 Biography Karen has long divided her practice between employment law and complex commercial litigation, because her experience in each area strengthens her representation of clients in the other. Karen has a broad-based knowledge of the different legal rights, remedies, and procedural considerations essential to commercial litigation in both federal and state court. She has also developed the good judgment and legal understanding necessary to counsel employers on best practices and assist with critical decision-making. These competencies offer clients the best of both worlds -- help in exploring a wide variety of legal options, though not at the expense of common sense or business necessity. After completing a judicial clerkship on the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Karen spent the early years of her practice at Baker Botts, LLP, where she split her practice between management-side employment law and commercial matters involving oil and gas litigation and arbitration. After leaving Baker Botts, Karen expanded her practice to include executive employment matters and commercial appeals. Karen frequently assists executives negotiate executive employment contracts and proposed severance agreements. Karen has also served as a Staff Attorney at the Fourteenth Court of Appeals. Most recently, Karen has focused on corporate investigations, both on behalf of employers and as independent counsel advising an audit or special litigation committee. Her experience in corporate investigations has included matters ranging from Sarbanes-Oxley whistle-blower claims and anti-discrimination statutes to Treasury regulations and allegations of wrong-doing under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In each investigation, Karen’s goal is to give her client an accurate understanding of the history and scope of the problem at hand and help her client find a solution that both honors corporate values and complies with applicable law. | 
