Dana Howells

Ms. Dana D. Howells is senior counsel in the Labor and Employment Department, California Workplace Solutions Group,  in the Los Angeles office of Seyfarth Shaw LLP. Ms. Howells advises businesses on all aspects of employment relationships from pre-hire screening to terminations and reductions-in-force.

Areas of concentration include employee benefits, discrimination, wage and hour, contacts, severance, executive compensation, FMLA and mandated leaves, disability/reasonable accommodations, harassment/internal investigations, privacy and workplace violence prevention.

In addition to advising employers on compliance and problem-solving, Ms. Howells has represented employers before administrative agencies, self-regulatory agencies, in jury and bench trials, and before state and federal appellate courts.

Depending on client goals, she has resolved many disputes through arbitration, mediation and negotiation. She served as Chair of the Los Angeles County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, July 2010-July 2011.

Following graduation from law school, Ms. Howells served as a law clerk to the Honorable Harry Pregerson, Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, from 1983 to 1984. Prior to joining Seyfarth Shaw, she specialized in employment law and ERISA litigation, then served in-house as Vice President and Senior Counsel for the Capital Group Companies, Inc. from 1993-2010.

Education:

• J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law
  • UCLA Law Review
  • Moot Court finals
  • Eleanor Klein Award (top woman graduate)
• B.A., University of Texas
  • with highest honors and special honors
  • Ferguson Prize (top History graduate)

Affiliations:

• Los Angeles County Bar Association (Executive Committee, Labor and Employment Law Section (1996-present); Chair, Labor and Employment Law Section (2010-2011); Amicus Brief Committee (2010-2011);  Outstanding Jurist Committee (2010))
• State Bar of California (Labor and Employment Law Section)