Brittney Anne Avila leads employee benefits counsel at Haynes Benefits

Brittney Anne Avila is a Principal Attorney at Haynes Benefits PC, where she advises clients nationwide on ERISA compliance, health and welfare plans, and other employee benefits issues. Her profile highlights a legal career shaped by health law, compliance leadership, and a focus on helping employers navigate changing regulations.

Why it matters: - Brittney Anne Avila works in a fast-changing employee benefits market where compliance, affordability, and access often collide. - Her practice affects carriers, TPAs, brokers, and large employers that must keep health and welfare plans aligned with federal rules. - The legal and operational stakes are high for organizations facing audits, regulatory changes, and rising health care costs.

What happened: - Brittney Anne Avila is a Principal Attorney at Haynes Benefits PC. - She leads a focused employee benefits practice centered on ERISA compliance and complex health and welfare plan matters. - She advises clients nationwide on regulatory and compliance issues tied to employee benefits. - Her work includes MEWA guidance, cafeteria plan design and eligibility, service agreement review and negotiation, compliance training, document preparation, and Department of Labor audit and interview readiness. - She has served at Haynes Benefits PC for almost seven years and now holds a principal role. - She also serves on the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation – Technical Advisory Council.

The details: - Avila began at Texas Woman’s University with a nursing focus before shifting into legal studies after professors saw strengths in analysis, communication, and advocacy. - She earned a Bachelor of Science in Government and Legal Studies, graduating magna cum laude. - She later attended Texas Tech University School of Law and earned a Juris Doctor with a Health Law concentration from 2013 to 2016. - She passed the bar exam on her first attempt in summer 2016. - Her first legal role was as In-House Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer for a regional insurance brokerage in West Texas. - That role gave her experience in compliance, regulatory requirements, and operational risk management. - A continuing legal education conference in Seattle changed her career path. - At the conference, she attended an Affordable Care Act compliance seminar led by Andrew Ky Haynes, president of Haynes Benefits PC. - After meeting with the team and clients at the conference, she was offered an Associate Attorney role and joined the firm soon afterward. - She is also a professional speaker, industry contributor, and thought leader. - She writes and presents with other experts through the Employers Council on Flexible Compensation – Technical Advisory Council. - The source text includes her profile links on Influential Women and Haynes Benefits.

Between the lines: - Avila’s career path shows a move from insurance brokerage compliance work into a more specialized employee benefits practice. - Her emphasis on self-advocacy, resilience, and faith frames her professional story as much as her legal work. - Her comments on male-dominated leadership in insurance and benefits suggest she sees visibility and participation as part of career advancement for women in the field. - Her focus on prescription drug pricing transparency and PBM complexity points to growing pressure points for employers trying to manage benefits costs. - Her call for creative solutions reflects a broader industry challenge: keeping benefits useful without making coverage unaffordable.

What's next: - Avila is expected to continue advising organizations on ERISA, compliance, and employee benefits issues nationwide. - Her platform as a speaker and contributor likely keeps her engaged in industry discussions on regulation, transparency, and plan design. - The employee benefits field is likely to keep demanding more legal guidance as federal rules evolve and cost pressures persist.

The bottom line: - Brittney Anne Avila has built a career around translating complex employee benefits law into practical guidance for employers and industry clients.