Eugene Ashley

Shareholder

55 South Market St., Suite 900
San Jose, CA 95113

408.947.2452 | 408.287.2583
eugene.ashley@hogefenton.com
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Main Bio
Affiliation & Awards
Representative Experience
Speaking & Publications

Main Bio

Practice Overview

Geno Ashley is a San Jose business litigation attorney and Hoge Fenton Shareholder who represents corporations, businesses, and individuals in high-stakes trials and disputes. He also serves on the San Jose Sharks Foundation Board of Directors. As a veteran trial lawyer, he has handled “bet the company” lawsuits with multi-million-dollar outcomes, along with cases involving contracts, business torts, unfair business practices, trade secrets, construction and real estate disputes, and employment litigation.

Geno also advises clients on intellectual property litigation and general business and real estate matters, including mechanic’s liens. He has chaired numerous jury and bench trials and guided clients through arbitration and settlement, including a multi-million-dollar jury verdict against a Chinese manufacturer, a multi-million-dollar bench trial win for a San Francisco homeowner, three trial wins for a business owner in a contentious divorce, and a successful mechanic’s lien arbitration for a large multi-unit residential developer.

Before joining Hoge Fenton, Geno was a shareholder and General Counsel at Hopkins & Carley. He is active in the San Jose and Pleasanton business communities, serving on the boards of both chambers of commerce, and has volunteered for years with Junior Achievement, Moreau Catholic High School’s Board of Trustees, and youth sports leagues.

Practice Areas

Education

J.D., University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, with distinction
B.A., Political Science, University of California at Santa Barbara and Richmond American University London

Admissions

California
United States District Court, Northern, Central, Southern, and Eastern Districts
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals

Affiliation & Awards

Professional Involvement

San Jose Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
Santa Clara County Bar Association, Member

Geno has also presents regularly on real estate and construction issues including impact claims and mechanic’s lien law.

Community Involvement

San Jose Sharks Foundation, Board of Directors
Rotary Club of Pleasanton, Member

Over the past 20 years, Geno has served on several community boards, including Junior Achievement, Moreau Catholic High School’s Board of Trustees, where he served as Board Chair for two years, and various youth sports organizations. He also coached Little League baseball and lacrosse for many years.

Awards

Best Lawyers in America, 2022-2027

Super Lawyers, 2025-2026

Representative Experience

Represented two principals of an LLC in litigation involving approximately $10 million arising from a defaulted acquisition and development loan for a mixed-use project in downtown San Jose. Defended the principals against enforcement of their personal guarantees and asserted cross-claims against the lender after the project stalled during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Represented the owner of a high-value custom home in fraud and negligence claims against the developer and broker arising from the property’s construction and sale, with approximately $5 million at issue.
Represented subcontractors in nonpayment disputes involving a student housing development and a fire station. Filed lawsuits to enforce mechanic’s liens and stop payment notices to pursue amounts owed.
Represented a subcontractor in a $3.5 million mechanic’s lien claim involving a specialized laboratory buildout at a leased biotechnology facility in South San Francisco. Asserted the property owner’s liability for improvements commissioned by a subtenant, raising complex questions about lien liability across multiple levels of tenancy.
Won three trials concerning the control, operation, and management of a business owner’s companies during a contentious divorce.
Secured a multi-million-dollar jury verdict for a plaintiff in a breach of contract lawsuit against the local division of a Chinese industrial materials manufacturer. The jury awarded the client all requested relief.
Successfully arbitrated a million-dollar mechanic’s lien and breach of contract dispute involving a large multi-unit residential development in the Bay Area.
Helped secured a multi-million dollar judgment following a bench trial for a homeowner in San Francisco County.

Speaking & Publications

Speaking Engagements

Panelist, Engineering Expert Reports or Testimony for Impact Claims, September 10, 2026
Co-Presenter, Utilizing WIP Schedules to Gain Valuable Insights, April 8, 2021
Co-Presenter, Building the Bay in the Age of COVID-19 webinar, May 1, 2020