1. Home
  2. |Professionals
  3. |Astor Heaven

Astor Heaven

Partner
Partner
YWhlYXZlbkBjcm93ZWxsLmNvbQ==
VCardLinkedIn
VCardLinkedIn

Areas of Focus

Overview

Astor Heaven is a first-chair trial lawyer and litigator who consistently delivers exceptional results. A military veteran, he exacts tough and disciplined advocacy, creates and fosters relationships, provides creative solutions, and deploys team members in a cost-conscious and effective manner. His ability to connect with clients, juries, and judges, and to simplify complex legal issues has made him a formidable presence in and out of the courtroom, contributing to a substantial list of successful outcomes, both in terms of verdicts and settlements.

Astor has extensive experience representing government contractor, defense, technology, and insurance clients in high-stakes commercial, trade secret, restrictive covenant and employee mobility, and lease disputes. He has litigated consumer class actions, including disputes involving claims of unfair competition, false advertising, and fraud. He has tried to verdict and arbitrated commercial disputes related to teaming agreements, technology transfers, leases, military sales, and various other commercial issues. Additionally, he has prosecuted and defended requests for emergency relief (including TROs and Preliminary Injunctions) and has substantial experience litigating antitrust matters.

Maintaining an active pro bono practice, Astor regularly partners with Montgomery County, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, successfully representing criminal defendants on a wide range of matters, including through trial. He has also successfully represented domestic violence victims in U-Visa and T-Visa proceedings. Active in the community, he serves as a Board Member for Bethesda Soccer Club and the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP).

Astor graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1997, where he was a two-year letter winner on the football team. He subsequently attended American University Washington College of Law.

Career & Education

    • American University Washington College of Law, J.D., 2005
    • U.S. Naval Academy, 1997
    • American University Washington College of Law, J.D., 2005
    • U.S. Naval Academy, 1997

    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
    • District of Columbia
    • Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland
    • U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
    • U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan
My military and athletic background have really provided the blueprint for how I approach trial and litigation. I want every team member fully invested in the success of the team, which means each member needs ownership in the matter, whether a partner, counsel, an associate, or a paralegal. Those are the teams that are most effective and that get the best results.

Astor's Insights

Client Alert | 9 min read | 05.06.26

After the Verdict: Navigating the Live Nation/Ticketmaster Antitrust Fallout

On April 15, 2026, a federal jury found Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable on every antitrust count submitted, including monopolization of primary ticketing markets and illegal bundling of its promotions and venue business lines. The jury found the defendants liable for $1.72 for each primary concert ticket sold pursuant to the anticompetitive conduct.[1] The trial opened March 2, 2026, before Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, as a case brought by the federal government and a coalition of states. The case, however, was rocked by an early-trial settlement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the defendants. Although the DOJ and six of the plaintiff states (Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota) exited the trial, 33 states and the District of Columbia rejected the settlement, brought in a law firm, and moved forward with the trial. Next up for the case: (1) a statutorily required Tunney Act review of the DOJ’s settlement; (2) defendants’ Rule 50 and Rule 59 motions; (3) determination by the Court of how many tickets are subject to the $1.72 damage award (before trebling as per the Clayton Act); and (4) a remedy phase where the Court will consider plaintiffs’ likely proposal to sever Ticketmaster from Live Nation....

View All Insights

Representative Matters

General Commercial Litigation

  • Secured a favorable decision in federal court after a two-week jury trial pertaining to an employee mobility dispute.
  • Prevailed in representing a communications client in state court and on appeal of a matter involving allegations of breach of a lease agreement.
  • Secured summary judgment on claims of fraud, fraudulent concealment, and violations of various state consumer protection and unfair competition statutes on behalf of a technology entity in a class action.
  • Represented a government contractor in litigation involving the breach of a lease agreement.
  • Prevailed in parallel federal and state court actions defending a defense contractor against tortious interference claims pertaining to an offset transaction associated with a foreign military sale transaction.
  • Successfully represented and secured millions of dollars in settlements on behalf of corporate clients in actions to recover damages resulting from a price-fixing conspiracy regarding Cathode Ray Tubes and LCD panels.

Arbitration

  • Obtained a complete victory defending an aerospace and defense company in an ICC arbitration. Prevailed on a counterclaim and secured more than $37 million in damages, attorneys’ fees, and administrative costs.
  • Represented a government contractor in securing a favorable settlement in AAA arbitration pertaining to the breach of a non-solicitation agreement.
  • Successfully represented a defense contractor in an ICC arbitration pertaining to a commercial dispute with a subcontractor.

Trade Secrets

  • Defeated a request for preliminary injunction and secured a favorable settlement in a trade secrets misappropriation matter pertaining to software code used on a community website.
  • Secured summary judgment on behalf of a defense contractor in a trade secret misappropriation matter pertaining to the design and testing of certain U.S. Navy ships.
  • Represented a probiotics manufacturer in a matter involving claims of trade secret misappropriation, false advertising, and breach of contract.
  • Represented plaintiff E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company in a trade secret misappropriation matter regarding its Kevlar® technology.

Astor's Insights

Client Alert | 9 min read | 05.06.26

After the Verdict: Navigating the Live Nation/Ticketmaster Antitrust Fallout

On April 15, 2026, a federal jury found Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable on every antitrust count submitted, including monopolization of primary ticketing markets and illegal bundling of its promotions and venue business lines. The jury found the defendants liable for $1.72 for each primary concert ticket sold pursuant to the anticompetitive conduct.[1] The trial opened March 2, 2026, before Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, as a case brought by the federal government and a coalition of states. The case, however, was rocked by an early-trial settlement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the defendants. Although the DOJ and six of the plaintiff states (Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota) exited the trial, 33 states and the District of Columbia rejected the settlement, brought in a law firm, and moved forward with the trial. Next up for the case: (1) a statutorily required Tunney Act review of the DOJ’s settlement; (2) defendants’ Rule 50 and Rule 59 motions; (3) determination by the Court of how many tickets are subject to the $1.72 damage award (before trebling as per the Clayton Act); and (4) a remedy phase where the Court will consider plaintiffs’ likely proposal to sever Ticketmaster from Live Nation....

View All Insights

Insights

Client Alert | 9 min read | 05.06.26

After the Verdict: Navigating the Live Nation/Ticketmaster Antitrust Fallout

Client Alert | 6 min read | 03.20.26

Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Compliance Alert for Higher Education: Deal Rejections Mount as State Resistance Grows

Client Alert | 3 min read | 08.08.25

Trump’s “Saving College Sports” Executive Order: New Federal Policy on Collegiate Athletic Scholarships and Opportunities

Client Alert | 6 min read | 06.18.25

House Settlement Approved: How to Prepare for Implementation by July 1, 2025

View All Insights

Practices

Industries

Astor's Insights

Client Alert | 9 min read | 05.06.26

After the Verdict: Navigating the Live Nation/Ticketmaster Antitrust Fallout

On April 15, 2026, a federal jury found Live Nation and its subsidiary Ticketmaster liable on every antitrust count submitted, including monopolization of primary ticketing markets and illegal bundling of its promotions and venue business lines. The jury found the defendants liable for $1.72 for each primary concert ticket sold pursuant to the anticompetitive conduct.[1] The trial opened March 2, 2026, before Judge Arun Subramanian in the Southern District of New York, as a case brought by the federal government and a coalition of states. The case, however, was rocked by an early-trial settlement between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the defendants. Although the DOJ and six of the plaintiff states (Arkansas, Iowa, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota) exited the trial, 33 states and the District of Columbia rejected the settlement, brought in a law firm, and moved forward with the trial. Next up for the case: (1) a statutorily required Tunney Act review of the DOJ’s settlement; (2) defendants’ Rule 50 and Rule 59 motions; (3) determination by the Court of how many tickets are subject to the $1.72 damage award (before trebling as per the Clayton Act); and (4) a remedy phase where the Court will consider plaintiffs’ likely proposal to sever Ticketmaster from Live Nation....

View All Insights