• Victoria
• California State Bar, USA

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Banking and Finance
• Bankruptcy/Insolvency
• Building and Construction (incl Engineering)
• Children’s Court
• Commercial Law
• Coronial Inquests
• Crimes/ Family Violence/ Intervention Orders
• Criminal law
• Family Law (Including Defacto)
• Intellectual Property
• Leases: Commercial and Retail Tenancies
• Property Law/Sale of Land
• Probate/Wills/Family Provision

Karen brings a broad range of skills and experience to the Bar and accepts briefs in commercial law (speciality is intellectual property), real property law and criminal law. She also has a keen interest in family law, children’s law and alternative dispute resolution.

Prior to coming to the Bar, Karen volunteered at the Fitzroy Legal Service and the Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service where she dealt with a wide variety of legal issues. Her commercial background includes real estate development and management consulting.

Karen holds a Juris Doctor from Monash University (awarded the Post Graduate Prize for Intellectual Property), a Masters of Business Administration from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern University, Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Marketing from the University of Oregon. Karen is admitted to the California State Bar.

Karen possesses significant international living and working experience in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, China and Hong Kong and is a dual citizen of the United States and Australia.

Karen is reading with Susan Gatford and her senior mentor is Colin Golvan AM QC.

Karen is also a competitive tennis player and a line umpire for Tennis Australia.

Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards legislation.