Michaela has a vast background in health services, health care, and health law.

Michaela is an member of the Employee Benefits Practice Group, specializing in the design, administration, and regulatory compliance of a diverse array of employee benefit issues, including, welfare benefit plans, health care reform, tax-qualified retirement plans and executive compensation.  She is located at the downtown Cincinnati office.

She supports clients in navigating the intricacies that emerge during plan administration. Michaela assists clients on issues related to reporting and disclosure requirements, compliance with ERISA, the SECURE Act, the Internal Revenue Code, the Affordable Care Act, HIPAA and COBRA. She regularly advises clients on negotiating employee benefit vendor contracts and HIPAA business associate agreements for employee benefit plans.

Michaela has a vast background in health services, health care, and health law. Her experience stems from working at a myriad of companies where she assisted in a variety of healthcare litigation matters, conducted legal research on HIPAA procedures and best practices, and summarized regulatory policies for upper management review. This experience is elevated by her attainment of her Masters of Health Administration.

Michaela is originally from the Chicagoland area and currently resides in Covington, KY.

Education

University of Kentucky College of Public Health, Masters of Health Administration, 2023 University of Kentucky College of Health Science, BHS Clinical Leadership and Management, 2019

University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law, JD, 2023

Distinctions

Recipient - College of Law Faculty Cup Award - 2023

Recipient - Outstanding MHA Student of the Year Award - 2023

Recipient - Lyman T. Johnson Diversity Fellowship - 2019-2022

Recipient - William C. Parker Diversity Scholarship - 2016-2019

Professional Activities

Online Content Editor - Kentucky Law Journal - 2021-2023

Student Body Vice President - University of Kentucky Student Government - 2021-2022

Member - University of Kentucky Office of the President - DEI Leadership Team - 2020-2023

Member - University of Kentucky Office of the President - Strategic Plan Steer Committee - 2020

Member, Ambassador Board, The Dragonfly Foundation

News

Blog Posts

Additional Items

• Co-Speaker, "Employee Benefits Issues for Non-Benefits Attorneys," KBA Annual Convention (May 2024)
• Speaker, Lifecycle of Employee Benefits, Kentucky Bar Association Annual Conference (May 2024)
• Speaker, Secure 2.0, Impact on Benefits Plans (March 2023)

Michaela Taylor is dedicated to building relationships, connections, and bigger tables, not higher fences.

Michaela is from right outside of Chicago, Elgin to be precise, where she grew up with her aunt and uncle. It was them who instilled in her the importance of kindness, and humility, things she tries to emulate in all areas of her life. “And I always like to say this, but I try to build a longer table and not a higher fence. To me that just means doing as much as you can for the people around you.” After spending 18 years in the same place her family had been forever, she was ready to start her own life someplace new. Michaela chose the University of Kentucky and got her bachelor’s in health sciences and clinical leadership and management. At Kentucky, Michaela continued to cultivate her love of music and connect with new people.

On her first day of summer orientation Michaela remembers talking to one of the people from the university’s marching band. The next thing she knew she was showing up for band camp and learning to play the fight song on her saxophone. She says that being in the marching band was great experience that set her up well for her career by teaching her time management skills, and teamwork.

One of the other ways in which Michaela built relationships was by serving as the university’s student body vice president. Her goal as VP was to advocate for others and invite them into spaces where they might have felt not as welcome. One initiative she led was to make graduate students feel seen and heard, so she helped create a position where a graduate student representative could quite literally have a seat at her table. “I’ve tried to take the stance that if you have the opportunity to be somewhere, you have to take the initiative to invite others to also be lifted up and grow with you. And I think that's a really important part of being a professional in the legal system when you have some sort of say in what happens.”

After finishing her undergrad degree, she decided to stick around for law school.  She continues to be actively involved in the Alumni Association and tries to get to Lexington for as many sports games as she can.

“I often think of the phrase six degrees of separation, but when it comes to UK, it probably is down to around three degrees. Someone always seems to know somebody who knows somebody and that is something I have grown to love.”

For a long time, Michaela thought she wanted to become a healthcare administrator after completing her Bachelors in Clinical Leadership and Management. “Growing up my mom passed away from cancer and I saw how the healthcare system really had an effect on the lives of patients and families.” After getting some experience in school shadowing healthcare attorneys she became interested in a dual degree program which ultimate lead to a juris doctor and master’s degree in health administration. Her interest in tax law while in law school ultimately lead her to the Employee Benefits practice group, which she thinks is a great combination of those two interests

Michaela’s love for the University of Kentucky still runs deep. She met her fiancé there, so it was only fitting that he chose to propose in front of the iconic Memorial Hall on UK’s campus. Now living across the Ohio River in Covington, KY with her fiancé, Dillon and their two mini goldendoodles, Woodford and Weller, in her free time, Michaela enjoys trying out new restaurants and hunting estate sales for home décor finds.

Since moving to the area and starting with Bricker Graydon, Michaela has taken many opportunities to get involved with the Cincinnati community to further expand her table of plenty. “That was one of the things that really sold this firm for me. Everyone here is so passionate about being involved in the community and inviting others to join them. I was really fortunate in my life to have so many people in my corner, and I think it is really important to put out as much good as you have been given.”