Profile

Education

  • University of Illinois, JD (cum laude), 1992
  • University of Illinois, BS, Business Administration (with honors), 1988

Karen is an associate in the firm’s Chicago office. She comes to Kennedys with a background in commercial general liability, property, and professional liability/errors and omissions matters. She represents domestic and international insurers with respect to claims counseling, litigation, and compliance issues. She has argued motions at the trial and appellate levels. She has handled matters involving construction defect, business interruption, theft and vandalism, COVID, hail, hurricane, mold, asbestos, products, disability, fidelity/employee dishonesty, transportation, fine art and environmental claims. Karen has counseled clients on compliance issues and manuscript endorsements.

Earlier in her career, Karen served as a judicial law clerk for the Honorable Robert Schumacher at the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Karen is a member of the American Bar Association, and she serves as an investigator for the Chicago Bar Association’s judicial evaluation committee, a group charged with evaluating candidates for judicial office and sitting judges seeking retention.

Qualifications and admissions

  • Illinois
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
  • US District Court, Western District of Wisconsin
  • US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

Work highlights

  • Obtained numerous declaratory judgments of no coverage for domestic and London-market insurers under general liability policies.
  • Secured the withdrawal of tender of vandalism and theft claim after conducting examination under oath.
  • Represented insurers in connection with property damage claims and litigation following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Presentations and publications

  • “Privilege in the US,” In-House Client Training (April 2024)
  • Co-author, “Key differences in the legal privileges in the US and England,” published for Kennedys (September 2023)
  • “An update on US liability claims: A look at PFAS, opioids, and molestation claims in the United States,” In-House Client Training (September 2023)
  • “Privilege in the US,” In-House Client Training (March 2023)

Report decisions

  • Acceptance Indem. Ins. Co. v. Red Dot Arms, Inc., __ F.Supp.3d__, 2023 WL 7629820 (N.D. Ill. Nov. 14, 2023).
  • Board of Managers of Roseglen Condominium Association v. Harleysville Lake States Insurance, 2022 IL App (1st) 210265