Karla works primarily on DEA and FDA enforcement and litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm in August 2010, she was the partner-in-charge of the Washington D.C. trial department and co-partner-in-charge of the national recruiting program for McDermott Will & Emery LLP. Karla's practice has involved a wide variety of civil and administrative, enforcement, and litigation matters. Karla has acted as trial counsel in federal, state, and administrative courts in Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Kansas, the District of Columbia, and Virginia, and before the Court of Federal Claims, United States Tax Court, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Her practice has focused on all aspects of commercial litigation. She also has significant arbitration and mediation experience.
After law school, Karla completed a judicial clerkship for the Honorable Claude M. Hilton, formerly the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division. She has been lead and local counsel on dozens of matters in the Eastern District of Virginia and regularly practices in that forum.
Karla is a member of the Virginia and District of Columbia Bars. She is admitted to practice before the United States Court of Federal Claims, the U.S. Tax Court, the U.S. District Bankruptcy Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, the U.S. District and Bankruptcy Courts for the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
Karla graduated cum laude from University of Richmond School of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of William & Mary. While in law school, Karla was associate editor of The University of Richmond Law Review, a member of the McNeill Law Honor Society, and a legal writing teaching assistant.
Karla currently is serving on the law school alumni Board of Directors for University of Richmond, and is an immediate past member of the Board of Directors of Chattering Children, a nonprofit entity that provides speech and language education, therapy, and services to hearing impaired children, regardless of ability to pay, throughout the Washington metropolitan area.
Articles / Publications
Court Ruling Casts Doubt On FDA's Use Of Guidance Documents, December 16, 2011
In the Name of Graduate Medical Education: What Mount Sinai Medical Center's FICA Tax Victory Means for Today's Teaching Hospitals, February 2010
Blog Posts
The HHS Office of Inspector General Reports on Acute-Care Hospitals' Ubiquitous Practice of Outsourcing High-Risk Compounded Sterile Products, April 16, 2013
FDA's High Risk Pharmacy Inspections and Enforcement Actions: Coming to a Sterile Compounding Pharmacy Near You?, April 14, 2013
New Legislation Schedules Any Substance Containing Hydrocodone in Schedule II, March 21, 2013
Forty-Eight State and Territorial Attorneys General Call for Tamper-Resistant Versions of Generic Prescription Pain Killers, March 11, 2013
Blunt Talk from DC Circuit: No "Adequate & Well-Controlled Studies Exist" on Marijuana's Medical Efficacy, January 27, 2013
More Legislation Introduced to Strengthen State Cooperation and Federal Oversight of Compounding Pharmacies, December 10, 2012
A Congressional Hearing: "The Fungal Meningitis Outbreak: Could It Have Been Prevented?" Is Scheduled for Wednesday, November 14, 2012, November 12, 2012
Congressman Markey Introduces Legislation Increasing Regulatory Oversight of Pharmaceutical Compounding, November 5, 2012
FDA Releases its Briefing Concerning Rescheduling of Hydrocodone Combination Products in Advance of Advisory Committee Meeting, October 30, 2012
Rep. Markey Asks Dept of Justice to Investigate New England Compounding Center, and to Probe into DEA's Past Oversight of Pharmaceutical Compounding, October 22, 2012
DEA Takes Further Action on Scheduling And Control of Synthetic Cathinones, October 21, 2012
DEA Controls Prostanozol and Methasterone As Schedule III Anabolic Steroids, July 30, 2012
DEA Leads First Nationwide Synthetic Drug Takedown in "Operation Log Jam", July 29, 2012
FDASIA Calls for Public Meeting on Rescheduling Hydrocodone Combination Products Legislative Scheduling of Dozens of Synthetic Drugs in Schedule I CSA, June 27, 2012
Franck's Lab Takes FDA to Task in the 11th Circuit; Picks Off Each of the Government's Arguments, April 12, 2012
DEA Issues Final Rule Clarifying When a Voluntary Surrender of a DEA Registration is Effective, October 10, 2011
GAO Report Criticizes DEA Diversion Control Performance Measures But Fails to Address Several Issues of Concern, October 6, 2011
Pain Relief on the Way? Senator Kohl's Proposed Bill to Provide Easier Access to Controlled Substances to Patients in Long-Term Care Facilities, September 20, 2011
Federal District Court in Florida Delivers a Decisive Blow to FDA's Authority to Regulate Pharmaceutical Compounding from Bulk Substances, September 18, 2011
Citing Imminent Hazard to Public Safety, DEA Publishes Notice of Intent to Temporarily Places Synthetic Cathinones Into Schedule I of the CSA, September 9, 2011
Consolidation of Seizure and Forfeiture Regulations under CAFRA - DEA Proposed Rulemaking, May 18, 2011
DEA Publishes Interim Final Rule for Mail-Order Distributors of Scheduled Listed Chemical Products, April 17, 2011
Citing Imminent Hazard to Public Safety, DEA Temporarily Places Synthetic Cannabinoids Into Schedule I, March 2, 2011
DEA to Hold Public Meeting on Controlled Substances Disposal Regulations, December 23, 2010
DEA Announces Emergency Scheduling of Synthetic Cannabinoids, December 2, 2010
The DEA Opines on a Pharmacist's "Corresponding Responsibility", December 1, 2010
Redefining Dronabinol - Part Deux, November 7, 2010
New Combat Meth Act Increases Retailer Self Certification, November 3, 2010