Ashton T. Kirsch Partner

Ashton T. Kirsch is an insurance litigation attorney and partner with the law firm of Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C. Ashton has been with MWL’s Hartford office since 2015, concentrating his practice on litigation of subrogation cases involving large loss casualty, commercial auto, transportation and cargo, and workers’ compensation. He has built and grown the MWL commercial auto and cargo/transportation group into the thriving sector of our firm’s subrogation practice.

Ashton is an expert in the handling of complex interstate transportation claims. He knows the ins, outs, and in-betweens of the labyrinth of federal regulations that can impact a commercial auto or cargo loss. In fact, he has been retained by other attorneys around the nation to serve as an expert and consult/train on both the MCS-90 Endorsement and Carmack Amendment. Through this unique knowledge base, Ashton has successfully litigated and recovered on countless claims where others could not. He also boasts another, unique expertise—high-level negotiation tactics and skills which maximize the likelihood of high dollar recoveries. He travels the country providing seminars and training sessions to attorneys and adjusters on best negotiation tactics and litigation practices. With over 95% of claims settling prior to litigation and 99% of litigated cases settling prior to trial, negotiation skills are at the pinnacle of importance to a successful subrogation attorney. Ashton is currently writing a book on subrogation negotiations practices, which will be published within the next year

Ashton obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He went on to graduate from the University of Wisconsin Law School, focusing on finance and corporate litigation. In 2018 and 2019, he was named a Wisconsin Rising Star by SuperLawyers Magazine, an award given only to the top 2.5% of lawyers in the State.

Prior to joining MWL, Ashton was a founding partner and legal counsel with Bankmybiz.com an online lending/banking platform. He was also general counsel for a real estate development consulting group. Ashton is an experienced politician, winning a three-way primary as a candidate for Wisconsin’s 81st Assembly District in 2014, and is a former member of Governor Scott Walker’s legal team. He also served as a judicial intern to Justice Paul Higginbotham in the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, IV District.

Ashton is known throughout the field for his knowledge of legal and legislative issues. He has been invited to testify on numerous occasions before legislative bodies and administrative agencies on insurance-related issues. Specifically, he has been asked to testify before legislative committee on tort reform legislation, collateral source rules, insurance mandatory minimum limits, insurance regulatory compliance, and other commercial auto-related issues. Ashton brings precisely the sort of “real world” experience that makes an excellent litigator for the insurance industry.

In his personal life, Ashton enjoys spending time with his wife, Alexandra, his daughter, Laina, and his son, Charlie, taking them hiking, camping, fishing, and participating in many other outdoor activities.