Karen has experience in litigation and regulatory counseling, strategy, and advocacy, with a primary focus on products regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Karen advises on pathways to commercialization for new products and technologies, advertising and labeling, testing and reporting, data use and compensation disputes, and litigation relating to product approvals. Karen has specific expertise with the Plant Protection Act, the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard, the National Organic Program, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), and the Administrative Procedure Act.
In addition to her work with individual companies, Karen represents industry associations and coalitions as outside general counsel, advising on regulatory strategy and policy and federal and state legislative issues, and in litigation matters as parties or amici.
Karen has first- and second-chaired litigation matters in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the country and in arbitration and mediation, and has experience in all phases of litigation, from pre-litigation strategy and counseling to settlement negotiation and appeals. Karen also has extensive experience with enforcement and other regulatory matters at the state and federal levels, and assists with risk assessment and due diligence reviews of agricultural technology companies involved in mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions. Karen is also a Fellow of the Farm Foundation Round Table.
