Rising Star: Holland & Knight's Monica Perkowski
Litigation attorney Monica Perkowski was featured in a Law360 profile for her recognition as a Rising Star for 2026. Law360's annual Rising Stars list honors outstanding attorneys under 40 in a variety of practice areas. In an interview with the publication, Monica said her employee benefits litigation practice "kind of came up as a happy accident" after being assigned to a case alleging mismanagement of an employee stock ownership plan. Her work there helped her discover the world of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) that has become her primary area of focus. Monica also shared recent highlights from her practice, including a wave of lawsuits targeting plans under ERISA that feature "so many new theories of liability" and her work defending employers against proposed class actions claiming 401(k) plan forfeitures were misspent. She also mentioned a victory before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit that established a helpful precedent for plan sponsors and fiduciaries to reference when interpreting plans as well as recalled a moment of pride that came with being co-first chair in a pro bono federal civil rights trial.