12 Mar 2026
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips Adds Zach Howe as Partner in San Diego to Bolster Appellate and Trial Practice
"Manatt, Phelps & Phillips hires Zach Howe as partner in its San Diego office to strengthen appellate and trial capabilities; he will handle appellate matters, complex civil and criminal litigation, and government investigations."
Howe is an experienced appellate litigator who will contribute to Manatt’s national, trial-ready litigation team. He has presented oral argument more than 50 times before various appellate courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Ohio and intermediate appellate courts in Ohio and Texas. Howe has conducted 11 jury trials and has years of experience as a first‑chair federal prosecutor. At Manatt he will help build and expand the firmwide appellate capabilities and enhance the firm’s trial‑ready offerings across investigations, enforcement defense and high‑stakes litigation.
Howe’s prior experience includes a clerkship for the Honorable Leslie H. Southwick on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and a year as the Simon Karas Fellow in the Ohio Solicitor General’s Office, where he briefed and argued appeals. In private practice at an international law firm following his fellowship, he represented companies in appeals involving contract disputes, tort claims, condemnation proceedings and regulatory matters. While with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California, Howe litigated criminal appeals arising from a wide array of felony cases, investigated and tried cases, advised other attorneys and ultimately served as Chief of Staff, helping to form and implement the office’s strategic priorities throughout the district.
Howe is active in the legal community, having been chosen by the Ninth Circuit as an Appellate Lawyer Representative and serving as Communications Chair and an Executive Committee member of the San Diego Appellate Inn of Court. He earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and his B.B.A. and M.S. from Texas A&M University.