Kara M. Ariail

Kara M. Ariail is an attorney in Holland & Knight's Tysons office. She is a member of Holland & Knight’s legal department, serving as deputy general counsel and legal advisor to firm management on employment law matters. 

Ms. Ariail has practiced in the area of employment law counseling and litigation for her entire legal career, working closely with employers in a range of industries to provide ongoing counseling, training and investigations designed to minimize the risk of litigation and maximize employee retention and productivity. She has advised clients extensively on a wide range of employment issues, including successful hiring, employee performance management and termination strategies; development and implementation of anti-harassment and other personnel policies; evaluating and resolving employee complaints and workplace conflicts; evaluating reasonable accommodation obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws; achieving compliance with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA); and wage and hour compliance. Ms. Ariail has also advised clients on the employment law aspects of corporate transactions at all stages of the acquisition and sale process.

When litigation cannot be avoided, Ms. Ariail has represented employers before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), and both federal and state courts and agencies. She has defended claims of discrimination and harassment, wage and hour violations, breach of contract, defamation, negligence and wrongful termination, as well as claimed violations of both the ADA and FMLA. Ms. Ariail has also worked with clients to prepare, interpret and enforce employment, retention and termination agreements, including confidentiality and restrictive covenant agreements.