Karen counsels the firm’s nonprofit clients in all stages of the corporate life cycle: incorporation and applying for tax-exemption, establishment of organizational affiliations and subsidiary structures, key corporate transactions (mergers, acquisitions, and major asset transfers), and dissolution.  She advises public charities, private foundations, and other tax-exempt organizations on a variety of issues relating to federal tax-exemption, corporate governance, and state charitable solicitation regulation. She represents a wide variety of nonprofits, with missions that target anti-poverty, economic development, the environment, health, and education, as well as churches and other religious organizations.

Karen provides legal advice to a broad range of for-profit businesses, including Fortune 500 and start-up companies, on traditional and emerging issues involving corporate philanthropy and cause marketing, including corporate foundations, corporate sponsorships, commercial co-ventures, crowd-sourced fundraising, fundraising platforms, and social media campaigns. She is a frequent author, blogger, and speaker on legal issues affecting the philanthropic sector.

• Lead outside counsel for Subaru of America’s award-winning Share the Love campaign (Golden Halo Award, Cause Marketing Forum). Provided guidance in developing a framework and process to manage the contract and regulatory compliance across one of the most complex, large-scale campaigns in the history of cause marketing. Share the Love has raised over $200 million for several national charities and hundreds of local charities.
• Representation of a nationally-recognized nonprofit organization serving the most economically disadvantaged region of the country, including conducting a review of the tax-exemption implications for establishing a new economic development program to provide job training and employment to individuals undergoing rehabilitation.
• Representation of a major nonprofit service provider focused on workforce and economic development in accomplishing a corporate restructuring involving numerous subsidiary organizations.
• Representation of several leading global corporations with respect to their charitable and social impact initiatives, including cause marketing, corporate foundations, corporate giving, and corporate social responsibility (CSR). 
• Representation of the Hebrew Technical Institute, a 150-year-old institution, in dissolving, requiring obtaining approval from the New York State Court and the New York State Attorney General’s Charities Bureau over the distribution of its remaining assets, and seeking cy pres relief with respect to numerous restricted gifts received over one hundred years ago.
• Collaborative representation of a university in petitioning the New York State court for cy pres relief to modify the restrictions on $8.4 million of a $70 million endowment fund.
• Advisement to various online fundraising platforms which provide innovative tools to facilitate charitable giving, including guidance on charitable fundraising regulation.

DC Bar, Exempt Organizations Committee, Vice Chair, 2021-present

Christian Legal Society, Member

Christian Legal Aid of the District of Columbia, Board Chair

National Collegiate Table Tennis Association, Pro Bono Counsel

Taiwan Mission Foundation, Advisory Board Member

Open Hands Legal Services, Advisory Board Member