Michelle C. Kauppila

With an academic background in economics, math, and accounting, I began my career working with employee benefit plans in 1994 as a defined contribution plan recordkeeper. While I enjoyed working with numbers, my curiosity about the underlying rules for administering employee benefit plans prompted me to pursue a law degree. While continuing to work full time, I attended law school classes at the Chicago-Kent College of Law and earned my Juris Doctor in 2003 with a Labor and Employment Law Certificate.

I began my legal career working at a small boutique employee benefits law firm in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This experience and my further experience working at a Big 4 accounting firm and a large international law firm gave me the opportunity to sharpen my skills in the employee benefits/ERISA practice area.

After twenty-five years focusing mainly on employee benefits and ERISA compliance, I made the decision to branch out and start my own practice. Having my own practice gives me the opportunity to provide services to individuals and smaller employers at reasonable rates. I am able to focus on helping my clients while doing the work I enjoy!