Ashley Gaillard

Ms. Gaillard concentrates her practice in the area of commercial litigation, involving business and real estate disputes. She is a member of the Florida Bar and New York Bar.

Ms. Gaillard received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida, graduating in three years with honors with a double major and two minors. She also obtained a Masters in International Business from the University of Florida. Ms. Gaillard earned her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University, where she was a Global Law Scholar and completed a Certificate in World Trade Organization Studies and the International Women’s Human Rights Clinic. She has a Master of Laws in International Economic Law from Sciences Po Paris.

Prior to joining Bentley Goodrich Kison, Ms. Gaillard was an Assistant State Attorney, representing the State of Florida in criminal misdemeanor, juvenile, and felony cases and jury trials. Before she was an ASA, Ms. Gaillard worked with non-profit organizations, mainly focusing on correcting deficiencies in implementation of domestic legislation in relation to dealings in conflict-affected areas and helping investors develop human rights-related investment screens.

Ms. Gaillard is a proud Sarasota native and is involved in the Sarasota County Bar Association and the Judge John. M. Scheb American Inn of Court. When she is not practicing law, she enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, hiking, gardening, and sailing.

Education
Published Works
Bar Admissions
Past Employment

Education

Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC

J.D. – 2014
Honors: Global Law Scholar, Certificate in World Trade Organization Studies
Activities: International Women’s Human Rights Clinic

Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences Po), Paris, France

Master of Laws in International Economic Law, 2014
Activities: Corporate Social Responsibility and Compliance Clinic

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Master of Arts in International Business, 2010
Honors: Pound Scholarship for Graduate Business Studies, MBA Study Tour in Moscow

University of Florida, Gainesville, FL

Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in History and French, 2009
Minors: Russian, Business Administration
Honors: Dean’s List, National Merit Scholar, Student Honors Organization

Published Works

International Law Commission, Fifth Report on the Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters, (9 Apr. 2012) U.N. Doc. A/CN.4/652, contributor
Int’l. Migrants Bill of Rights with Commentary, 28 Geo. Immigr. L.J. 23 (2013) (co-author)

Bar Admissions

Florida
New York

Past Employment

State Attorney’s Office, 12^th Judicial Circuit, Sarasota and Bradenton, FL
Assistant State Attorney

Manatee Felony Division I, January 2022-present; 2 felony jury trials (2 First Chair; 2 Guilty; 1 pled after Voir Dire)
Sarasota Juvenile Division, August 2021-December 2021
Sarasota Misdemeanor Division, January 2020-December 2021, 6 jury trials (5 as First Chair; 5 total Guilty verdicts)
Gerald T. Bennett Prosecutor/Public Defender Trial Training Program, July 31-August 1, 2021

MATTIN Group asbl, Brussels, Belgium (working remotely with some travel)
Legal Analyst/Independent Consultant

Conducted legal research and writing for consultations with U.S. government officials on gaps in the implementation of U.S. domestic legislation and inconsistencies with established foreign policy positions.
Provided information and analysis to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Treasury Department to enable the correct implementation of import regulations concerning products originating in conflict-affected areas.
Drafted a proposal for research in partnership with law school clinical programs as well as materials describing MATTIN’s methodology and U.S. work for outreach to legal academics and other human rights practitioners.
Wrote U.S.-focused portions of the organization’s grant reporting.

Heartland Initiative, Inc., Washington, DC (seconded from MATTIN Group)
Legal Analyst

Worked closely with the MATTIN Group and performed duties similar to those currently performed for MATTIN Group as described above, particularly consultation with U.S. government officials.
Authored the organization’s human rights advocacy materials, including shareholder proposals and supporting documentation for Securities and Exchange Commission filings and portions of its grant proposals covering independent and MATTIN-managed projects.
Provided regular oral and written briefings and research and strategy memoranda to senior staff on the progress of projects carried out independently or under MATTIN’s direction.
Presented independently drafted materials for discussion at domestic and international human rights conferences and in private consultations with investors on developing human rights-related investment screens.

MATTIN Group, Ramallah, West Bank
Associate

Researched and analyzed U.S. regulations and policies relevant to activities in conflict-affected areas.
Assisted partners in consultations with European Union and Member State officials on human rights in conflict-affected areas.

Al-Haq Organization, Ramallah, West Bank
Legal Intern

Conducted legal research, writing, and field visits for human rights reporting and advocacy.

Mkono & Co. Advocates, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Summer Associate

Handled a caseload in rotating practice areas including arbitration and corporate law.
Authored the first draft of the petitioner’s brief for a client’s appeal to Tanzania Court of Appeal.

International Organization for Migration, Geneva, Switzerland
Legal Intern

Worked on migration law studies, including a study on human rights in border management.
Drafted a section of an intervenor brief for European Court of Human Rights case.

Phone: 941-556-9030
Fax: 941-312-5316
Email: agaillard@bgk.law

Areas of Practice

Commercial Litigation