Obtained a dismissal of an injunction and complaint for damages of a trade secrets matter.
Successfully overturned erroneous financial awards from the trial court as to Federal retirement benefits in a domestic relations matter.
Represented countless clients on criminal matters to jury trial resulting in acquittal.
Represented countless civil plaintiffs and defendants from the inception of litigation to trial.
Represented as corporate counsel local and regional financial institutions.

Honors

Virginia Super Lawyers Rising Star, 2017-2022
National Business Institute Outstanding Faculty Award 2022, 2023

Classes & Seminars

Land Use and Zoning: Navigate Land Use/Zoning Regulations, Permitting Issues, Disputes and More; National Business Institute, July 20, 2017.
How to Get Your Social Media, Email and Text Evidence Admitted (and Keep Theirs Out), National Business Institute, October 31, 2017.
Protecting Your Business, Family and Future, Greater Piedmont REALTORS, February 21, 2018.
Local Government Law – Start to Finish; Government Attorney Ethics – Protect Your Client and Yourself, National Business Institute, February 23, 2018.
Road and Easement Law A to Z: Establishing Easements; National Business Institute, April 9, 2018.
Take a Comprehensive Look at Land Use Law; National Business Institute, July 10. 2018.
Ethics in Land Use Law; National Business Institute, July 10, 2018.
How to Lay a Foundation to Get Your Evidence Introduced; Applying Ethics Rules to Evidence; National Business Institute, October 30, 2018
Defining Easements and Ethics in Boundary Law; National Business Institute, April 15, 2019
Real Estate Boot Camp and Ethics, National Business Institute, 04/19/2019 to Present
Land Use and Zoning from Start to Finish: Ethics in Land Use and Zoning Law, National Business Institute, September 10, 2019
Handling Email, Social Media and Other ESI; The Rules of Evidence: A Practical Toolkit, National Business Institute, 10/31/2019 to 10/31/2019
Annual Probate and Estate Administration Conference in Virginia, National Business Institute, September 23, 2020.
Legal Descriptions, Title Insurance & Surveys in Real Estate Transactions, National Business Institute, December 17, 2020.
Challenging or Appealing Administrative Zoning Decisions: What You Need to Know seminar. National Business Institute; July 15, 2021.
Virginia Estate Administration From Start to Finish, National Business Institute; August 25, 2021.
Land Surveys and Legal Descriptions: Everything Paralegals Need to Know; National Business Institute;
Virginia Real Estate Closings from Start to Finish; National Business Institute; July 29, 2021.·
How to Lay a Foundations to Get Your Evidence Introduced; National Business Institute; August 31, 2021.
Virginia Land and Water Law: Ownership and Access; Halfmoon Education, Inc.; July 30, 2021.
Litigating Civil Cases in Virginia From Start to Finish; National Business Institute; May 20, 2022.
Virginia Real Property Law: Understanding Title, Transfers, and Encumbrances; National Business Institute; May 17, 2022.
Virginia Probate Process from Start to Finish; National Business Institute; June 16, 2022.
Land Surveys and Legal Descriptions: Everything Paralegals Need to Know; National Business Institute; August 17, 2022.
Resolving Boundary Disputes in Virginia; National Business Institute; September 28, 2022.
Civil Trial Guide; Authenticating and Admitting ESI as Evidence and Utilizing Technology in Your Presentation; February 22, 2023.
Forensic Accounting and Money Laundering Detection/Disruption Conferences; Florida Atlantic University; March 6, 2023.
Reviewing the Chain of Title, Legal Descriptions, Land Surveys, and More; National Business Institute; March 29, 2023.
Legal Descriptions, Title Insurance, and Surveys in Virginia Real Estate Transactions; National Business Institute; May 10, 2023.
Virginia Land and Water Law: Ownership and Access; Halfmoon Education; July 28, 2023.
Trial and Error: 50 Mistakes Even Experienced Trial Attorneys Make; National Business Institute; August 21, 2023.
Title Law Boot Camp; National Business Institute; September 21, 2023.
Virginia Civil Trial Skills; National Business Institute; October 12, 2023.
Voire Dire and Jury Selection; The Complete Guide; National Business Institute; November 9, 2023.
Probate Process From Start to Finish; National Business Institute; November 21, 2023.
How Jurors Think: What Every Trial Attorney Needs to Know; December 20, 2023.
Advanced Litigation Techniques, National Business Institute; January 24, 2024
Easements: Everything You Need to Know; National Business Institute; February 28, 2024.
Attorney’s Complete Guide to Experts in Virginia Civil Litigation; National Business Institute; May 21, 2024.
The Rules of Evidence: Creative Insights From Top Trial Lawyers; National Business Institute; May 21, 2024.
Trial and Error: 50 Mistakes Even Experiences Trial Attorneys Make; May 29, 2024.
Probate Process From Start to Finish; National Business Institute; June 27, 2024.
Student Bullying Lawsuits: 50 Mistakes Even Experienced School Law Attorneys Make; National Business Institute; October 17, 2024.