Nikki H Howell

Nikki is a skilled trial lawyer who focuses on complex employment disputes, including nationwide class actions and multi-plaintiff discrimination lawsuits.

She is Co-Chair of the firm's Labor & Employment Department, Managing Partner of the Kansas City office and serves on the firm’s Executive Committee and Strategic Growth Committee.

Nikki represents regional and national employers, ranging from small businesses to international companies. They operate across numerous sectors, including retail, manufacturing, customer service, transportation, government contractors, sports teams and insurance carriers. She has also served as trial monitoring counsel for insurance carriers, providing real-time updates and evaluations as the trial unfolds.

She has defended employers against:

-Pattern-or-practice lawsuits brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)

-Lawsuits involving 50+ litigants with extensive and novel theories of liability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

-Complex multi-plaintiff race discrimination claims involving 30+ plaintiffs

-Collective actions under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and related state laws alleging claims related to overtime, meal and break periods, off the clock work and other pay practices

-Class actions filed under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)

-Race discrimination claims in the context of a consumer retail contract

Nikki’s practice touches on every aspect of employment law, beginning with prevention and compliance and continuing through trial and appeal. Her non-litigation experience includes:

-Strategic planning related to corporate policies, employment contracts

-Guidance on administration of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

-Overseeing pay equity audits with economists and statisticians

-Executive, management and human resources training relating to anti-harassment and discrimination policies, FMLA and ADA overlap and compliance, diversity and inclusion, and how to conduct investigations

-Conducting internal or third-party investigations on behalf of corporate boards or legal departments into allegations of potential harassment, discrimination

Prior to joining Fox Rothschild, Nikki was a partner in a national labor and employment law firm. Before her career in labor and employment litigation, she was a law clerk to the late Honorable John R. Gibson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit.

Griffiths Leadership Society for Women, University of Missouri-Columbia | Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, Labor and Employment Committee, Vice Chair (2014-2016) | Kansas City Association of Women Lawyers | Kansas City Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program, Steering Committee (2012-2013) | Missouri Bar Labor & Employment Committee, Legislative Review Subcommittee (2015-present) | Sandra Day O’Connor’s iCivics Program, Co-Chair, Missouri (2010-2014)| International Association of Defense Counsel (2024)

University of Missouri

J.D.

2004

University of Missouri

B.A., summa cum laude

2001