Katila Howard practices in the area of employee benefits, data privacy and tax law, including advising on employee benefits issues arising out of mergers and acquisitions. Working closely with Human Resources, executives, and senior leadership, she provides legal services and participate in the development of legal strategies to support corporate initiatives. She advises organizations of all sizes in many different industries, including non-profit entities, in on-going compliance, executive compensation, retirement plans, and welfare benefit plans.

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Her practice consists of assisting clients with incident response, information security, and data management, as well as providing technical expertise to navigate tax, corporate governance, and complex regulatory schemes. Further, she counsels clients on transitional matters including drafting compensation/ employment agreements, nondisclosures agreements, confidentiality agreements, severance agreements, non-compete agreements, vendor contracts, and contract negotiations. She continues to mentor minority and first-generation students and lawyers as well as advocate for expansive diversity initiatives.

 

Katila previously served on the Planning Commission for the City of Novi, Michigan, and set on the board of directors for several nonprofits, including Last Day Dog Rescue (a no-kill animal shelter) and the Greater Lansing United Nations Association.

The University of Michigan’s Black Alumni Association selected Katila as a recipient of its Five Under Ten Award. As an author, she has published over 30 scholarly works on various topics, including taxation, employee benefits, equality, and cybersecurity.

During law school, Katila clerked for a business litigation firm, served as a judicial extern for the United States District Court of the Eastern District of Michigan and worked as research assistant on the Michigan State University College of Law’s project that commemorated the 60th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education and the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Simultaneously, she also interned for the Michigan House of Representatives.

 

In addition, Katila served as the Executive Editor for the Journal of Business Securities Law and externed with both the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit and Michigan Tax Tribunal.

 
Prior to law school, Katila was an elementary school teacher with Teach for America - Detroit. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in political science and women’s studies, as well as her Master’s in education. While at the University of Michigan, Katila also, interned in Washington, D.C, for the National Head Start Association.