Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today congratulated Assistant Attorneys General David Ashton and Nick Grimmer of his Antitrust Division on receiving an award from the National Association of Attorneys General’s Antitrust Task Force. The award was given for an amicus brief they authored in Apple v. Pepper, a case the United States Supreme Court heard last term. In their brief, Ashton and Grimmer led 30 other states in support of protecting indirect purchasers from antitrust violations.
“Protecting consumers and the marketplace from antitrust violations is an essential part of our mission, and I could not be more proud of David and Nick’s exceptional work to remedy antitrust violations,” said Attorney General Paxton. “We thank NAAG for honoring these gentlemen’s commitment to upholding antitrust law, their leadership in this case, and their outstanding writing. David and Nick are invaluable leaders and well deserving of this recognition.”
David Ashton has served as an Assistant Attorney General with the Texas Attorney General’s Antitrust Division for 11 years. Ashton has investigated and litigated antitrust matters across multiple industries, including e-commerce, health care, medical supplies, and entertainment. He has led several multistate actions and was one of the lead attorneys for the 33 plaintiff states in the eBooks price-fixing litigation. Before serving in his current position, he worked in the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection and Postconviction Litigation Divisions. Ashton received his Juris Doctorate from The University of Texas School of Law.
Nick Grimmer also serves as an Assistant Attorney General with the Texas Attorney General’s Antitrust Division, where his practice spans the antitrust gamut, from mergers and conduct to investigations and prosecutions. Before joining the Texas Attorney General, Grimmer was in private practice, representing plaintiff and defendant companies in antitrust litigation and counseling clients on a wide variety of antitrust issues. He also served as Counsel to the Chair of the American Bar Association’s Section of Antitrust Law, and has chaired or vice-chaired numerous committees. In addition, Grimmer has chaired and served in officer positions for the Houston Bar Association’s Antitrust Section. Grimmer graduated from the University of Houston Law Center.