Karen serves as Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP’s Associate General Counsel. Her practice is focused on firmwide risk management including regulatory and ethics compliance initiatives. She supports the General Counsel’s Office’s functions as to clearing and onboarding lateral attorneys and acts as a trusted resource for firm attorneys on ethics compliance. Karen brings a strategic, client focused perspective informed by deep experience that spans senior in house law firm roles and prior public service as an Assistant District Attorney. She regularly advises across jurisdictions and practice areas on ethics, conflicts, client intake, and compliance.
Karen has significant experience evaluating lateral attorney matters and new business for conflicts and overall client quality. Her lateral attorney onboarding competency encompasses the oversight of complex conflicts reviews, ensuring timely identification, resolution, and clearance of issues. Notably, Karen is a process improvement champion, having previously streamlined both the waiver and audit letter response processes in prior roles.
During her tenure as an Assistant District Attorney, Karen tried numerous cases including those involving major crimes. And, she represented the state on the Guilford County Mental Health, Drug Treatment, and Juvenile Drug Treatment Court Teams. A long-time proponent of lawyer well-being, Karen has been a volunteer for the North Carolina Lawyer Assistance Program (“NC LAP”) since she began law school. She has served on the NC LAP Volunteer Steering Committee and on the NC LAP Foundation Board, an independent, free standing 501 (c) (3) organization that exists solely to support the NC LAP in its work with lawyers and judges who have drug or alcohol problems or mental health issues. The Foundation’s mission is to provide financial assistance to lawyers and judges who are actively working with NC LAP and who meet financial eligibility guidelines and are unable to afford the level of treatment necessary for their full recovery.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- American Bar Association
- North Carolina Bar Association
