The Firm
Big-firm judgment. Senior counsel on every file.
Ashford & Crane has stayed deliberately small since 1987, so that every matter is carried by a partner rather than passed down a chain of associates.
Our Story
Built on a single conviction.
James Ashford and the late Eleanor Crane opened the firm’s doors in 1987 with a plain idea: the lawyer who wins your trust in the first meeting should be the lawyer who carries your matter to its conclusion. Nearly four decades later, that idea still governs how the firm takes on work.
We have stayed deliberately small by design, not by circumstance. Growth, for us, has never meant adding layers between a client and the partner handling their file — it has meant deepening what a small number of senior attorneys can carry themselves.
Every partner at the firm brings decades of courtroom and transactional experience to bear on each engagement. When you call with a question, you reach the person who already knows your matter — not a case manager relaying it to someone else.
What Guides Us
How we practice.
01
Direct partner attention
The partner you meet at the first consultation is the partner who drafts the documents, argues the motion, and takes your calls until the matter closes.
02
Candor over billable hours
We tell clients what a matter is actually worth pursuing and what it will cost to get there, even when the honest answer costs us the engagement.
03
Results with integrity
A favorable outcome achieved by cutting corners is not a favorable outcome. We prepare every matter as though it will be tested, because sooner or later it is.
Attorneys
The partners who will handle your matter.
James R. Ashford
Founding Partner
Trial and appellate litigation, with four decades of commercial disputes before the New York and federal courts. Admitted in New York and the S.D.N.Y.; J.D., Fordham University School of Law.
Margaret Ellison
Managing Partner
Business and corporate law, guiding founders and closely held companies through financing, growth, and sale. Admitted in New York; J.D., Columbia Law School.
Marcus D. Reyes
Partner
Estate planning and probate, building wills and trusts that protect families and hold up when they are tested. Admitted in New York and New Jersey; J.D., Brooklyn Law School.
Priya N. Raman
Partner
Family law and mediation, handling divorce, custody, and support matters with discretion and a preference for resolution outside the courtroom. Admitted in New York; J.D., New York University School of Law.
Talk to a partner, not a case number.
Tell us what you are facing. The first consultation is with a senior attorney, at no cost and in confidence — so you leave knowing where you stand.