Ashley R. Rifkin has extensive experience representing clients in complex litigation, including shareholder rights, consumer class actions, and antitrust matters. For her efforts, she has been recognized as a Top Young Attorney by the Daily Transcript and a Top Rated Securities Litigation Attorney by Super Lawyers.
Ms. Rifkin has secured monetary recoveries and extensive corporate governance reforms for her clients. She has challenged myriad forms of corporate wrongdoing, including issuing false and misleading statements to shareholders, backdating and spring loading options for self-gain, misconduct related to the subprime mortgage crisis, improper Medicare and Medicaid billing practices, claims of off-label marketing, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and violations of other state and federal regulations. She has also obtained significant recoveries litigating securities class actions focused on protecting shareholders’ rights in connection with corporate mergers and acquisitions.
Ms. Rifkin earned her Juris Doctor from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, where she graduated second in her class. While in law school, she was chief articles editor and notes editor of Law Review, and served as a judicial extern for the Honorable David A. Workman in the Los Angeles Superior Court. Ms. Rifkin received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
EDUCATION
- Thomas Jefferson School of Law (J.D. 2006)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (B.A. 2002)
ADMISSIONS
- California
- U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, and Southern Districts of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth, Seventh, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
RECOGNITION
- Super Lawyers (2022-2024)
- Super Lawyers Rising Star (2015-2016, 2019-2020)
- Legal 500 Recommended Attorney, Dispute Resolution/M&A Litigation (2018)
- Top Young Attorneys, The Daily Transcript (2011)
COMMUNITY HEALTH SYSTEMS, INC.
Working closely with the managing partner on this shareholder derivative action against the officers and directors of Community Health alleging that the fiduciaries systematically steered patients into medically unnecessary inpatient admissions when they should have been treated as outpatients, Ms. Rifken was deeply involved in all aspects of the litigation, including overseeing the extensive document review process and other discovery. After five years of contentious litigation, Ms. Rifkin and her team obtained a $60 million cash payment to Community Health and the implementation of extensive corporate governance reforms. In re Community Health Systems, Inc. Shareholder Derivative Litig., No. 3:11-cv-00489 (M.D. Tenn. Jan. 20, 2017).
MOTOROLA, INC.
In shareholder derivative litigation arising from Motorola’s publication of allegedly misleading statements regarding its next-generation cell phones and revenue projections, Ms. Rifkin was part of a team that negotiated comprehensive governance reforms that overhauled the company’s oversight of financial disclosures and achieved structural reforms that better aligned director and executive compensation with long-term shareholder interests. In re Motorola, Inc. Derivative Litig., No. 07CH23297 (Ill. Cir. Ct.-Cook Cnty. Nov. 29, 2012).
ALPHATEC HOLDINGS, INC.
Ms. Rifkin was part of the litigation team in this shareholder derivative action that sought to hold Alphatec’s fiduciaries responsible for their role in encouraging shareholder approval of an acquisition that appeared to be solely for the benefit of the company’s directors. As a result of the team’s efforts, Alphatec implemented reforms providing for director independence, and greater review and oversight of related-party transactions and disclosure of company financial information. In re Alphatec Holdings, Inc., Derivative S’holder Litig., No. 37-2010-00058586-CU-BT-NC (Cal. Super. Ct.–San Diego Cnty. Aug. 21, 2014).
Ms. Rifkin served alongside a team of plaintiff firms in antitrust litigation involving allegations of conspiracy among private equity firms to rig bids, restrict the supply of private equity financing, fix transaction prices, and divide up the market for private equity services for leveraged buyouts. The defendants settled for more than $590 million. Dahl v. Bain Capital Partners, No. 1:07-cv-12388 (WGY) (D. Mass. Mar. 17, 2015.)