Butler Snow LLP is pleased to announce attorney Katelyn R. Ashton has been selected for the Product Liability Advisory Council’s Future Leaders Program. This program provides an alternative path to sustaining PLAC membership and professional development opportunities for attorneys who have been practicing between four and twelve years.
“The firm is thrilled to congratulate Katelyn on this notable honor,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow. “She is well-deserving of membership into the PLAC Future Leaders Program, and we look forward to seeing her continued success in this new role.”
PLAC is a specialty bar association comprised of a select network of professionals who help domestic and multinational companies stay at the forefront of emerging product liability issues. PLAC Future Leaders have the opportunity to work with seasoned PLAC Sustaining members and Corporate members on various projects, enhancing their trial skills, practicing their client counseling skills, refining their writing and advocacy skills, and networking with current and future leaders of the product liability defense bar.
Katelyn is a member of Butler Snow’s Pharmaceutical, Medical Device and Healthcare group. Her practice is focused on the representation and defense of manufacturers in complex product liability litigation in state and federal courts, with an emphasis on prescription drugs, medical devices, and chemicals. She was a member of the Motions Team in the largest MDL in history and has experience in various other aspects of discovery and trial work, including drafting company discovery responses, taking plaintiff and witness depositions, and providing pre-trial and on-site trial support to lead trial and appellate trial counsel.
Katelyn was recently recognized by Best Lawyers in America® on the publication’s “Ones to Watch” list for Health Care Law and Product Liability Litigation (2024-2025). She has also been recognized by Thomson Reuters Super Lawyers® as a Mid-South “Rising Star” for Health Care (2023-2024).
She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Defense Research Institute (DRI), Trial Attorneys of America, Federal Bar Association, Tennessee Bar Association, and the Memphis Bar Association. She also serves as a member of the American Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division.
Prior to joining Butler Snow, Katelyn clerked for Judge S. Thomas Anderson of the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. She earned her Juris Doctor from Savannah Law School and her bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University.
