Ashley B. Summer, a partner of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP, practices in the Greenville office in the areas of intellectual property law and intellectual property litigation.

After spending a year in private practice, Mr. Summer served for two years as a law clerk to The Honorable Haldane Robert Mayer on the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which has exclusive appellate jurisdiction over cases arising under the patent laws. His experience in private practice includes litigation for infringement of patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secret misappropriation.  Mr. Summer also has experience in prosecuting and managing international patent portfolios.  

A member of the South Carolina Bar, Mr. Summer is also licensed to practice before the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.  

Mr. Summer earned a Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, in 2004 from the University of South Carolina School of Law, where he was an associate articles editor of the South Carolina Law Review and a member of the Moot Court Bar’s Order of the Barristers. He also served on the school’s pro bono board and received numerous academic accolades, including appointment as Clerk of Court in the Order of Wig and Robe and membership in the Order of the Coif.  

Prior to law school, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Furman University in 2001. During that time, he performed research at Los Alamos National Laboratory.  He also served as an intern in the Office of Environment, Science, and Technology at the United States Embassy in London.

Mr. Summer has authored one article and co-authored another relating to patent law. He remains active in the community and serves on the advisory board of the Sigma Chi chapter at Furman University.