Litigation Partner Lisa Howley Returns to Holland & Knight in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (May 20, 2025) – Holland & Knight announced today that seasoned litigator Lisa Howley is returning to the Firm as a partner in Portland. Ms. Howley most recently served as general counsel of the Portland City Auditor's Office.
Ms. Howley has extensive complex litigation experience and is well versed in business disputes, shareholder litigation and derivative suits, intellectual property and trade secrets disputes, and professional negligence and fiduciary duty litigation. She is experienced with political law, including elections administration, campaign finance, lobbying and ethics regulations, having served as the primary in-house counsel to the City of Portland's elections and lobbying programs. She also is experienced with employment and labor matters, including disputes regarding executive compensation and the enforcement of restrictive covenants, and advising on compliance with federal and local regulations. Ms. Howley's clients have included large corporations, major private equity firms and hedge funds, developers, governmental entities and executives of Fortune 500 companies.
"Lisa presents an excellent opportunity to grow our leading litigation practice in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest," said Matt Donohue, leader of Holland & Knight's West Coast Litigation Practice Group. "She is an experienced and well-regarded attorney who has led substantial litigation matters and will help facilitate new business growth opportunities. Having previously spent more than five years at Holland & Knight, Lisa has worked with many attorneys at the Firm, and we are thrilled to welcome her back."
Ms. Howley initially joined Holland & Knight in 2017 before leaving to work for the City of Portland in 2022. She is the third partner to join Holland & Knight's Portland office since April, following the additions of Kathryn Robinson and Byron Stevens, who were part of a 10-partner team that joined and helped open Holland & Knight's new Seattle office.
Holland & Knight's general commercial litigation practice in Oregon has been highly ranked by the Chambers USA guide for six consecutive years.
"Complex litigation requires a dedicated team of outstanding practitioners working together to achieve the desired results for clients, and Holland & Knight attorneys excel in collaboration across offices and geographies," said Ms. Howley. "I am very much looking forward to reconnecting with friends and colleagues and to helping Holland & Knight continue its impressive growth in the Pacific Northwest and beyond."
Ms. Howley received a J.D. degree from Columbia Law School and a B.A. degree from Smith College.