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Ashley Peterson had been teaching high school English for six years when she began to feel boxed in professionally. “I loved a lot about it, but I really wanted a new challenge,” says Peterson, now senior counsel at Altria.
The transition from teacher to lawyer was relatively smooth for Peterson, who discovered several parallels between the two professions. Both teachers and lawyers break down complex concepts into clear, digestible, persuasive explanations, think on their feet, and adapt to their audiences in real time.
“You’re helping folks understand something that could be a little tedious or boring but is important. That’s similar to what I did as a teacher,” Peterson says. Like teachers, lawyers “have to be clear, crisp, and engaging.”
Today, her audience is far broader. At Altria, one of the world’s largest producers of tobacco and nicotine products, Peterson supports the company’s business operations, including its salesforce. “We have some of the best salespeople, but they aren’t thinking about antitrust and legal risk day in and day out,” Peterson says. Her job is to teach them how antitrust and other laws affect what they do.
“It’s so much fun being embedded in the business, helping to make sure Altria achieves its objectives the right way.”
Ashley Peterson
After graduating with a JD from the University of Richmond School of Law, Peterson clerked for the US District Court for the Western District of Virginia in Roanoke and then with the US Circuit Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Montgomery, Alabama. She went on to spend nearly seven years at McGuireWoods as an antitrust and commercial litigation associate.
“I worked on a lot of sophisticated matters and got to see firsthand the impact of alleged violations of antitrust laws,” Peterson says.
At Altria, however, Peterson is focused on prevention. Unlike her role in private practice, where she was brought in after something had gone awry, Peterson now works proactively to support the business.
“I work with the business to come up with creative solutions that drive the business forward,” she says. “It’s so much fun being embedded in the business, helping to make sure Altria achieves its objectives the right way.”
Peterson’s role is especially vital in the highly regulated tobacco industry. She counsels the business on pricing, sales, and distribution issues.
“As the business develops plans to market and sell tobacco products to adult tobacco consumers, they run those by us,” Peterson explains. “We’re integrated from the ground up in terms of making sure that their plans satisfy their obligations under the antitrust laws—and that they’re compliant with the various state and federal laws that apply to the sale of tobacco products.”
One recent project put all those skills to the test. Peterson supported the launch of DipDirect.com, the first manufacturer-owned, e-commerce platform for moist smokeless tobacco brands including Copenhagen and Skoal. The project involved navigating a patchwork of complex, often inconsistent state and federal laws.
“There are dozens of laws at the state and federal level that apply to the sale of tobacco products online,” Peterson says. “Translating those requirements into actionable business guidance and advice for our team as they were building out every aspect of the website was an involved project. It was a team effort, drilling down state-by-state to figure out exactly what products can be sold in a particular state, under what conditions, and what sort of disclaimers may be required.”
Peterson credits mentorship for her professional growth. Every exciting opportunity Peterson has had as a lawyer came from a mentor directing her toward that opportunity. She advises young lawyers to build and maintain strong relationships rather than focus on checking career boxes.
“Experiences are important,” Peterson says. “But in my opinion what ultimately gets you further is your relationships—who you’ve worked with and what those individuals think of you, whether or not they would recommend you for other positions.”
She brings that mindset to Altria. “One of the things I love most about Altria is its commitment to community.” At Altria, Peterson participates in company-sponsored volunteer activities and coordinates pro bono opportunities for her colleagues in the Law Department.
“Lawyers are uniquely equipped to make a meaningful difference in our communities through pro bono service,” Peterson says. “I feel fortunate to work for a company that prioritizes community and encourages its employees to devote their time and talents to improving the world around them.”
“Ashley is a smart, thoughtful lawyer who is well versed in the many issues she manages for Altria. Ashley applies her significant intellect and knowledge to any issue, making it a pleasure to work with her as outside counsel.”
–Evelina Norwinski, Senior Counsel
