Ashlee Martin

Ashlee is an experienced trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor who defends individuals and companies in grand jury and regulatory investigations as well as criminal and civil proceedings involving allegations of health care fraud, money laundering, tax fraud, kickbacks, securities fraud, opioid diversion, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations.

While with the U.S. Department of Justice for five years, Ashlee served as Assistant Chief in DOJ’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section. Among other responsibilities, she led the Health Care Fraud Strike Force overseeing complex fraud cases in Texas from 2015-2018. In that position, and as a trial attorney before it, she led and supervised dozens of investigations and prosecutions of white collar crime across the country, ranging from FCPA to False Claims Act to Health Care Fraud (such as Medicare fraud, Anti-Kickback, money laundering, and opioid abuse) and tried numerous jury trials to verdict. Ashlee also led the planning for the National Health Care Fraud Training Conference for hundreds of agents and prosecutors in Washington, D.C. and often trained new and experienced prosecutors on investigating health care fraud cases.

Education

VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY LAW SCHOOL
JD, 2009 (Dean’s List)

SPELMAN COLLEGE
BA, 2006 (Phi Beta Kappa, Dean’s List)

Prior Associations

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, CRIMINAL DIVISION, FRAUD SECTION
Assistant Chief, 2015-2018 & Trial Attorney, 2013-2015

LOCKE LORD LLP
Associate, Labor and Employment, 2010-2013

Lectures

  • Diversity Day at South Texas Law, American Bar Association, Houston, Texas, March 2020.
  • “Health Care Fraud,” TexasBar CLE, Dallas, Texas, July 2019.
  • “Ten Things You Should Know White-Collar Crime and Bankruptcy,” Houston Bar Association CLE, Houston, Texas, June 2019.
  • “Health Care Fraud,” Forum on Corporate Enforcement (Cambridge Forums), Carefree, Arizona, May 2019.
  • “The Mueller Report,” Federal Bar Association CLE, Houston, Texas, April 2019.
  • “Handling Your First White Collar Case,” Texas State Bar CLE, Austin, Texas, April 2019.
  • “FCPA Investigations for Bankruptcy Professionals,” Turnaround Management Associates, Houston, Texas, February 2019.
  • “White Collar Crime in Business Litigation,” Art of Business Litigation CLE, Houston, Texas October 2018.
  • “How to Try a Federal Case,” Federal Bar Association CLE, Houston, Texas June 2018.
  • “Basic White-Collar Crime Seminar,” National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina, February 2018.
  • “Government Perspectives on Compliance Programs and Corporate Investigations,” Baker Donelson Compliance Symposium, Houston, Texas, November 2017.
  • “Individual Criminal Liability in a Post-Yates World,” 2017 Texas Health Law Conference, Austin, Texas, October 2017.
  • “Divergent Paths: Management, Counsel and Living in a Post-Yates Memo World,” American Bar Association Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2017.
  • “Is A Liability Tidal Wave Coming? Post Escobar Fraud and Abuse Standards of Proof,” American Bar Association Emerging Issues in Healthcare Law Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana, March 2017.

Professional Affiliations

  • Texas Civil Rights Project, Board Member
  • Association of Women Attorneys, Board Member
  • Federal Bar Association (SDTX), Board Member
  • Leadership Institute for Women of Color Attorneys Conference Committee
  • Women’s White Collar Criminal Defense Association

Awards

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch (2023)
  • National Black Lawyers: Top 40 Under 40 (2022)
  • HHS Inspector General’s Award for Integrity (2018)
  • Health & Human Services Inspector General Award for Excellence (2016)
  • IRS Criminal Investigation’s Recognition for Outstanding Support (2016)
  • Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2015)

Representative Matters

  • Won “compassionate release” from federal prison for inmate after BOP neglected his medical care.  Read more about this here.
  • Successfully defended physician against sexual assault allegations receiving dismissal of temporary restraining order and declination from Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
  • Successful representation of former CEO of oil and gas company in investigation by Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) focusing on company’s dealings in Nigeria.
  • Represented executives in investigations involving Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
  • Represented health care consultants and executives in Department of Justice investigations involving allegations of health care fraud, Anti-Kickback Statute violations, and false claims in lab testing, psychiatric services, home health, compounding pharmacies, and more.
  • Represented former business owner in federal sentencing, resulting in a significantly lower sentence.
  • Successfully defended physician in investigation by Texas Medical Board resulting in the closure of the investigation without negative findings.
  • Successfully defended physician against sexual assault allegations, receiving dismissal of temporary restraining order and declination from Harris County District Attorney’s Office.