Karolyn has a commercial litigation practice, focusing on large complex business disputes, trust and estate litigation, and disputes among members of closely held companies.

REPRESENTATIVE WORK

Successfully defended personal representatives against claims for removal maintained by beneficiaries in several different Estate cases.

Successfully removed a personal representative on behalf of Estate beneficiaries.

Successfully defeated claims against personal representative/beneficiary in a will contest.

Successfully negotiated favorable settlement for a beneficiary in highly contested will contest.

Prevailed in suit for removal against attorney-in-fact.

Obtained judgment confirming $8.5 million arbitration award for T-Mobile, USA, Inc. against Qwest Corporation for reimbursement of unlawful and improper messaging charges on local telephone calls in violation of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.

Obtained arbitration award on full value of claim, plus attorneys' fees for T-Mobile, USA, Inc. on dealer contract dispute.

Obtained favorable defense verdict for AT&T Wireless Services, Inc. in a contract dispute with one of its work force management vendors over an intellectual property license fee associated with the workforce software.

Litigated on behalf of and obtained judgment for Amazon.com against its insurer for litigation costs Amazon.com incurred defending three major patent infringement lawsuits in Western District of Washington 2006.

Obtained favorable summary judgment, upheld on appeal, for InfoSpace, Inc. in a contract dispute with an Internet content provider.

Obtained preliminary injunction in federal court for T-Mobile, USA against one of its former dealers engaged in unauthorized use of trademarks and unlawful telemarketing activities to divert T-Mobile subscribers.

Obtained favorable settlement for small business owners in a dispute with a former partner/shareholder concerning the value of the Company for purposes of shareholder buy-out.

Favorably settled dispute that employee had with former employer concerning wrongfully withheld income and partnership interests.

Go2Net, Inc. v. C I Host, Inc., 115 Wn. App. 73, 60 P.3d 1245 (2003) (attorney for plaintiff).

Monson Fruit Co., Inc. v. Marsh Advantage America, 2004 WL 440842, 1 (2004) (attorney for defendant).

Castle v. Washington, 2004 WL 1985215 (Wash. Super.) (attorney for plaintiffs).

Heinsma v. City of Vancouver, 144 Wn.2d 556, 29 P.3d 709 (2001) (Amicus Curie for ACLU).

PROFESSIONAL & COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Member, Litigation Sub-Committee of the Washington State Bar Association Real Property Probate and Trust Section

Editor, Litigation Sub-Committee of the Washington State Bar Association Real Property Probate and Trust Section quarterly newsletter "The Codicil"

Volunteer Attorney, King County Bar Association Neighborhood Clinics

Cooperating Attorney, ACLU of Washington

Member, Q-LAW Judicial Evaluation Committee

Member, King County Bar Association's Neighborhood Legal Clinics Committee (2007-08)

Board of Trustees and Current Events Chair, King County Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division (2006-08)

Board of Directors, ACLU of Washington (2000-05)

PUBLICATIONS & SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

“Handling the Difficult Client,” presenter, 2011 Real Property, Probate & Trust Section Midyear, WSBA/RPPT Section (June 2011)

"Introduction to Fiduciary Duties,” presenter, Advanced Issues in Elder Law CLE, King County Bar Association (March 2011)

"The 8th Annual Trust and Estate Litigation Seminar,” co-chair and presenter, WSBA-CLE (March 2011)

"The 7th Annual Trust and Estate Litigation Seminar," co-chair and presenter, WSBA-CLE (March 2010)

"Who Gets the Proceeds of Life Insurance," with Karolyn Hicks, 37 REAL PROPERTY PROBATE & TRUST (WSBA, Winter 2010)

"Insurance Issues in Trust & Estate Litigation," co-author, Sixth Annual Trust & Estate Litigation CLE (March 2009)

"E-Discovery Issues in Trust & Estate Litigation," presenter, WSBA Best of CLE: Encore of Excellence (December 2008)

Estate Disputes, WASHINGTON PROBATE DESKBOOK, Chapter 9 (with Scott A.W. Johnson), Washington State Bar Association (2005)

RECOGNITION

Outstanding Young Lawyer of the Year, King County Bar Association (2008)

Rising Star, Washington Super Lawyers^® (2011)

BACKGROUND & INTERESTS

Before joining the firm, Karolyn was an intern at the national headquarters of the American Civil Liberties Union in New York City. Karolyn also served as in-house counsel at AT&T Wireless managing cases around the country in 2004 while Cingular's senior litigation counsel was on maternity leave. She is a native New Yorker who moved to Seattle in 2000, and feels perfectly at home in the Pacific Northwest.