Ashley Blake is President and General Counsel at Bridgeford Trust Company, as well as a member of the Board of Managers and Trust Administrative Committee. In her role, Ashley leads all of Bridgeford Trust Company’s South Dakota operations from our office in Sioux Falls. She specifically oversees and works closely with Bridgeford Trust Company’s trust administrative and compliance teams in both our Pierre and Sioux Falls offices, focuses extensively on strategic plan implementation, and supports the company’s growth, business development, and legal initiatives. Ashley understands the nuances of South Dakota trust law and ways it can be utilized for the benefit of Bridgeford’s clients, both domestically and internationally.

An attorney by training, Ashley has a deep understanding of South Dakota trust law and trust company law. She has multiple years of experience assisting clients and their advisors with the power and sophistication of South Dakota’s modern trust laws.

Prior to joining the Bridgeford team, Ashley practiced for multiple years at Davenport, Evans, Hurwitz, & Smith LLP – one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious law firms in South Dakota. She specialized in South Dakota trust and trust company law at her firm, working with numerous ultra-high net worth clients and their attorneys and advisors across the nation and around the world with a vast array of trust administration issues. Ashley also regularly reviewed trusts drafted by out-of-state attorneys for South Dakota validity and provided guidance to her trust administration clients on the requirements of South Dakota trust law. In addition to her trust administration experience, Ashley is an industry leader on South Dakota trust company compliance and regularly assisted trust companies, both public and private, with regulatory compliance matters in her prior role.

Ashley earned her Bachelors, with Honors and a double major, from Harvard University and graduated first in her class and with Sterling Honors from the University of South Dakota Law School, where she received numerous scholarships and awards.