Yalonda Howze

Yalonda T. Howze is a litigator and relationship partner whose focus is on the life sciences industry. Yalonda frequently assembles cross-functional teams to meet her clients’ needs and has successfully fostered a collaborative approach to counsel several publicly traded and early-stage life sciences and biotechnology companies on an array of matters.

Yalonda and her team also specialize in conducting comprehensive product risk and compliance assessments for clients, and she is national counsel in product liability cases for publicly traded life sciences companies. Yalonda specializes in complex tort and product liability litigation.

Yalonda currently serves as national counsel in product liability litigation for two publically traded companies and advises with respect to potential commercial and product liability litigation relating to various products, including biologic therapies and assay development.

Yalonda also has expertise in alternative billing models, budgeting, and efficient case management of complex cases. She has represented clients in state and federal courts and appeared pro hac in many states.

She is a member of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Appeals Court, the United States District Court, and United States Court of Appeals for the First, Second and Third Circuit. Yalonda is a member of bar of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Yalonda also served on a number of Mintz’s internal committees, including the firm’s Hiring Committee and its Diversity Committee. She is also director of Mintz’s pro bono initiative in conjunction with the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

EXPERIENCE :

• Currently doing comprehensive product risk assessments and litigation readiness analysis for biotech and life sciences, as well as tech companies that design, develop and manufacture novel products and product platforms.
• Currently national counsel representing a U.S.-based publicly traded biotechnology company in multi-jurisdictional product liability disputes involving FDA-approved pharmaceutical drugs and assay test development.
• Represented a pharmaceutical company in wrongful death and personal injury actions involving participants in phase III clinical trials.
• Advised a sample and diagnostic testing manufacturer regarding claims related to diagnostic testing and product recall issues, successfully avoiding litigation.
• Represented a medical device manufacturer in a claim brought by the estate of a patient who died while allegedly using the manufacturer’s medical device.

INVOLVEMENT :

• Member, Boston Bar Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Board member, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights

EDUCATION :

• University of Virginia (JD)
• Harvard University (MDiv)
• University of Michigan (BA)

ADMISSIONS : Massachusetts, United States Supreme Court.