Karla is an associate in Reed Smith’s Washington, D.C. office, where she practices in the firm’s Regulatory and Investigations group. Karla represents clients in complex regulatory litigation, government investigations and enforcement actions, and commercial/business disputes.
Karla assists clients across industries, including health care and technology, and government contractors. Karla is experienced with bid protests before the Government Accountability Office and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and also advises clients on day-to-day compliance issues, including the scope and content of applicable federal regulations.
Prior to joining Reed Smith, Karla served as a law clerk at the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, where she assisted with disputes involving the federal government. She received her JD from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, where she served as Executive Editor of the Maryland Journal of International Law. Karla is fluent in Spanish.
Credentials
Education
- University of Maryland School of Law, 2020, J.D., cum laude
- University of Maryland, 2017, B.A.
Professional admissions & qualifications
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Court admissions
- U.S. Court of Federal Claims
Insights
- FAR overhaul underway: what contractors need to know (22 August 2025)
- Reassessing materiality post-<em>Kousisis</em>: Navigating FCA Exposure for DEI-related Certifications (24 July 2025)
- SEC enforcement newsletter: Q2 2025 (25 June 2025)
Blogs
- SBA announces comprehensive audit of the 8(a) Business Development Program (15 December 2025)
- Federal procurement and the False Claims Act: Another risk when it comes to your domestic origin claims (24 November 2025)
- Protest POV: GAO Grounds $83M Air Force Contract Over Merger Mistake (5 December 2024)
- Protest POV: How low can you go? GAO scrutinizes awardee’s low compensation rates (19 November 2024)
- Protest POV: Make it make sense—GAO sustains protest challenging solicitation with arbitrary and unduly restrictive evaluation scheme (16 October 2024)
- Protest POV: The pot calling the kettle black—Court of Federal Claims calls out protester’s similar violation of font requirements (1 October 2024)
- Protest POV: Out with the old, in with the new – GAO backs protest challenging Navy’s reliance on outdated market research (9 September 2024)
- Protest POV: Don’t let a case of “incumbentitis” kill your proposal (and protest) (8 August 2024)
- Protest POV: A small business protégé’s lack of experience isn’t always a deal-breaker (1 August 2024)
- Protest POV: Document access controls can end up controlling your fate in competitions (and at GAO) (12 June 2024)
- Protest POV: GAO dismisses protest challenging contract award to low-priced offeror where solicitation did not contemplate evaluating price realism (15 May 2024)
- Protest POV: Don’t let your bid protest fall flat on its face: CFC rejects untimely challenge to ambiguity apparent on the face of solicitation (9 May 2024)
- Protest POV: U.S. Court of Federal Claims declares “status is everything,” that is, small business status (26 April 2024)
- Protest POV: You Snooze, You Lose: One-Day Lapse in SAM Registration Can Cost Government Contract Award (12 April 2024)