Karen brings her years of experience on Capitol Hill running investigations to bear when advising clients in Congressional investigations and related government oversight. Her knowledge of the oversight process and the inner workings of House and Senate Committees and leadership offices allows her to help her clients develop a comprehensive strategy for responding to Congressional requests, including preparing for potential parallel civil, criminal, state attorneys general, inspector general, Government Accountability Office and other regulatory investigations. Karen also lends her experience to formulate defensive and/or affirmative corresponding legislative strategy and to address a broad range of regulatory issues. Ranked Band 1 by Chambers USA, she is described by clients as “really taking the world by storm.”

In her role as general counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce, Karen oversaw and ran some of the most high-profile, complex congressional investigations of the last decade. Karen also managed all facets of the Committee’s legislative process and advised the Committee Chairman and Staff Director on all legal matters, including ethics, procedure and legislative proposals, as well as matters relating to Committee investigations. Prior to this role, Karen served as chief counsel to its Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Karen has a deep understanding of members’ thinking and purpose when conducting congressional investigations, including their questioning strategy at public hearings. In the course of her work, she developed, and now maintains, close working relationships with members and committee staff on both sides of the aisle, including Committee Chairs and subcommittee chairs, top Committee staff, and staff for leadership of the House, including those for the Speaker, Majority Leader and Majority Whip.

Since joining Akin in 2019, Karen’s representations include the major House and Senate investigatory committees and subcommittees as well as assisting clients in responding to Government Accountability Office and Inspector General inquiries, including the Departments of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security.